Seven Devilish Ways To Block Church Union

When Protestants move from one town to another, the biggest factor in picking a new church is not denomination but nearness. Three-fourths of a group of Staten Island churchgoers, sampled by their local Protestant Council in New York, held no beliefs that would prevent their switching to some other Protestant denomination. Despite this evidence of doctrinal tolerance, church merger negotiations in the U.S. are being quietly balked. At least some of the opposition to church union, argues Methodist Theologian J. Robert Nelson of Oberlin College in the current Theology Today, is so "arbitrary and irresponsible" that he satirically wonders if some Dark Unseen Presence might be behind it. With a bow to C. S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, Nelson suggests seven ways that the Devil might have devised to block the road to union.

sbTEACH THAT "SPIRITUAL UNITY" IS ENOUGH. "Let people think that the essential unity of the church is quite unimpaired by denominational distinctions, disputes over sacraments and ministry, doctrine, liturgy, polity, or race. All talk about the sin and scandal of division can thus be discredited."

sbPROMOTE FALSE REASONS FOR CHURCH UNION. "If Christians can be persuaded that the union of churches will be a virtual panacea for their ills, weaknesses, inefficiencies, disabilities and infidelities, the prospects for disillusionment are superb." So long as some Protestant Christians "are kept from seeing any union as a mandate of their God, and regard it only as a matter of expedient defense" against numerical gains by Communists, Roman Catholics or fundamentalist sects, "there is really little to fear."

sbINSIST THAT UNITY MEANS UNIFORMITY. "People are too shortsighted to see that no encompassing uniformity is found even within their own denominations. So they will go on resisting unity because they think their freedom to enjoy diversity will be jeopardized."

sbDISTRACT AND COMPLICATE. In a merger, " 'catholicity' is the main thing, claim some. No, it is 'right doctrine,' say others. Both are inferior to 'mission,' declare still others. No bucket of mud in a fresh pool of spring water could more effectively cloud the issue."

sbCONFUSE SELF-INTEREST WITH CONVICTIONS OF FAITH. Christians can be encouraged to disguise "selfishly motivated actions in theological, liturgical, or ethical dress. They will impugn the ritualism or moral laxity of another church. But to treat the matter openly on the plane of money, position, or power--well, that is asking too much of even a Christian."

sbURGE DENOMINATIONS TO INVEST THEIR MONEY HEAVILY IN BUILDINGS. "It is self-evident that the chances of church union are in inverse proportion to the amount of money and power invested in ecclesiastical headquarters."

sbKEEP PREJUDICES ALIVE. "It is really exhilarating to see how words can keep Christians distrustful of one another's churches. Take the prayer which the Carpenter taught his disciples. Do Presbyterians pray to be forgiven of their 'debts' or their 'trespasses'? Do Baptists pray that the Enemy's kingdom be 'forever and ever' or merely 'forever'? It is over words like these that the silent battles of sullen prejudice are fought. Another favorite prejudice which continues to cause endless bickering in church circles centers around the office of bishop. Most Protestants in America are fully persuaded that a bishop lives in a rich castle and exercises autocratic rule over the hapless serfs who are mere members of the church." It would be most disastrous for the cause of disunity "if it were widely known that bishops in some churches have modest incomes, are limited by constitutional checks, and really devote themselves to their pastoral duties. Nor should people be allowed to perceive that in some non-episcopal denominations the administrative strength of executive officers exceeds by far the power of bishops in other churches."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.