« Ungay Me, Lord, or The Bible as Bludgeon | Main | Finally »

May 21, 2017

Comments

Michael Laprarie

Thank you for writing this. And as to your main point, which has been consistent in your writing for years, I have to agree: why does OKC need yet another church plant?

I will say this in defense of the COTN: a significant number of protestant and evangelical churches emerged out of schisms. The COTN didn't; it emerged from an effort to unify 8 different holiness groups. It's hard to keep making the tent bigger. And the COTN continually has to deal with internal rebellions led by laity who want to push the denomination toward fundamentalism.

As I follow current events I continually see social groups of all sizes, including national political parties, make decisions to move left or right, to include specific groups or support specific causes. But it always comes at a cost, which is excluding others. And now, it's become sport to openly mock those whom we exclude. If we can't handle this at a macro cultural level that is controlled by the best and brightest and most educated and most creative, there is probably little hope of ever seeing perfection with religious denominations or other smaller tribes.

The COTN isn't without its flaws and superstitions and deeply ingrained bad habits. But at least at the leadership level it tries to keep conversations going. Maybe not as quickly or in the direction that some would like, but at least there is an honest effort by many to make progress.

Benjamin

Every once in a while, I see a post pop up here or on Streak's blog (the Mccarty's sadly, muse no more) and I'm reminded that Oklahoma isn't entirely insane.

Bridgier (who used to be Benjamin)

The comments to this entry are closed.