by Maralene Wesner
In politics and religion we constantly hear the word "liberal" used in a pejorative way. So, what is a liberal?
Well, it has several definitions. According to current definitions liberals are:
(1) "Those who are tolerant of different views." For instance they may be against verbal prayer in school, not because they are unbelievers, but rather because they realize that in a democracy Moslems, Hindus and even Satan worshipers would have to be given an equal opportunity to offer their forms of prayer—
Now, let’s evaluate Jesus’ attitude on this issue: He was certainly tolerant of differences. He said, "Do not judge . . ." (Matt 7:1). He also said, "Many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 8:11):
(2) Liberals are "Those who are ‘lax on sin and soft on crime.’ " For instance, they may be against capital punishment because they realize that practical solutions, not vengeance is the aim. It actually costs more to execute a criminal than to incarcerate him for life. Also, it usually unfairly targets the poor who cannot afford lengthy legal maneuvers—
Now, let’s evaluate Jesus’ attitude on this issue: He seemed to be very "lax on sin." He told the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you’ . . ." (John 8:10-11).
J.B. Phillips wrote, "It was a scandalous thing that Jesus, unlike the prophets, made no denunciation of those called ‘sinners.’ " In fact, he ate, "with tax collectors and ‘sinners’ " (Mark 2:16).
(3) Liberals are "Those who let individuals make their own moral decisions." For instance, they may support the rights for abortion, even though they would not consider one personally. They realize you can’t impose your standards on others—
Now, let’s evaluate Jesus’ attitude on this issue: He definitely supported individual autonomy. When a woman broke social taboos, he told her sister, Martha, that "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).
(4) Liberals are "Those who are rather unconcerned about symbols and rituals." For instance, they may not feel flag burning should be punished as a crime, even though they may greatly honor their country. They realize the flag is not synonymous with patriotism. It only represents patriotism and respect for it must be voluntary—
Now, let’s evaluate Jesus’ attitude on this issue: He de-emphasized rituals. The Pharisees asked him, " ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!’ " Jesus answered, " ‘Eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean’ " (Matt. 15:2,20).
(5) Liberals are "Those who see that change from past traditions may be positive." For instance they support women in unusual roles such as pastor or president, even though this was considered wrong in earlier ages. They realize that competence, not custom, should deter-mine opportunity—
Now, let’s evaluate Jesus’ attitude on this issue: He challenged past traditions. When criticized about breaking the Sabbath laws, he said, "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Matt. 12:12);
He also touched women, talked to them, and sent them as missionaries. "He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him" (Matt. 8:15).
"The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans)" (John 4:9).
"So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and
ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me’ " (Matt. 28:8-10).
(6) Liberals are "Those who think situations help determine rights and wrongs." They realize everything is relative and absolutes don’t exist in an imperfect world. Sometimes we have to choose the lesser of two evils. For instance, lying is wrong, but you might have to do it to protect a victim from a criminal—
Now, let’s evaluate Jesus’ attitude on this issue: He let situations determine his moral decisions. When the Pharisees saw his disciples pick grain on the Sabbath, "They said . . . ‘Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath’ He answered, ‘Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests’ " (Matt. 12:2-4).
(7) Liberals are "Those who accept Scriptures as a general guide, but not as a literal creed." They realize that words are not inerrant. Language and interpretations vary. So, "God’s word" must be found among the "human words"—
Now, let’s evaluate Jesus’ attitude on this issue: He used Scripture as a guide, not a creed. Over and over he reinterpreted and changed Old Testament commands. "You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, ‘Do not resist an evil person’ . . . You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:38-39, 43-44).
You see, it would be very hard to make a case for a "Fundamentalist" Jesus or indeed, even a "Conservative" or a "Moderate" Jesus. By the standards of his day, and even of our day, Jesus would have to be rated as a "Liberal," and that’s why he was hated and killed by the religious community.
We received a very modest return on our invitation to receive a free book. Those who did respond were very enthusiastic, if the information contained on the evaluation continuum is any measure of encouragement.
"A Time To Weep" should be back from the printers any day now. It is the nearest thing to a "best seller" we have. There is a dearth of good books on the subject.
Also, in this issue, we are printing the first installment of a manuscript which is now too long for a sermon, but too short for a book---"The Road ‘Not’ Traveled." This is our interpretation of Dr. James Fowler’s "Stages of Faith."
