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Watch out, I might step on your toes!

I have been reading this book, Generous Orthodoxy (McLaren), which basically argues that we should stoptrying to fight for our one right orthodoxy and admit that most if not all orthodoxies within the Christian relm have some significance. A large part of the book is composed of chapters which each embrace a different part of view of Christianity. He discusses Eastern Orthodox's mysticism, Catholic's traditions, and Protestant's fight for the Truth. He never says that one is more correct or Orthodox than another. Anyways, I have been seeing the effects of this book in my life. I disagree with practically EVERYTHING this man says, but I was thinking about my feelings toward other religions. It has long been since I stood for the belief that someone might be in the Catholic Church and really be saved (sadly many people don't agree with this). In the same way, i think there are many who go to a nice little church on sunday, they sing the nice little songs, and they pray some nice little prayers, but without the HUGE love that 1 Cor 13 talks about, it is worth nothing more than some good old tradition.
So here is my question: (and keep in mind that this is coming from a girl who choose on her own accord to join a presbyterian church) How much value is there in denominations? And I am not talking about on a ersonal level, I am talking about the larger scale. Each denomination seems so different. Like a bunch of cousins. Yes, they might have the same family line, but whoa, ,each one's DNA is so unique that you might not even see the family resemblance unless they are stadning sidee by side. (I have a cousin who is half Indian and just plain out gorgeous, and when you put her next to my siblings and I, our noses are all exactly the same... sorry, wierd side note). But really, maybe we should get together, realizing that there is ONE Orthodoxy (McLaren doesn't admit that enough in his book), but that none of us represent it perfectly. We all represent jusst a little part of it. Maybe a family reunion is called for.

Comments

Rach said…
Te concuerdo mi amor!!! Necesitamos una gran reunion de familia!!!! Ok, en Ingles ahora...I am so glad to see the effects that his book is having on you first of all. I LOVE that you have read his book, disagreed with a lot, and yet still have learned from him and even read the whole book. Way to challenge yourself mi amor. As far as the importance of denominations, I agree. We all do come from the same family, and I think that unity is a good thing. I don't think separation is what Jesus intended for the church...just a hunch. And hey, I understand that many different denominations differ, and differ on a lot of important stuff. To love others does not mean you have to belief everything they believe or even grasp the recently popular idea that EVERYONE is right, and we should just all accept that. I think that we should love other denominations even though they may differ from us, I have seen a lot of hate go on between people of different denominations, and I DON'T think that is glorifying at all. I also think that different denominations can learn from one another...what a concept. I don't know, there I am rambling again, at least this time in English. I could quite possibly be making no sense. The great thing about you Becka is that I don't have to....you always understand me. Gracias para eso mi amor. Te quiero tan much y te extrano tambien! Ciao y besos!
11:22 AM
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