Methodist Factions Splintering in Many Directions Have One Thing in Common

Much is yet to be written about the breakup of the huge Methodist denomination. A large batch is forming an anti gay "Global Methodist" denomination. Among the liberal groups some are affiliating the liberal denominations, others going independent and yet others forming new denominations.

In reading about all of this, it is apparent all groups have one thing in common. Each believes God in on their side. 

The African branches I recently wrote about also know God is on their side and not on the side of white Westerners. They know, for example, they are at war with witches and evil spirits. Western Christians mistakenly think the great war is against the global Satan. The Pope agrees with the latter. 

It isn't as if conservative Methodists are going around saying God agrees with them and liberals want to think of God as abstract to these worldly issues. According to the link liberals, too, are claiming directly they are doing what God expects all people to do. It's not surprising God wants people to believe in the social gospel. 

While conservatives are going into one new conservative version of Methodism, liberals are splitting into many. Different communities across the U.S. have people who are majority liberal or majority conservative. Churches cannot avoid reflecting the political and religious views of their members. Members pay the bills.

All of these factions of Methodists have this one thing in common, "We know the truth." Every new denomination thinks it knows the truth better than any of the others. That is why they split off. 

That millions of Christians think they are right while all others are wrong hurts the faith. Catholics, for example, incorrectly label themselves as having common beliefs and make light of Protestants for their far flung range of denominations. How can Protestants stop looking so ridiculous with their vast sweep of beliefs?

A slightly humous solution is this. Protestant churches should stop bragging they and only they know the truth. Instead, they should all agree to present themselves in this way, "We might know the truth." While this is humorous in that none of them will do this, it is serious in that it is correct. How can their be an "ultimate truth" when there is no ultimate source. If we knew there was a deity and knew further the deity wrote the book we could know the Bible had a creditable source. We don't know that.