I came across this video and was hoping it would stimulate some conversation. You are welcome to comment as you feel led.
What are your thoughts about McLaren reaching out to the Muslims?
Do you agree with McLaren's 3 major crises?
1) How we are treating the planet
2) Poverty - the gap between the rich and the poor
3) Our need for peace
What do you think of his solution - the have nots refusing to give up and the haves learning to care?
Again, go to http://www.hopeinfo.co.uk/ to see the video.
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8 comments:
Sam,
Could it be said that the three main crises McLaren outlines actually have a greater, single cause - the foremost problem in our world, spiritual blindness?
Steve Page
I am with Steve. I did not watch the video due to slow internet (I prefer my internet to be text). The problems are just a few of the symptoms of spiritual depravity on the part of institutionalized religion and the non-religious.
His answer is not an answer but a result of the answer. The true answer is that everyone starts to love one another the way that God would have us love one another. The result will be that the haves will give to the have nots, probably through providing them better paying jobs because the have nots would want to help the haves as much as possible.
The problem with, at least the brief part you shared, this is that it is Christianity trying to reform the world without Christ. It just is not possible. Christ might be divisive, but He is the answer.
Good thoughts Steve and Regan. If I may nuance them a little bit, the foremost problem in our world is selfishness which causes the spiritual blindness. Our selfishness causes us to horde, oppress, destroy the environment, and cast a blind eye to the suffering in the world.
I don't think we're destroying the environment. Straw man.
I don't know Sam. I think we are disagreeing on what is the cart and what is the horse. Nobody can overcome selfishness without surrendering to Christ. We do not become Christians by mastering our selfishness. Christ is foremost. If not, our fight against selfishness is just a legalistic battle. Legalism appears to be creeping up in the emergent church; it just has a different form. What good would it be for a person to quit being selfish?
Regan - I agree that the call of a disciple leads to selflessness and sacrifice. However, I can see some people "overcoming selfishness without surrendering to Christ.' There are plenty of Buddhist monks who are giving it a go.
What good would it be for a person to quit being selfish? I guess not wanting to live in anarchy.
Granted, both the Buddhist and the non-anarchist aren't seeing a true expression of selflessness because it is not grounded in the life and death of Jesus.
Anyway, I don't think we are disagreeing.
Anonymous - I don't know what planet you are living on, but I look around and see our planet being raped. We are abusing our world, and the consequences be damned. I am not even talking about Global Warming (which you probably don't think exists anyway). I am talking about wasting natural resources, and destroying plants and animals in the name of "progress."
Briefly on the anarchy comment, people would not want to leave in anarchy for selfish reasons.
Pure selfishness might lead to following totalitarianism if it benefits the individual.
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