A Little Venom

DISCLAIMER: I try to keep my fingers out of controversy here on the ol' blog for the most part. This is a place for me to just jot down what I'm thinking about and share my life and pursuit of happiness with you. But an event this weekend has prompted me to blow off some steam. If hot-button topics and religion make you queasy, just skip down to the part of the page that says, "DAILY BLISS." I will not be offended and I don't really want to offend you either. Please bear in mind that I will be spewing some venom. And what I have to say is probably offensive. That happens to me all the time. And after I have said it, I will probably feel much better and say much softer things about it.
Hokay. So, a little background information: my mom has made the decision to return to the denomination in which she was raised. She and dad knew it was time to move on from their worship community some months ago, and while they have been in fellowship with other believers, they have not found a church that feels like home. My grandparents, my mom's parents, live here and attend said church, and this seemed like the right time for her to please their hearts and worship with her parents, which has not happened in, oh....decades (aside from an Easter service or Christmas Eve here or there).
There are doctrinal points that my parents disagree with in this denomination, and that is the reason my dad will attend with my mom, but will not "sign up" as it were. These are some hot-button, widely-debated-within-the-church issues. And these are issues that are seldom discussed in a traditional denomination such as this one. Nonetheless, these are carefully and prayerfully considered stands that my folks have taken.
At any rate, mom was approached in the lobby by, shall we say, a junior member of the pastoral staff of this very large church. "How long have you been attending?" She answered and he noted that he had been preaching that day. On this very specific hot-button point of doctrinal disagreement, by the way. He offered a conversation opener about needing to bring the church up to speed with true and right teaching regarding this topic. Mom stated that she actually did not agree with the church's stance on this. At this point, Overzealous Recent Seminary Grad launched into a verbal attack. One might call it an argument if one were being extra-polite, but I'm not feeling so inclined. Of course, mom backed off, not exactly thrilled to engage in an argumentative conversation in such a public arena. Foolish New Pastor actually followed her across the lobby (narthex if we want to be traditional about it) to where she stood with her parents, foisting upon her the literature he had grabbed and continuing to argue.
My point is that, this man, the face of the church, attacked a new attender over a hot-button, controversial issue in the middle of the church lobby on a Sunday morning right before church started. But beyond that, this man was very friendly and welcoming and warm when he thought he was about to indoctrinate a neophyte with the Truth. The Silly Zealot picked the wrong new member. Not only is she familiar with the doctrine he was pushing, but she hails from a family that has produced more pastors per capita in that denomination than just about any other. Uncles, Brothers, Great-Uncles, Second Cousins - all of them seminary grads and prominent members of this denomination. Making the decision to leave that denomination was not taken lightly and she and my dad had to have pretty good reasons to do so and not be excommunicated. Families do not normally excommunicate, but considering the ratio of pastors to laity in this one, I think that's a fair use of the word.
She can Stand Her Ground, is all I'm saying.
I don't have a problem with debate within the church. Scripture can be like a Rorschach inkblot. Two people can be looking at the exact same thing and see two completely different things. There are a few basic tenets that define someone as a Christian. They are pretty much wrapped up into the Apostles' Creed. Beyond that, I don't see how a section of the church can claim to have cornered the market on absolute truth and have the audacity to claim that these things constitute provisos and conditions to salvation. If you want to argue for a 100% literal interpretation of Scripture, you've pretty much got to throw out Jesus' parables. He spoke in allegory. I'd venture that the Father probably does too.
But before I end up with a new topic like that, let me state that what I do have a problem with is believers, particularly pastors, mowing people down over perfectly debatable viewpoints. This pastor had never spoken with my mom before. He had no idea where her relationship was with the Lord. What if she was a new believer? What if she had just come out of an unhealthy church community with a controlling pastor? I'm certainly glad that wasn't the case. But situations like this happen all the time. I haven't met an ardent non-believer yet who doesn't have a horror story of their own interaction with a Christian. These are the things that make me hesitant to talk about my faith. If someone asks me whether I'm religious, I will usually squeak out, "Yes. I'm a Christian. But please don't judge me." Hopefully, they've been around me long enough by then that they know better.
If you have bothered to read this all the way through, thanks for listening. And please don't take me too seriously. Heaven knows that I don't.

DAILY BLISS: a new magazine in the mail, fresh strawberries and pigtails