Methodists Tried to Create Something Out of Nothing

Duke University

I belonged to a Methodist Church decades ago. Back then the Southern Methodists merged with Northern Methodists. Some decades later the United Brethren and Methodists merged. Methodists have expanded big time into Africa. Now, a big split is about to happen. It is over, of course, gay marriage and gay pastors.

Many denominations have split many times. There have been many in Presbyterian history. When the founding document, the Bible, is a Medieval piece of writing with vague statements about all kinds of things it allows various groups to claim they know "the truth" better than all others. Don't like black people? The Bible has your back. Don't like gay people, same thing. Women? Eve sinned. Can't have women preachers.

Methodists tried to create the "United" Methodist Church. There is nothing to unite around. There is, however, much to divide around. Whatever anyone wants to believe he/she can find it in the Bible.

I'm sure there were thousands of hours of meetings involving before the "United" term was added. At those meeting were seminary professors and such, experts of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. That is, people who know the arcane language of theology. They did not seem to know the big wide world out there is full of self appointed experts on the Bible and that sooner or later some would make up an argument about fewer or more angels on a pin just like the seminary professors themselves had done.

Each denomination of the Christian religion as well as the entire faith is built on the myth there exists some ultimate truth revealing an invisible being and a history that mostly will never be confirmed. The chase for this "truth" has been going on for 2,000 years and continues.

Splitting up denominations is just part of the chase


Comments

  1. little helperJanuary 10, 2020 at 7:04 PM

    In fact, you can find "flow charts" on the divisions, splits, and remarkably re-unifications starting with the great schism of the East and West Churches. Interesting. Many were due to polity, nationality, ego, and ecclesial matters. Not so much on doctrine. I have books and books on the subject.

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    1. little helperJanuary 12, 2020 at 12:43 PM

      The great schism (between the Roman Church and the Eastern Orthodox @ 1054ad) actually was started in the 4th century over the disagreement of the filioque, (The Spirit proceeds from the Father AND the son, which the Orthodox rejected), along with ecclesiastical concerns for a few years, and where the head of the church should be established, but was finalized when Rome insisted the Eastern Church submit to the Roman Pope at 1054. The Orthodox would have none of it. Would it be so simple now as it was then.

      Delete
    2. little helperJanuary 12, 2020 at 10:05 PM

      It must also be said; The Catholic Church constantly accuses the Reformation, especially Luther for starting the landslide creation of many churches. The reality is; there were several "reformations". The German one was only one of many. There were several reasons . Nationalism, the the start of enlightenment, were just two. Before that point, and even after, burning, boiling in oil, and liquidation was the practice if one disagreed with Rome. In fact, the great schism was just the start when the Pope contrived to take control and demand obedience, and obeisance of all churches and members. Back then, it wasn't abortion, or birth control, but pure power, ego and authority. Most of which were political, nationalistic, eccliastical, and dogma. Not much has changed.

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  2. Jon LindgrenJanuary 13, 2020 at 7:11 AM

    helper "Not much else has changed."

    I didn't know about the several reformations. It makes sense. Today some parts of the Catholic church are going one direction, others other directions. The current Pope talks a lot about poverty, Benedict talked about homosexuality. Matt is about abortion. Catholic budgets fall under one roof but what popes, clergy and laity do with their time and money go in various directions.

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    1. Jon LindgrenJanuary 13, 2020 at 7:15 AM

      It seems to me what Protestants do when they start new denominations or split up old ones is more healthy that what the Catholic denomination does. It cobbles together disparate groups and pretends they believe the same thing.

      Delete

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