Wednesday, August 09, 2006

[LIF] The Downside of Bad Theology

An old friend called me yesterday, he often does this after going to various meetings in the city. I actually like hearing from him as he is quite depressed and dear to my heart. But inevitably the conversation turns to the latest horrid theological proposal he has been exposed to and it is there that I cringe. Not because there is a lot of horrid theology out there, that is a given. But how it affects him. See my friend is quite simple. He often tells me these things as if they are uncontestable truths while at the same time saying he doesn't understand them. This causes quite a bit of anxiety in me actually. There is no constructive way to challenge these notions (believe me I have tried).

But the reason it causes so much anxiety is that this friend is in a lot of physical pain. He is always looking for the fix to that problem, so he grasps desperately to anything and everything. So when the prosperity freaks begin irresponsibly boasting of their extravogant giving, he sucks it all in. When the prophetic freaks begin to talk about inane things like the 'exact' nature of heaven based on their wacky interpretation of the KJV, he laps it up. But most sadly when they tell him he just isn't believing right to get healed he receives that tidbit from hell and is stripped of all hope.

This all makes me sad. It makes me long for the day when all these wacky voices will be silenced. It also makes me consider my own words and how I've done the same thing through ignorance and pride. God is our only hope. So today I offer up my frustration on this blog and my prayers to the only one who can help me and my friend in this time. God touch my dear brother and remove the lies that swallow him whole. God touch me and let me please have words of life like Jesus. God we desperately need you, come, please. Amen.

3 comments:

byron smith said...

Amen.

(Is there an upside to bad theology?)

One of Freedom said...

I'm trying to be an optimist cause otherwise Kenny chides me for reading too much Zarathustra!

byron smith said...

Yes, but wouldn't optimism be to seek good theology hidden under the bad theology?

and I'm not sure one can read too much Zarathustra... ;-)