(Five Stages on the Spiritual Journey)
INTRODUCTION:
The road to spiritual maturity is largely untraveled because it is narrow and lonely and murky. There are no maps, no signs and few landmarks. Since each individual is left to discover and negotiate the path totally on his own, many get stuck at some unproductive point along the way. Jesus said, "Narrow (is) the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matt. 7:14).
Humanity, as a whole, has moved through several stages of development. Now, each of us has to do the same if we’re to reach maturity. Unfortunately, guides for this journey are scarce. Most religious leaders remain at lower levels themselves because of ignorance and fear. Others actually try to keep followers at lower levels because they know immature individuals are easier to manipulate and more willing to obey authority figures.
In fact, human beings, in general, are reluctant movers. Almost no one changes by choice. Inertia is powerful and most of us prefer the comfortable status quo. That’s why it takes external forces, such as science and education, or external circumstances, such as failures and tragedies to precipitate change.
There are two major types of changes: developmental and traumatic. Developmental changes result from normal growth. They come more or less on schedule and are expected. Events such as graduations, marriages, the births of children, business successes and retirements can be anticipated.
Traumatic changes, on the other hand, come abruptly and unexpectedly. Events such as premature deaths, divorces, bankruptcies, terrible accidents, and life threatening illnesses can be devastating. Once these occur, our lives are never the same again.
Both developmental and traumatic changes inevitably lead to faith changes. Stage transitions in childhood and adolescence are natural and gradual; but stage transitions in adulthood can be much more difficult. These transitions often involve drastic emotional and intellectual readjustments. We have to break certain connections and admit certain mistakes in judgment. We lose our familiar identities; we give up our customary roles and we risk severe disillusionments. We discover that some valued things are no longer real: Santa Claus is fiction; parents can lie; friends can let us down; lovers can be unfaithful; leaders can be corrupt; organizations can be fallible; guardian angels can be unreliable; and now, even our objects of faith and practices of worship are being called into question.
Furthermore, in most groups there is powerful pressure to keep everyone just alike. Those who are on a level below or above the surrounding community, will be made to feel deviant. That’s why if adults get locked into one of the early stages it becomes more and more unlikely that they will ever be able to make the transition to the stages beyond. Such fixated individuals are totally dedicated to their belief system. They see growth as the enemy, and maintain that they have the only true ideology.
Such typical "fundamentalists" are so insecure and anxious that it’s useless to try to change them. At this point in their development, authoritarian theology feels right and they will keep it as long as they need it. If it gives them a sense of security to know without any shadow of a doubt that Adam and Eve were historical persons, we shouldn’t argue the point. But, on the other hand, we don’t have to feel guilty for having different views. Rigid belief systems help people avoid the anguish of uncertainty. In spite of our insistence upon freedom, most of us are still very nervous about autonomy. In general, people want to be told what to believe, what to think and what to do. This especially applies to religion, and once an individual has committed to a "faith" he will protect it with a passionate intensity. Any doubts about its validity create enormous anxiety.
Religious rituals and laws are temporary supports. Their purpose is to give people something to hold on to, until they are able to reach a higher spiritual plane. Once that plane is reached, however, these supports may be discarded.
There are two dangers involved in Spiritual development. One is to never change, and to condemn those who do. The other is the opposite: It is to grow beyond our present level and then become overly critical of previous stages. As we mature, we will be able to view the situation more objectively. Even so, most people retain vestiges of former stages.
As we deal with faith and spirituality, we must realize that all "truth" and especially truth in the area of religion has "layers of meaning." That’s why basic beliefs and doctrines are understood, interpreted and expressed very differently at each stage. This causes much unnecessary religious dissension. So, let’s examine the five stages of the spiritual journey:
STAGE I: FANTASY
AND PERSONIFICATION
Stage one is emotionally oriented. It is the normal cognitive level for pre-school children. Boys and girls at this age are very ego-centric and impulsive. They think everybody is like them. Their tendency toward pretense and make-believe prevents them from distinguishing between fact and fiction. God and Santa Claus, as well as fairies and monsters, are all part of their inner world. Personification is essential. Everything from Teddy bears to angels are identified as "real" living entities. The strength of stage one includes its honesty of feeling and its vivid imagination. The weakness of stage one is its tendency toward illusion and irrationality.
STAGE II: LEGALISM
AND CONCRETISM
Stage two is morally oriented. It is the normal cognitive level for elementary children. Boys and girls at this age need rules rather than principles. They obey in order to escape punishment or in order to earn rewards. Concrete objects are used to help them grasp meaning. For instance, math is learned by counting apples or adding beads to a string. Abstract thought about complex concepts is still impossible. The strength of stage two includes its careful discipline and dedication to duty. The weakness of stage two is its tendency toward absolutism and judgment.
