Originally Posted by waxnrope
My reading of Nat's post, if read to the end, professes her personal belief, on the one hand, and an admission of other possibilities, on the other hand, Toughie. Neither makes a lot of difference to her. She simply states her marvel with nature, or "creation," as something sacred to HER.
I agree with you, Toughie, that MANY Christians do not have a clue about who/what Jesus was, or their views are limited. However, I would not even say most, unless you speak primarily of those in the U.S. There has been, after an unsuccessful attempt to snuff it out, a rebirth of Liberation Theologies.
The first of these initially began at Medulin, by Catholic Latin American theologians (who were all, at that time, all male). Using the framework of Paulo Freire's Pedogagy of the Oppressed, these theologians reread the Greek Bible through Friere's lens and from their own experiences working with the poor. They developed what is known as the "preferential option for the poor" theology, something that they read in the words and life of Jesus.
Following the Latin American Liberation theological movement, came the Black Liberation Theology, then, Feminist, and so on. These liberation theologies and theologians, especially in "Latin" America, fought oppressive governments and many were martyred with the people. The Pope silenced many of these men. Some were not to be silenced. A few left the church. The movement was thought to be dead.
In the interim, Latin American, Womanist, and Mujerista theologies developed. There followed women from various parts of Africa and of Asia. There is a new LT movement afoot. It is only a few years old, and for the first time, women and men are working together. The primary focus is the liberation of the poor and the oppressed. NO MATTER WHAT THEIR, the poor's, CONSTRUCTION OF GOD/S OR THE UNIVERSE.
There is a new Bible ... well, it is a few years old now ... the exegesis of original writings and the reflection of its meanings by Biblical scholars in Germany (not translated). The team that worked on this translation was led by Feminist and Liberation Theologian, Luise Schottroff and Dorothea Solle (RIP). The government terrorized these scholars because they have gone against tradition in their work. Luise taught in the U.S. for a while. I was one of her students. Her teaching on antiJudaism in biblical exegesis opened the eyes of many.
In the midst of fundamentalist religionS (deliberate capitalization) all over the world, in the midst of their loud truth claims, there are others who have a different voice, a different word, a different understanding. They are not a "few", they are many, but their voices are not loud enough, any more than ours are loud enough here on this website to counter the homophobia that presses down on all of us. But they, like we, continue.
Like Nat, I am disturbed with the anti-Christian rhetoric that seems to be in vogue in the community. Should we eliminate MLK's work and vision because he was a Christian. His Christianity, his understanding of the Bible is what led him to be the spokesperson that he was. Should Ivone Gebara, a Brazilian nun who works with the poor who live on the garbage heaps and writes of ecofeminism and the poor, be discounted because she is Christian? Should Adi Maria Issasi Diaz, who, in her work, En La Lucha, describes the theorizing of poor women, be dismissed because she is Christian? Should Katie Canon, whose PhD was based on Alice Walker's definition of womanist, and who is an episcopal priest, be dismissed? Katie has an international group of woman, religious women, mostly, but not all, Christian (some are Muslim, some both Muslim and Christian ... how novel - sarcasm here). Rosemary Radford Ruether stays within the Catholic church, bless her heart, and has/is helped women in the process of ordination, against the wishes of the Pope. Rosemary has written brilliant essays on why priests should marry. She is powerful enough to have the University of San Diego, undr pressure from the Bishop, retract the invitation to be the speaker at graduation there year before last. She is so powerfully feared that the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley's three Catholic institutions threatened to pull out of the Union if she came there as Professor. She came as Professor of Theology in the most liberal of the schools ... and the Catholic institutions did not leave afterall. Should she be dismissed? That is what the Catholic Church is doing to her.
There are people all over the globe who are making efforts to change their various churches and denominations. They are struggling against the fundamentalists truth claims. For me, it is sad that there is so little understanding of the struggles going on within Christianity. Evertime I hear some universalizing statements about Christians, it makes it feel that the struggle is so much harder. IMO, people who are trying to undo the wrong, to move in different, more progressive directions, should receive support, not condemnation, or be judged "guilty by association" (with Christianity). People are making changes, but are condemned by association by both "sides." How strange is that?
As for me, I call myself a Christian because of who Jesus was, and what he said. Like Betonoir, at least to some extent, I find it difficult to believe that one man was sent in one particular point in time, to save one people (and later learned from a WOMAN that he had to stretch further!). I believe that people are sent, or come along, according to the culture and needs of a particular time. And, of course, they are "sacrificed." Like Ghandi. Like MLK.
Please excuse the length of this tome. This is a troubling discussion for me. I came to work early to use the computers in the lab so that I can get this off my chest, and to also lend support to Nat. Thanks for your patience!
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