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The Forum > Article Comments > The Uniting Church in dire straits > Comments

The Uniting Church in dire straits : Comments

By Peter Sellick, published 29/4/2010

It is always a bad idea to alter the theology or the liturgy of the church to meet political ends.

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For once I agree with Peter. The original mad ravings on which most religions -- including Christianity -- are founded should be exposed in all their nakedness for everyone to see. I am sure Peter will agree, for instance, that all real Christians should hunt down and kill Wiccans, as laid down quite clearly in their Holy Book; and I am absolutely certain that Peter neither shaves his beard (it must have stopped growing by itself, if the photo is anything to go by) or eats shellfish, since both of those are clearly identified as abominations in the sight of the Lord. What a shame that there are so many apostates who regard these practices as quaint and old-fashioned! Clearly they are not real Christians! But when the six or seven of us remaining who DO observe all the Biblical strictures finally get together in Heaven, oh what a laugh we will have to see them writhing in the fiery pits! Won't we, Pete?
Posted by Jon J, Thursday, 29 April 2010 9:54:22 PM
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Peter

At least you tried sowing, only to be met by rocky ground.

The comments in response to your article remind me so much of the injunction against tthrowing pearls before swine.

The replies seem mainly to come from those with no vested interest in the argument, and who therefore should not have even bothered reading the article. It is like all those who complain that Sydney Anglicans will not ordain women as 'priests', where the same complainants don't even believe in God, let alone would consider attending an Anglican church whether or not a woman was 'priest'.
Posted by Dougthebear, Friday, 30 April 2010 12:05:35 AM
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Dear Peter,

Churches are political institutions and do things for political reasons. Your blindness to that doesn't bother me since it is consistent with your statements in other areas.

However, what does distress me and which no other poster has mentioned is your title. The phrase is 'dire straits' not 'dire straights'.

Dire straights means disastrous, urgent or terrible heterosexuals. Possibly you did mean that. Maybe you are capable of subtlety.
Posted by david f, Friday, 30 April 2010 3:00:12 AM
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DougtheBear,

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that most of the human race was in the grip of mad irrational beliefs which resulted in thousands of violent deaths every year, and somebody wrote a peevish piece suggesting that it wasn't really right for one particular minority set of mad beliefs to even try and accommodate a modern enlightened perspective.

Isn't this like complaining because atomic bombs are always painted such dull colours?

Peter's point is too silly to be worth arguing about. Peter's shared delusions, however, are dangerous to us all.
Posted by Jon J, Friday, 30 April 2010 6:55:01 AM
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Dougthebear

If you want to engage in abstruse theological arguments with other believers there are more appropriate forums that this. Online opinion and its forums are designed for open conversations between people of different views and perspectives. Closing out or dismissing those not part of your belief system as people who “should not even have bothered reading the article” does you no credit.

I’m a practicing Anglican (happily not in the misogynist Sydney diocese that you apparently admire) and part-time student of theology, so by your criteria I probably do have a “vested interest in the argument”. How about engaging with that argument, instead of simply abusing those who disagree with you?
Posted by Rhian, Friday, 30 April 2010 10:46:42 AM
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A courageous piece, Pete. I am reminded of C.S. Lewis' observation: "Our highest activity must be response, not initiative". Most of our difficulties (individual and collective) arise from an attempt to impose our frames and aims onto reality instead of using our gifts and talents to respond to reality as we find it. When our construction of "church" - or of anything else - becomes an image and likeness of ourselves, we have lost the origin and the meaning of things.
Posted by JJK, Friday, 30 April 2010 11:27:17 AM
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