Part 381. Doesn't butter parsnips

This week's Salvationist has an article on what is happening concerning the report of the Membership Working Group (MWG). There will be discussions and meetings but absolutely no immediate change in the homophobic stance of The Salvation Army (TSA). No change in biblical interpretation, no change in rules and regulations, no change in theology.  In other words, zilch.

MWG took 18 months holding discussions, issuing questionnaires and holding a conference to prepare its report and recommendations, presented to the United Kingdom and Ireland Territory (UK&IT) Cabinet in September 2024. Cabinet huffed and puffed in November 2024 and, on the issue of inclusion, decided that 50 people would be trained to deliver discussions in all divisions in the content of Let’s Talk About material on human sexuality. What then?

Cabinet decided to send the report to International Headquarters (IHQ) where it will be fed into an international consideration of covenant and membership and thence to the International Leaders Conference in 2026!  Who knows what may be decided there but the author of the Salvationist article reminds us cultural differences  may play a part.  Code for nations embracing homophobia. 

Has the Army moved on from the disastrous pronouncement of General Peddle in Vancouver in 2022?  Certainly UK&IT gives the impression of wishing to move to far greater inclusivity but appears reluctant to take action.  Talk butters no parsnips.  Action is required, not more debate and discussions.  Just get on with it.

Part 380. 'Biblical Authority'.

The writings of Jim Rigby and Jim Palmer interest me. Both write clear expositions of their opinions untrammelled by jargon. The following is by Jim Palmer.

"7 ways that insisting one's beliefs be exclusively determined from the Bible can be problematic:

1. When the Bible is taken as THE "authority", we are likely not to explore and embrace truth and spirituality from other meaningful and significant sources.

2. When we assume that the Bible was meant to present a coherent picture of God and well-reasoned belief-system, we are likely to experience the futility of this expectation.

3. When we assume biblical theology is the best way of knowing God, we are likely to be dismissive of equally important fields of knowledge related to knowing ultimate reality.

4. When one's interpretation of the Bible is taken as superior over others, theology likely digresses into an argument over who is "right" and who is "wrong".

5. When we believe the Bible to be God's inerrant and infallible word and sole spiritual truth to the world, we are likely to be guilty of worshipping a book.

6. When we anchor our personal and cultural identity and existential security solely in the Bible we run the risk of vilifying and objectifying others who don’t.  

7. Assuming that there is a God who requires obedience and devotion to one belief-system as depicted in the Bible, opens the door to dangerous ideas of nationalism and theocracy.

Thank goodness one can find meaning in the Bible and not do any of the above."

Jim Palmer

Part 379. I've signed up.

 It may come as a surprise to some to know that I have signed the form to become listed on the electoral roll of the local parish church.  Every six years all  Church of England parish churches have to produce a new electoral roll.  Signatories  of current rolls cannot simply be transferred to the new roll.  All must sign the form.

Given my dismay at the failure of the CoE to speed up the Living in Love and Faith process and the abysmal decision of General Synod not to agree to totally independent safeguarding provision one might think I had no interest or desire in associating with the church.  However, I do enjoy the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) services of Matins and Evening Prayer, particularly the latter when it takes the form of Choral Evensong.  I appreciate the language of the BCP and the singing of the magnificent choir.  The choir regularly performs at cathedral services, most recently at St. Paul's Cathedral.

On their own language and music would not justify my decision to re-join the CofE.  There are deeper reasons as exemplified in the theological opinions of John Robinson, Richard Holloway, John Shelby Spong et al moving along the road towards a postmodern, radical theology free of the clutter of creeds, doctrine, dogma and regulation.  You have to be inside to promote change, not looking on from without.  The malign influence of fundamentalist evangelical attitudes has to be countered and challenged at every turn.

I have taken the following statement by  Don Cupitt to heart.

                   "I am a priest in the Church of England and I practise in a rather traditional way, but when I say the creed, I regard it not as giving me supernatural information but as showing me a way to walk  in."

 

Part 378. Another ramble.