STAGE III: CONFORMITY AND
COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Stage three is socially oriented. It is the normal cognitive level for adolescents. Young people at this age are eager for connections, relationships and approval. Peer pressure and public opinion cause them to imitate others. Nevertheless, if they continue in this stage, compartmentalization becomes inevitable. As they enter "secular society" and confront specific personal problems, the dissonance between an absolute morality and their actual behavior becomes unbearable. Before long, most begin to put religion in one box and "real life" in another box. Unless we are able to accept "situational ethics" the world soon makes hypocrites of us all. The strength of stage three includes agreeable cooperation and beneficial ministry. The weakness of stage three is its tendency toward conformity and compartmentalization.
STAGE IV: LOGIC
AND REASON
Stage four is intellectually oriented. It is the normal cognitive level for young adults as they move from youth to maturity. In order to become autonomous, people must question traditional beliefs, doubt authoritarian precepts, experiment with various ideologies, and consider every possible alternative with an open mind. Entering this stage is like entering a dark, lonely tunnel. Job experienced this: " I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and deep shadow, to the land of deepest night, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness" (Job 10:21-22).
STAGE V: MATURITY
AND UNITY
Stage five is Spiritually oriented. It is the normal cognitive level that all men and women were meant to reach. It’s tragic that only those few who are strong enough and determined enough to overcome the opposition ever get there. Those who do, tend to have a deep universal faith and an unprejudiced altruistic outlook. They are able to establish their own standards and live by their own values.
CONCLUSION
Knowledge about these five stages can help people at all levels to be more tolerant of each other. Those on levels one and two often condemn anyone who dares to move beyond. They try to force everybody to stay exactly where they are because they believe that is the only "right" position.
Conversely, those on levels three and four often ridicule anyone who is below. They try to abolish all the beliefs and practices that are no longer important in their lives.
Neither attitude is productive. Instead, we must realize that each stage is legitimate and people must go through all of them before they can reach maturity.
(Next issue: "Stage I. And how does it fit into ministry. If this intrigues you and you can’t wait until the next issue, look for "The Road ‘Not’ Traveled" in its entirety on our web site).
"The Road "Not" Traveled"
LETTERS:
(Most of the letters we received were very short notes on the reply card we sent):
"Glad you’re back!"
Dr. Fred Andrea, Aiken, SC
Richard Atkins, Winter Park, FL
"Thought ‘Lessons from Humpty Dumpty’" was great!"
LaNell Stone, Ardmore, OK
"I enjoy reading your writing. Glad to see NP back."
Dan Nerren, Sand Springs, OK
"We missed the Wesners! Five years caused us to wonder if you went to heaven. Sure was glad to learn that NEW PERSPECTIVES will be coming to our home. God bless you!"
Welcome back! I do not know when I received your January 1 issue of NP, but I found it this afternoon in a stack of mail I had not gotten around to checking, At any rate, welcome back! . . . I don’t know how you received my new address, but however you found it I am grateful to be back in touch with you . . . The only thing I have retired from is a monthly paycheck. I have kept on preparing Bible studies. . . for a unique group of older adults who want more than the Sunday School curriculum provides . . . Presently I’m working on what I call " ‘Invisible’ Facts in God’s Word" . . .
I tried twice to access your web page . . . When I left off the "index.html" part, I reached it immediately . . .
Russell Ware, Denton, TX
Since we last received a newsletter, we have been witnessing the rapid progression of the SBC into a cult mentality and have left them to their own devices for good.
Are there congregations in your area who believe as you do?. . . I shall keep your "Point of View" column indefinitely to remind me that there are a few Christians for whom tolerance is a desirable goal and not a mortal sin . . . Welcome back into my life. Thank you for standing for the ideals that you have set forth.
John & Nola Kroner, Kansas City, KS
(ED.: John, outside of our own church in SE OK I don’t know of any, and not even all of them do.)
I hope that your ministry has insurance, because there are @#*^%$’s out there willing to sue at the drop of a hat . . . and Christian organizations are not immune . . . (I hope) Richard Yao is somehow (still) helping people free themselves from the bondage of Fundamentalism.
Lester Hemphill, Sparta, NJ
(ED.: Thank you all for our encouragement)
(ED.: This form letter is from a classmate from seminary days, Gene Garrison.. I don’t know if it was sent to me in response to NP, or as a friend. I hope my editing has not altered his meaning and intentions).
