Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Belief Net]
How many of the pastors and ministers in our churches no longer believe in God? That’s the question asked in “Preachers Who Are Not Believers,” a fascinating report by Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. Dennett, of course, is a cognitive scientist and prominent atheist. His book, Breaking the Spell, put him at the forefront of “new atheists” movement, along with Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins.

The report offers five case studies of Christian ministers who no longer identify themselves as believers — but their churches don’t know it. They are secret atheists or agnostics who are still serving their congregations, teaching them about God and the Bible, and otherwise functioning as clergy.

Money quotes from three of them:

Darryl is a Presbyterian who claims to follow Jesus, but “…it is arguable whether I am also a ‘Christian.’…I reject the virgin birth. I reject substitutionary atonement. I reject the divinity of Jesus. I reject heaven and hell in the traditional sense, and I am not alone.” But he lives as a Christian anyway. “Whether there was a God or not, I would choose to live as if there was a God. Because I didn’t like the alternative.”

Darryl admits that he’s still in the ministry because it pays the bills. It’s how he makes a living. To admit his lack of beliefs would mean walking away from his only source of income.

Adam is a Church of Christ worship leader who lost his faith after reading books in which he thought atheists made better arguments than Christians. He talks about how he tried, as a reader fascinated with learning, to “be open and listen, and use my mind and reason.” He worries about what others would think if they knew how he’d changed. “Even if Christianity isn’t true, is it best to leave the people alone in their ignorance? …They’re happy, and they have hope in a life to come, and so it helps them through their suffering, which is a strong selling point of Christianity.”

How does he handle his role as a Sunday morning worship leader? “I see it as play acting. I see myself as taking on the role of a believer in a worship service, and performing. I know how to pray publicly…I love singing. [But] I don’t believe what I’m saying anymore in some of these songs.”

Jack, a Southern Baptist worship leader, fell into atheism after deciding to read through the Bible carefully as a way to get closer to his faith. It had the opposite effect. “I think most Christians have to be in a state of denial to read the Bible and believe it. Because there are so many contradicting stories.” He didn’t plan on becoming an atheist. “I didn’t even want to become an atheist. It’s just I had no choice if I’m being honest with myself.”

Jack admits that he’s still in the ministry because it’s his job. It puts food on the table. But he’s planning to leave as soon as he finds another way to support his family.

Read more here and here

You can read the whole report here.

[From me]

I think it is normal to have doubts and struggles. God knows I’ve had my share in the last few years. But for me the tough times we have gone through have driven me towards God not away from him. As I read the quotes from these ministers I’m amazed that they are still serving their churches for a “pay check.” I could make a whole lot more money outside the church and ministry. In fact, it is ministry that has brought financial hardship to our family. So why in the world would someone remain in ministry for money? Even if you don’t believe in God I would hope these clergy members had some integrity and would resign from their positions because they didn’t believe.

[Sun Sentinel]

A defiant Rodney McGill prayed for affliction upon his adversaries prior to his sentencing in Martin County Circuit Court, and turned his back on Judge Sherwood Bauer, Jr., as he was handed a 20-year prison term for his part in fraudulently obtaining some $1 million in real estate loans.

“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, for every witness called against me I pray cancer in their lives, lupus, brain tumor, pancreatic cancer,” McGill intoned at his counsel table prior to the start of the hearing Tuesday.

Read more here.

[From me]

I don’t think that is what Jesus meant about praying for your enemies!

What do you think?

The last three months have been our first chances to worship at a church as non-staff members since 1992. I wondered how I would handle worshiping not speaking or teaching for the 1st time in 16 years.  Sure we have worshiped at conferences and on vacation but this is the first time in all these years I don’t have paid responsibilities at a local church.

My job as a corporate chaplain keeps me in ministry on a daily basis. But I do believe in the local church and want to be an active member. Yesterday we made a second visit to a church in the Birmingham area.  It is just about the right size for us.  Right now it looks like this is where we will plug-in unless God directs us some where else. 

As a staff member and pastor for 16 years I never realized how dry the worship time on Sunday can become. When you are always hearing church members gripe about what you are wearing, the music is too loud, too contemporary, too traditional, bad, they can’t believe you use a breath spray, you actually invited minorities, where is your wife and family?, etc…. you can easily lose the joy of corporate worship.

Now that I’m going to be an active member here are some things I will do that I wish I had seen more of during my 16 years on staff at local churches.  Some of these ideas came from people whom I observed at some of the churches I served. I sure wish there had been more of them.

