I must have made myself unclear, Peter. I don't think the church is a moral guardian at all. Far too many church leaders are or have been immoral for that to be the case.

Religions have a social structural function which is to provide a means of passing on education in what morality might be. The bible is above all else a guide to being a good person, not just in word or deed, but in thought. It's about how to think in a way that will lead you to do behave well toward others and it offers the promise of a reward or punishment after life as an inducement.

I don't think you need to take that inducement as real in order to learn from the bible and you don't need a preacher putting himself in the way necessarily, although a good one can be helpful, undoubtedly.

The church can be good or bad, it depends on the people who own it. It has no intrinsic value beyond those people.

One of the most inspiring things I've seen recently was the graduation speech that was widely reported in which the speaker said the greatest advice he could offer to people is to "be kind". Too much of the church's message is about being pietistic for selfish reasons and the message about being kind is missed. The way the message is delivered is formulaic, not passionate. It comes from dry theology, not red-blooded humanity.

I'm sorry for "slagging off" at you, but I did it in order to try to draw you out of that theological shell you're hiding in. You can't minister to people without listening to them and you can't proselytise if you're not speaking a language that people understand.

I've been accused on a few occasions of "speaking down" to people, which is never my intent, but I have to accept that people see it that way and try to change the way I write. I think that you might need to do the same.

Just a thought.

Dear Antiseptic,

I stand corrected: Jesus was not fond of social institutions, rather than of social relationships as such.

<<The bible is above all else a guide to being a good person>>

That's wishful-thinking on your behalf, with the exception of the book of Proverbs.

Being a good person is a good introduction to religion, an important preliminary (after all it's quite difficult to concentrate on God when the police is after you; or when your conscience constantly throws unwholesome reminders back at you for your past actions; also when your body constantly reminds you that you haven't treated it well), but religion is not about that - it goes far beyond.

It's OK if you wish to stop at that, being a good person, but then why call it 'religion'?

Peter,

>> Rather, I write for the many people who subscribe to the blog and others who have some level of theological education.<<

I did not question your writing to “people who … have some level of theological education” only wondered about your choice of the language given this venue, and whether this was a good way to make people appreciate the insights that Christian theology could provide.

If your writings are not inspired by Karl Barth, then I understood you - or Barth, or both - even less. Therefore I asked for a relevant quote from Barth. But I shall still try to read you through the Barth prism as it seems to be the most promising way to comprehend you.

I am certainly not a Christian theologian, but I enjoy Peter's articles, written mostly in plain English. I don't know or care who Barth is, but I still get the main ideas of the article. I did get a bit lost towards the end where it gets Christian-specific so one probably cannot understand without first-hand Christian experience, but most of the article is universal and can be understood by any religious person.

The church are nothing more than a 'don't do as we do, do as we say' cord.

david..<<..Does God require a special language?
Well, I'll be the mug, does he, she or it?>>..

in fact..no..god does not
god requires,..not any word..only works/deeds
and not just words..on works..but that we do* the works we do..with passion.

think how evil..LOVES doing its evil
till we can do..only the good..with the same passion..
as this is Satan'$ realm..what is in it..will in the end be only that you CHOSE..to be made real..here..by doingit physiclly

in the next realm..often
fo-cussed thought..brings its realization..
[you in affect make it real..specifically..*only for you..

and what you chose to realize..[make real]..there
determines where you will *be..[but even then the word be..isnt relative..as in the concept of a simple..or sinfull being..as much as simply letting it be..or obsessing about the being were then chosing to become..

usually just as we each..now..
are choosing to be..[the good will still be striving to be good
and the bad..at heart..striving to do evil..to each other]

the issue of one god/or many..is of little importance..in both..heaven and hell..[as in affect..*we each..hold the one true [wholly spirit]..love life logic light etc..

ALL LIVING..BEING*..of the one
yet each living holds..*our own lifes sure gnosis
[ie the witness and lessons..we hold in common..with the god of life/love/logic]

ie we each..hold our own bit..of godliness within
that sustains us our every living breath..what we do..with that gift..is to sort the goats fromthe sheep..sort trhe tares fromthe wheat..or thye wheat fromthe chaff

WHATEVER..you love
more of the same will be given..
to the greatest equal..as the least
[as great evil..allows greater good in ending it]

never the less all murderers..have their own room..in gods haven
where they can spend eternity..*only murdering ONLY each-OTHER..intheirr own room

JUST LIKE CHRIST..WENT to our fathers house*
..TO BUILD XTIAN's..their own room

ditto each passion..religion/creed
be they MORTAL self-ish sin..or sins upon..our other selves..
at physical death..all you can hurt..is thyself..and or others like as thyself.