Can Religious Denominations Ever Understand Their Weakness

The denominations of Christianity each talk of their own importance. There is a case there to be made for denominations in Christianity. It is difficult to find the wherewithal to focus on the strong points of organized religion, however, when its members shoot denominations in the their own feet. 

The link is about an interview with an interfaith advocate. He says the public just does not hear enough about the charitable work done by denominations. Instead, denominations fight among themselves and the message of good is lost. He says denominations could get along better and present a better imagine of Christianity in general if they would join forces in good causes. He suggests liberal churches and very conservative ones join together is food banks and house building.

Unfortunately, the positive spokesperson is on a hopeless mission. When members of one denomination consider another denomination headed for hell there is not a lot of common ground. When one denomination tells another it advocates murder by endorsing abortion rights--same thing. Finding common ground on a sinking island is not easy. The choice of a majority of young people today is to leave the island. 

Recently I watched a video of remarks be the President of a branch of Lutheranism. He was telling a congregation what was going on in the home office. He said more seminary graduates are needed because there are requests for missionaries that cannot be met. The missionaries are needed but not in areas of the world where there is no religion or where there is some other religion that Christianity should compete with. Instead, he said, there is an urgent problem because other branches of Christianity, ones that are incorrect, are making inroads and his brand, the correct one, must counterattack. This does not sound to me like an opportunity for different denominations to join in common causes of good water and literacy.  

Christianity keeps going through periods when some sin or sins are singled out as the most evil ever. Many decades back it was prohibition--alcohol was the biggest sin. More recently, gay marriage was at the top of the list. There were some comments here on this blog that gay marriage represented the ultimate breakdown in moral values and this, in turn, meant Jesus was about to return. When gay marriage was made legal, and Jesus did not return, a new sin was needed. Just now, that sin is trans. Yet, parts of Christianity are more knowledgeable and rational and do not see trans or gay marriage as sin or as having anything to do with religion. That these far apart parts of the faith can unit and put lipstick on a pig seems impossible.

Certainly, a large part of Western society receives something from religion including Christianity. To think the wide variety of beliefs which fall under the Christian brand can find common ground and present itself as a universal force for good seems out of reach.