 Physician, heal thyself  The Layman Volume 37, Number 3, Posted August 10, 2004
That prognosis may come as a shock to those who were exposed to task force propaganda at the 216th General Assembly. Media events, interviews and kudos from denominational notables hyped the task force as the next best thing to Penicillin. Composed of persons who span the theological spectrum, the group is being promoted as the Presbyterian Church (USA) in microcosm. As in reality TV, see how they love one another! Like Survivor, 20 well-meaning and different individuals have been sequestered and forced to depend on one another. Add to that mix a heavy dose of interest-group scrutiny that has morphed their huddle into a superficial unity. In such circumstances, differences are diminished, not by debate and resolution, but by compromise that encourages participants to proclaim “We are One!” Presbyterians have seen this tactic before. The Covenant Network tried it in a “dialogue” with the Presbyterian Coalition, which broke down when representatives of the two groups could not agree that Scripture (all of it) is God’s Word. It was behind Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick’s failed “unity in our diversity” initiative in 2001. There have been other attempts to get renewalists and Covenant Network-More Light leaders to set aside their differences and demonstrate their unity in diversity. Such practices please those who believe in Band-Aids. But cover-ups do not cure. The task force’s fundamental flaw lies in the presupposition upon which it was formed, that problems of faith can be solved by friendship. By ignoring the whole counsel of Scripture and crafting words so that its members may assign multiple definitions, this group smears a salve of unity over the cancer of competing convictions. Their malpractice should be actionable, and it will be in that ultimate courtroom where truth trumps falsehood. Scripture refers to the Word of God as being “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Now, there’s a scalpel that will do the real work of healing! Yet, except for a few exercises in which verses were shamelessly lifted from their context and twisted beyond recognition, Scripture has been virtually ignored by the task force. We are grateful to the widely respected New Testament scholar, Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon, for challenging the way the group distorted the message of Ephesians in its attempt to bolster an ersatz version of unity. Committed to the preservation of an institution, the task force’s work product is predictable: unity trumps truth, and that carries us right into a Rodney King “Can’t we all just get along?” theology. Such notions – including the task force’s attempt to equate a particular denomination with the Church – are utterly unBiblical. The Church of our Lord Jesus Christ will not die. We can trust his promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. But a denominational institution called the Presbyterian Church (USA) must demonstrate by its public confession that it is the faithful repository of the very faith that evoked the Lord’s promise. If it will not do so – and much of its infrastructure steadfastly refuses to do so – then it will surely become, not the Church, but a cadaver. No artificial means will resuscitate it. Having squandered three years, the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity has remedial work to do. The word “theological” was included in its label for a reason. Hopefully, the task force will abandon its efforts to substitute camaraderie for theology, and in its final hours, produce a report that lives up to its name. A column by Parker T. Williamson, chief executive officer of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and editor in chief of its publications. |
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