May 22, 2004

NOT TO MENTION THEIR VULGAR MANNERS

Conservative Group Amplifies Voice of Protestant Orthodoxy
(Laurie Goodstein and David D. Kirkpatrick, New York Times, May 21st, 2004)

As Presbyterians prepare to gather for their General Assembly in Richmond, Va., next month, a band of determined conservatives is advancing a plan to split the church along liberal and orthodox lines. Another divorce proposal shook the United Methodist convention in Pittsburgh earlier this month, while conservative Episcopalians have already broken away to form a dissident network of their own.

In each denomination, the flashpoint is homosexuality, but there is another common denominator as well. In each case, the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a small organization based in Washington, has helped incubate traditionalist insurrections against the liberal politics of the denomination's leaders.

With financing from a handful of conservative donors, including the Scaife family foundations, the Bradley and Olin Foundations and Howard and Roberta Ahmanson's Fieldstead & Company, the 23-year-old institute is now playing a pivotal role in the biggest battle over the future of American Protestantism since churches split over slavery at the time of the Civil War.

The institute has brought together previously disconnected conservative groups within each denomination to share resources and tactics, including forcing heresy trials of gay clergy members, winning seats on judicial committees and urging congregations to withhold money from their denomination's headquarters.

Note the tone of illegitimacy here. To our judicial, religious, media and intellectual elites, the general population is viewed mainly as dissidents incubating insurrections.

Posted by Peter Burnet at May 22, 2004 9:57 AM
Comments

Good grief. These two just recycled there article on the Methodists from two weeks ago.

as usual, its those feverish traditionalists, always ready to march and chant, that play the role of aggressor of agitator.

Posted by: Paul Cella at May 22, 2004 12:18 PM

...the general population is viewed mainly as dissidents incubating insurrections.

Isn't that what Thomas Jefferson said we should be.

Posted by: Brandon at May 22, 2004 12:31 PM

This action is redundant. Conservative Presbyterians have the Presbyterian Church in America, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Bible Presbyterian Churches available to them outside the apostate PCUSA. There are no comparable alternatives available to the Methodists.

I'm not sure why the PCUSA is concerned about this except perhaps for finances. The leadership has hoped to drive the conservatives out for the last 2-3 generations.

Posted by: Jeff at May 22, 2004 10:13 PM

"The institute has brought together previously disconnected conservative groups within each denomination to share resources and tactics, including forcing heresy trials ..."

I think that the Catholic Church should bring all Protestant clergy up on heresy trials.

Posted by: Robert Duquette at May 22, 2004 10:53 PM

Robert: We stopped trying a few centuries ago. Too costly, not enough return on the buck, bad p.r.

In fact, I'm glad we did: Without them, there would be no Institute on Religion and Democracy. Might not be a bad idea to sic them on my Church...

Posted by: Chris at May 23, 2004 1:37 AM

The real issue here is that the fact that all religions spawn endless purification movements.

In America, with a few spectacular exceptions like Prohibition, they are relegated to the lunatic fringe -- not even Orrin would have voted for Robertson, I bet.

In other cultures, where religion is not tamed by secularism, purification movements are really bad news. See Saudi Arabia.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at May 24, 2004 1:51 AM

Purification movements are generally bad for business. They gain momentum after nations have experienced great political, military or economic calamities. It is just the modern equivalent of the human sacrifice to an angry god. Identify the parties responsible for the calamity due to their offense to God, and cast them out. Robertson and Falwell indulged in this after 9/11.

Posted by: Robert Duquette at May 25, 2004 1:44 AM
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