For some time I lectured in jurisprudence to law students seeking  to engage them in consideration of the interrelationship, both in philosophical theory and actual practice, of law, politics, religion, economics, ethics, structures of society and so forth.  A very open subject given that theories are of human origin and therefore subjective.   It is our choice to decide which philosophies to follow.  My choice is to follow the example of Jesus, however poorly I do so.

It is with the above in mind I recalled two quotations by Richard Rohr that seem pertinent.

"Worship of Jesus is rather harmless and risk-free; actually following Jesus changes everything".

"Christianity is a lifestyle - a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared and loving. However, we made it into an established 'religion' (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself.  One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish and vain in most of Christian history, and still believe Jesus is ones 'personal Lord and Saviour'.  The world has no time for such silliness anymore.  The suffering on Earth is too great."

Followers of MAGA disagree, naturally.

My thinking now is that my seeking to follow Jesus is but one of  infinite ways of living one life.  Others follow different paths of their choosing.  Who is to say which path is preferable?  It is all subjective opinion, it is fluid: there are no absolute truths.  All that is possible is to seek to influence people by one words and actions and to accept that others seek to influence us.  Again, choices are made and we choose the path to follow.  This to me is the prize of deconstruction: freedom to be ourselves, unfettered by metaphysical based dogma.

Part 377. Obfuscation and delay.

Further implementation of Living in Love and Faith was not on the agenda of this week's General Synod of the Church of England on the dubious grounds that more theological analysis and reflection is needed.  This is bunk: there is a mass of relevant information available for consideration.

What we are witnessing are deliberate attempts to engineer delay being made by The Alliance, the Church of England Evangelical Council and the Holy Trinity Brompton organisation, aided and abetted in part by Forward in Faith.  The purpose of this scheming is to secure time to further develop the groundwork for schism should the campaign for a third province fail. This may be seen against the background of elections for General Synod. The motley collection of puritanical conservative evangelical protestants and Anglo-Catholics will be hoping to secure a blocking majority in the House of Laity.

Part 376. A call for solidarity.

Below is a statement made by Bernie Sanders.  Echoes of liberation theology and the views of John Kenneth Galbraith. I like the reference to the theological and political concept of divine right.

"I do not often find myself in the habit of thanking Elon Musk, but he has done an exceptional job of demonstrating a point that we have made for years — and that is the fact we live in an oligarchic society in which billionaires dominate not only our politics and the information we consume, but our government and economic lives as well.

That has never been more clear than it is today.

But given the news and attention Mr. Musk has been getting over the last few weeks as he illegally and unconstitutionally dismantles government agencies, I thought it was an appropriate time to ask the question that the media and most politicians don't seem to be asking: What do he and other multi-billionaires really want? What is their endgame?

In my opinion, what Musk and those around him are aggressively striving for is not novel, it is not complicated and it is not new. It is what ruling classes throughout history have always wanted and have believed is theirs by right: more power, more control, more wealth. And they don’t want ordinary people and democracy getting in their way.

Elon Musk and his fellow oligarchs believe government and laws are simply an impediment to their interests and what they are entitled to.

In pre-revolutionary America, the ruling class governed through the “divine right of kings,” the belief that the King of England was an agent of God, not to be questioned. In modern times, the oligarchs believe that as the masters of technology and as "high-IQ individuals,” it is their absolute right to rule. In other words, they are our modern-day kings.

And it is not just power. It’s incredible wealth. Today, Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg have a combined worth of $903 billion, more than the bottom half of American society — 170 million people. Since Trump was elected, unbelievably, their wealth has soared. Elon Musk has become $138 billion richer, Zuckerberg has become $49 billion richer and Bezos has become $28 billion richer. Add it all up and the three wealthiest men in America have become $215 billion richer since Election Day.

Meanwhile, while the very rich become much richer, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 85 million are uninsured or under-insured, 25% of seniors are trying to survive on $15,000 or less, 800,000 are homeless and we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth.

