He asks a great question. Under what circumstances is it ok for the institutional church to encroach upon the sovereignty of the local parish.
Short answer is almost never. He paints the picture of the dysfunction within the Southern Baptist Convention regarding the ordination of women which either is, or isn't, OK, depending on who you ask. The SBC meets so that the congregations can keep the Convention in check. The UUA meets so that the administration can get the input of the congregations.
At the end, he got down to radical issue in which the only response was the throw the whole congregation out. As I sort of saw that coming, I considered the futility of anything but congregational polity in a liberal faith. If theology is variable from person to person, congregation to congregation, then forcing some sort of theology has one of two results, it will either make people leave, or it will make people better liars. I suppose in the case of a radical theology that involves harm or oppression, then leaving is the worst of two evils.
Short answer is almost never. He paints the picture of the dysfunction within the Southern Baptist Convention regarding the ordination of women which either is, or isn't, OK, depending on who you ask. The SBC meets so that the congregations can keep the Convention in check. The UUA meets so that the administration can get the input of the congregations.
At the end, he got down to radical issue in which the only response was the throw the whole congregation out. As I sort of saw that coming, I considered the futility of anything but congregational polity in a liberal faith. If theology is variable from person to person, congregation to congregation, then forcing some sort of theology has one of two results, it will either make people leave, or it will make people better liars. I suppose in the case of a radical theology that involves harm or oppression, then leaving is the worst of two evils.
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