Bob Edgar's middle-of-the-road, pick-and-choose approach to the Bible is precisely what is wrong with American Christianity today. Edgar criticizes the stronghold of the "far religious right" on our government, and apparently "far religious right" means those who disagree with homosexuality and abortion, and those who support the Iraq War.
Edgar cries victim at people who call out false teachers like him. However, Edgar's attempt to bring "unity" to Christians only causes further divisiveness in the Christian community. He draws the proverbial line in the sand with the anti-war, radical Left being the "true" followers of Jesus's teachings. How charming!
An excerpt from Page 6 in the Introduction:
"The Bible mentions abortion not once, homosexuality only twice, and poverty and peace more than two thousand times. Yet somehow, abortion and homesexuality have become the litmus tests of faith in public life today...the politics of faith have been co-opted in the service of a political agenda defined by fascination with war, indifference toward poverty, and exploitation of God's creation for the benefit of a relative few."
How many times does the Bible enjoin people not to murder and steal? Not many, but there are numerous Bible passages that can lead one to an understanding of abortion that Pastor Edgar is apparently ignorant of. We should put aside such disagreements, Edgar says, because unity is more important -- according to him, more important than following the Bible. Through half-baked logic such as this, Edgar's book reads more like an ACLU "religious equality and freedom" manual rather than a balanced look at the current state of Christiantiy.
Continuing, the ravages of modern society, according to Mr. Edgar, are "hunger, illiteracy, disease, war, and environmental degradation." Sounds like Mr. Edgar has ordained himself as a prophet, since he is apparently one of the only ones to know what the Bible truly means, and what God's real intent was. Furthermore, Mr. Edgar is "not ashamed" to be labeled as the "religious liberal."
Most of "Middle Church" is just a simpleton's critique of society that sounds like it came straight from Ned Lamont's desk. Just insert "God" and "Jesus" in there a few dozen times and BAM! You've got a "Christian" book! The majority of the book just walks itself in circles as Edgar banally tries to convince the reader that ozone pollution is worse than abortion. Funny though, how on page 88 Edgar references the "sacredness of human life" in reference to preventing terrorism. Ha! Good laugh on that one. The central question in the abortion debate is whether or not an unborn baby is a human or just a lump of tissue, but Edgar simply assumes the latter and concludes that we must allow abortion in order to obey God's command to "love one another". Certainly a worthy command, and Mr. Edgar's evident care for the poor and abandoned is commendable, but in this case the Devil is definitely in the details.
Although this book is supposedly an enlightened look at the true meaning of the Bible, the vast majority of Mr. Edgar's scripture references are placed as chapter subtitles with only vague connections to the actual meaning Mr. Edgar is trying to convey. Most of "Middle Church" reads like a resume or auto-biography than a social critique on Christianity and American society. I did this, I did that, blah blah blah.
On page 115, Bob Edgar encourages American military disarmament, citing that we have way too many nuclear weapons than would be needed to "destroy any nation we choose." From then on it's typical anti-war, Leftwing propaganda speech with a random Bible verse inserted now and then to prevent too much monotony. I'd say give this book a pass, unless you're a Christian who really wants to get a scare thinking about apostates like Bob Edgar who mislead and confuse the world in the name of Christ.
1 John 2:18-26Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.
I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.
I say you're both wrong. You, MW, are wrong on many social issues and wrong for using the Bible to advance your agenda into law.. and Bob Edgar is wrong for using the Bible in the same way, even though his stance on some of the issues is right.
And your comment shows the exact same bias except on the other side and in many people's opinion..wrong. Everyone has their beliefs and if enough believe that way, they are inevitably going to push it to law because they want to live that way. Some use the Bible, some the Koran, and some use their own moral system for the basis of their agenda. Jesus didn't command that you push an agenda on your government but was more concerned about you as an individual. This push for laws on either side is driven by human desires and beliefs on how people want to live as a community/country. The best part of this country is that you have at least some say in deciding these things. Just think of having a King that makes whimsical or tyrannical laws. That would be fun wouldn't it?!
6K: "Many" people also believe my opinions are right.
People's beliefs, though, don't have to be pushed into law for those people to live that way. I don't have to change your mind about homosexuality for me to be a homosexual and not ashamed of it. Anti-abortion activists don't have to push their view into law in order to convince people to not have abortions.
I'm well aware of the reasons that people often seek to push their beliefs into law.. but those reasons are entirely irrelevant of whether they should push them into law.. or whether or not they have to.
Some people vehemently believe the government doesn't have the right to disallow ownership of any sort of firearm. I agree with that. I disagree with most if not all attempts by the government to tell me and everyone else what I can and cannot buy, who I can and cannot associate with, what I can and cannot watch or listen to, and any of the other Puritanical bullshit that is so often a big part of Christian conservatism.
Christian conservatives are sick and tired of people like me? Hey, that's fine kiddo.. we're sick and tired of people like you too.
By the way.. I'm not an advocate, at least anymore, of anything that most of you would presume me to be an advocate of.
My energy is devoted entirely to resisting the changes proposed by advocates of positions that most of you support. In other words, I'm not pushing for anything of my own.. I'm just pushing back against most of what you're all trying to pull.
Mark, that last paragraph was very funny.
The truth is that if we truly believe and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we would not omit anything He would have us do or say.
Our stands on abortion and gay rights, all of our stands, are litmus tests for our faith. Abortion is the most common litmus test because it is the most egregious example of mankind's hatred of God today.
If you declare yourself pro-abortion and a Christian, you are a liar of the worst kind.