Do you think the oligarchs give a damn about these people? Trust me, they don’t. Musk’s decision to dismember U.S. AID means that thousands of the poorest people around the world will go hungry or die of preventable diseases.

But it’s not just abroad. Here in the United States they’ll soon be going after the healthcare, nutrition, housing, and educational programs that protect the most vulnerable people in our country - so that Congress can provide huge tax breaks for them and their fellow billionaires. As modern-day kings, who believe they have the absolute right to rule, they will sacrifice, without hesitation, the well-being of working people to protect their privilege.

Further, they will use the enormous media operations they own to deflect attention away from the impact of their policies while they “entertain us to death.” They will lie, lie and lie. They will continue to spend huge amounts of money to buy politicians in both major political parties.

They are waging a war on the working class of this country, and it is a war they are intent on winning.

I am not going to kid you — the problems this country faces right now are serious and they are not easy to solve. The economy is rigged, our campaign finance system is corrupt and we are struggling to control climate change — among other issues.

But this is what I do know:

The worst fear of the ruling class in this country is that Americans — Black, White, Latino, urban and rural, gay and straight — come together to demand a government that represents all of us, not just the wealthy few.

Their nightmare is that we will not allow ourselves to be divided up by race, religion, sexual orientation or country of origin and will, together, have the courage to take them on.

Will it be easy? Of course not.

The ruling class of this country will constantly remind you that they have all the power. They control the government, they own the media. “You want to take us on? Good luck,” they will say. “There's nothing you can do about it.”

But our job today is to not forget the great struggles and sacrifices that millions of people have waged over the centuries to create a more democratic, just and humane society:

* Overthrowing the King of England to create a new nation and self-rule. Impossible.

* Establishing universal suffrage. Impossible.

* Ending slavery and segregation. Impossible.

* Granting workers the right to form unions and ending child labor. Impossible.

* Giving women control over their own bodies. Impossible.

* Passing legislation to establish Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, a minimum wage, clean air and water standards. Impossible.

In these difficult times despair is not an option. We’ve got to fight back in every way we can.

We have to get involved in the political process — run for office, connect with our local, state and federal legislators, donate to candidates who will fight for the working class of this country. We have to create new channels for communication and information sharing. We have to volunteer not just politically, but to build community locally.

Whatever we can do is what we must do.

Needless to say, I intend to do my part — both inside the beltway and traveling throughout the country — to stand up for the working class of this country. In the days, weeks, and months ahead I hope you will join me in that struggle.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders"

Part 375. Well done The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army's leader General Lyndon Buckingham published the following on 13th February 2025:

"Events of recent weeks have caused me to reflect once again on the power of words. It’s dangerous to underestimate the power of words, both to pull down and build up. 

The book of James reminds us that the tongue is a powerful force. James describes it as ‘a fire, a world of evil’ (James 3:6). He further contends it is a ‘restless evil, full of deadly poison’ (v8).  

Paul, writing to the believers in Colossae said, ‘Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone’ (Colossians 4:6).  

We can pray, ‘Lord, help us pay more attention to the words we speak.’ In these days of social media, we might rightly add, ‘Lord, help me to be careful in regard to my posts.’ 

The words we use can inspire, heal, unify and promote peace. They can also have the opposite effect.

I pray that all entrusted with the responsibility and privilege of leadership, wherever they are, will be motivated by a driving desire for the common good of all humankind.  

Jesus said, ‘Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks’ (Luke 6:45). As people belonging to God and The Salvation Army, let’s check the motivations of our own hearts and be sure the words we use inspire hope, healing, peace and a revelation of God’s love. In these days, our conversations, speech and conduct serve as a powerful testimony. Let’s ensure that our testimony is pure in thought, word and deed.

God bless you."

One wonders how this message will be received by the Army's leadership in the USA. Will it oppose Trump’s attacks on vulnerable people or will it keep silent?

I am pleased to see the Army's response to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report: UK Poverty 2025: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK, noting the 'devastating impact' of poverty on families and particularly on children.  

