The Spong Manifesto

Still (!) working on that dang editorial.

Nonetheless: I ran into a fascinating piece today, a manifesto by the Episcopalian Bishop John Shelby Spong. Spong is well-known in progressive Christian circles (and reviled in conservative Christian circles) for books like Why Christianity Must Change or Die and Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism. There he takes an unabashedly liberal view of some of the main tenets of Christian doctrine, challenging believers to relinquish views he considers fundamentalist, e.g., the Bible as inerrant, the narratives in scripture as literal histories, and the substitutionary atonement of Christ. He has been a particularly vocal advocate of GLBT inclusivity in church and society and bitter critic of faith-based rationales for denigrating GLBT people.

The manifesto ("A Manifesto! The Time Has Come!") continues this latter trend. Well--I say continues. Bishop Spong himself presents the manifest as a kind of final word on the subject, his "I will fight no more forever" statement.

A quote is in order:

"I have made a decision. I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility. I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is "an abomination to God," about how homosexuality is a "chosen lifestyle," or about how through prayer and "spiritual counseling" homosexual persons can be "cured." Those arguments are no longer worthy of my time or energy."

He continues with further personal resolutions regarding not listening to debates, reading or listening to views "from the other side," or bothering to respond to them in person or in print. He mixes in other resolutions about dismissing those in breakaway factions of the Episcopal church (who are leaving to align themselves with other bodies in the Anglican Communion), ignoring religious leaders like the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury on matters relating to human sexuality, and--in a gutsy move--criticizing various "third-world" ministers who foster "killing prejudice" against GLBT people and get away with it by virtue of their origins.

The battle, he argues, is over. Inclusion is the way of the future, and the church can either get on board or move out of the way. Spong makes it clear that he views the topic of GLBT sexuality as closed, just as most of Christendom views questions of whether segregation is right or whether wives are their husbands' property as no longer debatable. He resolves, finally, to turn his energies and attention elsewhere.

A bold statement, to be sure.

I have questions, however, as to its purpose and ends...

More tomorrow,

JF

PS--100th post! Yay blog! (even though the last few posts have been quite slim).