I’m sure you will be surprised to receive this letter from me! . . . I write for three reasons: First, I enjoy writing. Second, I want to address a rumor about me which I have heard from numerous sources. Third, I simply want to explain some of my deep, personal feelings about the denomination I have loved and served for nearly fifty years.
The rumor: It has been said that I am no longer a Southern Baptist . . . Whoever is saying this may mean that I am not in agreement with many of the policies and practices of the current SBC leadership. That is true, but such an agreement has never been a requirement for individual SBs . . . Or, perhaps the rumor grows out of the fact that I often preach and teach in non-Baptist churches. I have always accepted invitations to speak wherever I have complete freedom to explain what I believe the Bible says . . . I still believe the same things, and preach the same way today that I did all those years I was holding revivals for pastors who, today, will have virtually nothing to do with me (including Morris Chapman, John Bisagno, and others) . . . Today, you have to go along to get along! That is why this is called a "letter from Exile" - because I feel that is exactly where I am, and have been for about 20 years—In Exile! . . .
The convention I once knew expected and welcomed disagreements over the interpretation of scripture in the Baptist tradition of individual freedom. I do insist, however, that a clear distinction be made between differing in the interpretation of what the scripture is thought to say and in denying the authority of what the scripture plainly says. This is the essential difference between "I sincerely believe the Bible teaches (this)..." and "I don’t care what the Bible says...!"
Today the convention expects complete conformity of interpretation . . . Consider the matter of ordaining women . . . It was never that I disregarded what the Bible said on the subject. It was that my interpretation of the Bible was not "politically correct."
Second, the convention I once knew worked at creating a positive, attractive, and inclusive witness . . . some now say this required compromise with liberalism and secularism. But I am convinced that continual negative pronouncements and self-righteous boycotts are more Pharisaical than they are Christ-like, and do far more harm than good.
Third, the convention I once knew really believed in the separation of church and state . . . Perhaps, the difference between that convention and the current convention is most clearly seen in W.A. Chriswell’s now famous pronouncement, "The notion of separation between church and state was the figment of some infidel’s imagination."
. . . I still believe the same things Southern Baptists believed and preached during the years that God chose to use, honor and bless our denomination . . .
Living "in exile"isn’t so bad if you keep your integrity. I believe I have done that: I have never pretended to believe what I don’t believe. I have never kept quiet in order to keep my friends. I have never changed my position on issues just to gain favor with people whose influence might help me . . . .
Gene Garrison, former pastor of FBC Oklahoma City. 432 N.W. 17th OKC, OK 73103.
(ED.: Gene, forgive me if I misrepresent you. You have always been a special person to me, even though I have always been more "Liberal than thou." I rejoiced when your church chose to ordain women, not as a rebellion against the "powers that be" but as a stand for what is right. I urge all who "feel for you" to write to you and let you know that you are not alone. I don’t make a practice of printing addresses in NP, but I believe your case merits an exception to the rule).
QUESTION
Why Am I a "Liberal?"
When I first began my ministry 51 years ago, I "stole" from the best.—Dr. H.H Hobbs, Herschell Ford, and even Bailey Smith. (However I think I improved them. I haven’t gone over my manuscripts of those sermons for nearly 30 years, so I don’t know now, but then I thought I did).
I began as a fundamentalist. However a crisis occurred which made it impossible for me to continue. I even contemplated suicide. (That’s how difficult it is to change).
In order to survive I began to read Harry Emmerson Fosdik’s, "A Guide to understanding the Bible." It saved my life. I took my first "Liberal" sermon from this book. Following this my wife asked me, "Where are you going to get your sermons from now?" I hadn’t the slightest notion. There was no one to "steal" from anymore. I had to rethink my priorities, and from then until now, sermon preparation has been a team effort and I’ve preached very few of these sermons a second time.
In reading liberal religious journals, it seems to me that religious liberals get bogged down in politics and environmental issues. I’m not trying to denigrate the importance of those subjects; but they are not my strengths. I’ve tried to place the emphasis of my ministry for the past 25 years where I think Christ did—on personal and social relations. I believe the other problems will take care of themselves if people can be led to maturity.
I hope that by putting our thoughts before the public, young ministers will have a model for their own sermons and ministry, and older ministers will receive inspiration.
If I have learned anything in over 50 years of preaching, it is this: "Go with your strengths."
My education has been in the counseling field. As a public school teacher I deliberately chose counseling because I thought it would help me in my pastoral ministry. I still believe this! (It may be that I am biased. After all, "if all you have is a hammer, you see every problem as a nail"). However, it has worked for us.
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