According to the Army our broken social security system is out of step with reality, and needs fixing so that families can afford to keep a roof over their heads, as well as essentials like food, heating and clothing. In particular the Army calls on the goverment to:

* reverse the two-child limit on allowances.

" implement an essentials guarantee to ensure benefits cover the cost of living.

* reverse the planned freeze on the local housing allowance in April 2025.

* reduce the wait for a first universal credit payment from six weeks down to two.

All commendable demands echoing those of other faith and secular organisations. For pressure to have any impact organisations must work together, even to engage in civil disobedience.

Part 374. What a shambles

I gave up on religious organisations a while ago, partly as a consequence of my shift towards progressive and deconstructivist ideas, but also occasioned by my distaste for what is happening in the two denominations I engaged with on a regular basis.

I was an Adherent member of The Salvation Army for almost a decade, attracted to it by its work assisting marginalised individuals at point of need.  Sterling work.  However I became increasingly disenchanted by its failure to tackle its homophobic policies on soldiership and officership clothed in a fundamentalist interpretation of scripture.  Just under a year ago there was much wringing of hands at a conference at Warwick University but since then nothing has happened to change the policies of the Army.  Saying sorry is not enough: action is required to address and overcome the wrong done to gay individuals.

The Army has failed to speak out against the vicious homophobic legislation in some African states. Silence is acquiescence, as is neutrality.  More recently the Army has failed to speak out against the policies of the Trump administration attacking marginalised and deprived individuals.  The Pope has spoken out against aspects of the Trump programme but where is the condemnation from the General of The Salvation Army?

I enjoy the service of Matins and Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer (BCP).  Choral evensong is a delight.  It is not the theology or doctrine that attracts me, rather it is the language of  Cranmer et al. The changes made to the  BCP are a fascinating study of changes in doctrine and theology of the Church of England (CofE).

Sadly the CofE has become embroiled in matters pertaining to safeguarding leading to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and calls for the Archbishop of York to do likewise. Yesterday at the General Synod there was an opportunity for safeguarding in its entirety to be outsourced to an independent organisation.  This was a radical proposal supported by the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of London.  General Synod decided otherwise. Safeguarding provision as national level will be outsourced but retained within dioceses at local level, with the hope that at some indeterminate time diocesan safeguarding also will be outsourced. What a mess.  It would not surprise me if Parliament intervened to insist on total outsourcing. 

Part 373. Taking my leave.

I am exhausted mentally.  Writing my blog, posting on Facebook and Bluesky, and responding to comments has become too much for me.  So I am retiring from active service for a while, possibly permanently.  My blog and Facebook pages will stay live.

I leave you with a brief statement of my current theological opinion.

All that matters is to love your neighbour.  Help individuals in need and campaign for systemic change to achieve social justice.

Part 372. Moltmann, Gutierrez and Cuppitt

 The past year has witnessed the deaths of three theological giants, Jurgen Moltmann,  Gustavo Gutiérrez and Don Cupitt.  

Cupitt will be best remembered for his advocacy of the concept of a non-realist god. God only exists in our language and therefore in our mind. Clearly he was influenced by the ideas of the postmodernist Jacques  Derrida. The following quotations summarise Cupitt’s ideas. 

"Our thinking, our selfhood, our very humanity are constituted within language in such a way that we have nothing to think ourselves right out of language with."

God "is no sort of being. He is our personal concept in a world of meaning in which everything is relative or diferential".

Cupitt defended his position as a cleric thus:

"I am a priest in the Church of England and I practise in a rather traditional way, but when I say the creed. I regard it not as giving me supernatural information but showing me a way to walk in.".

I'll have to remember that when I attend a Book of Common Prayer service of Matins or Evening Prayer.

According to Cupitt God does not exist as a metaphysical figure nor as a spiritual presence external to us. It is internal to us, to our language.  Cupitt posits the following:

"I take the idea of God as someone like a guiding spiritual ideal that you use to orientate your life by. God is our values. God symbolises the good of spiritual life."