Christopher Johnson at Midwest Conservative Journal notes that the Presbyterian Church (USA) has gone loony with regards to terrorism -- with which I agree -- but then extrapolates from their position and says that Protestantism is doomed. The first double-blockquote below is from a resolution by PCUSA, and Mr. Johnson's response follows.
Huh?The resolution calls for Presbyterians to “acknowledge our complicity in contributing to the circumstances that prompt individuals to engage in acts of terrorism.” It asks church members to accept blame for: “our disproportionate consumption of the earth’s resources”; “the export of the artifacts of our popular culture such as movies, music, and television programming”; “military responses to terrorism [that have] too often been motivated by a desire for vengeance and not a desire for justice”; and “condemn[ing] the religious faith of those who are different without taking the time to understand that faith.”... Since nobody cares what the PCUSA thinks about anything, resolutions like this one are basically meaningless. Every mainline Protestant denomination has at one time or other passed something similar. But if you want a reason why mainline Protestantism is dying and deserves to die, this resolution will tell you everything you need to know.
First off, my church isn't a part of any denominational organization, but we're Independent Baptists so I suppose we can be somewhat grouped in with other types of Baptists. Although I don't follow the Southern Baptist Convention very closely, they're pretty "mainline" and I highly doubt they've ever passed a resolution like the one passed by PCUSA. What this does illustrate, however, is exactly why my church has decided not to be affiliated with any larger organization. We try to avoid politics altogther (as a corporate body) because our mission isn't political, it's spiritual, and it would be a shame to hinder someone's walk with God due to a political disagreement.
I think Mr. Johnson is a bit premature in declaring a "MAINLINE DEATH THROES WATCH", but he may be right in thinking that the large denominational organizations are on their way out. Anecdotal evidence suggests to me that the leaders of these organizations are quite out of touch from their membership, politically and doctrinally, and generally far more liberal.