1. Pray for your staff–I believe pastors, staff members and their families are under spiritual attack daily!
2. Support the staff–when your pastor or staff members are being attacked or you hear gossip — tell people what that is-SIN!
3. Be loyal to the staff–it is hard to know if someone has an agenda–a loyal church member is such a gift!
4. Serve the staff–they are on call 24/7 for you–remember they need ministry too.
5. Don’t come to the staff with problems in the church without offering your help to be a part of the solution.
6. Be a friend to your staff.  (there was one deacon in Charlotte who took me to lunch and didn’t talk about church at all!  He was just being my friend. That was the best gift he gave me)
7. Be yourself around your staff. They are real people too
8. Don’t act differently around the staff–they don’t want you speaking in King James English.
9. Expect the staff member’s children to be children!
10. You didn’t hire their spouse – so don’t expect them to be there every time the church doors open.

[World Net Daily]

For holding up a poster that reads, “Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help you,” outside an Oakland abortion clinic, a pastor in California now awaits a judge’s sentencing that could send him to prison for harassment.

In May of 2008, Rev. Walter B. Hoye II of the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley, Calif., filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, arguing that an Oakland city ordinance banning counselors or protesters from approaching within eight feet of people entering an abortion clinic is a violation of constitutional free speech rights.

Twelve days later, Hoye was arrested for allegedly violating the law he was seeking to overturn.

Hoye was charged with “unlawful approach” and “harassment.”

Read more here.

[From me]

How is telling someone that they are loved harassment? The pastor was trying to protect a precious life and make sure that the lady didn’t make a decision that she would regret? It is pretty sad in the US when you can’t have freedom of speech!

What do you think?

[Fox Forums]

The inauguration invocation is the high profile event for a member of the clergy. It’s only been around since 1937, but it’s grounded in a rich, religious history that’s helped shaped this country. At President-elect Barak Obama’s inauguration, Pastor Rick Warren will have the honors. Pastor Warren is the senior minister of Saddleback Church in Southern California and the uber-bestselling author of “The Purpose Driven Life.”  Liberals objected to Warren because of his conservative views, specifically his support of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in California.

What some see as a move to placate the gay and Lesbian community was the selection of the openly-gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson to say the prayer for the star-studded, kick-off of the inaugural week. The Inaugural Committee says it wasn’t about “righting” a perceived “wrong.” They said Bishop Robinson had been on their list for a while and they chose him for his message of inclusive civil rights.

But the reality is that selecting Gene Robinson for any inaugural event would make headlines. Bishop Robinson is the openly gay bishop whose elevation has caused a riff, or even schism, in the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion. Court battles over property are ongoing as conservative Episcopal congregations and dioceses leave over the issue of homosexuality and authority of the Bible.

My greatest shock, though, upon reading stories about Bishop Robinson’s inclusion was not that he’s an openly gay minister living with his partner.  No. My biggest shock was that Robinson commented in The New York Times about past inaugural prayers. He said he was “horrified” at how “specifically and aggressively Christian they were.”

“Horrified?” I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a Christian minister react so negatively about the faith he professes to preach and uphold. Was the Apostle Paul wrong when he said:

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’ ( refers to Habakkuk 2:4)”.

Does this mean Bishop Robinson is “ashamed” of the gospel he’s been ordained to preach?  Bishop Robinson explained to The Times that, “The texts I hold sacred are not sacred texts for all Americans, and I want all people to feel that this is their prayer.” (NY Times)

Fair enough. And if Bishop Robinson had said only that, I would’ve applauded him. But his other statement revealed to me a question about what his faith means to him and how he defines it.

I could understand a Muslim being horrified, even offended… or for that matter a Hindu, a Jew, or any non-Christian. After all, we are supposed to have a separation of church and state and be accepting and respectful to all religions. But to my knowledge no person of those faiths has been “horrorified” by the Christian message during inauguration (Although Atheists are demanding that the words “So help me God” be taken out of the inauguration oath. President Elect Obama has told Chief Justice Roberts he wants it to remain.)

Read more here.

[From me]

What does Bishop Robinson expect from a Christian minister? As a minister of Jesus Christ, my job is not to worry about offending someone with my prayers. I would expect people of other faiths to know I pray to Jesus. I would expect a Muslim to pray to Allah and a Buddhist to pray to Buddha.  So why would a “Christian” pastor/Bishop be “horrified” to pray a prayer that expressed his faith. President-elect Obama picked people for their faith’s not to worry about what they say. I don’t get it.

What do you think?