All Religions are Rudderless Ships Sailing Through Time

I've had over 20,000 comments about my blogs since I started it about 15 years ago. While the comments are now infrequent the themes some contained live on in writing on the web. One frequent criticism has been that my writing does not correctly state certain parts of theology. Probably I am now using the word "theology" incorrectly according to such critiques. I was reminded of the arguments paraphrased as "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin" when reading a recent post on line.

It's hard to imagine how people can make a living arguing about the "correct" difference between how Mary rose ("ascended" is the $5 word) to heaven and how Jesus did this. According to the article, the difference is very important. These fine points in theology are "very important" the link author tells us. 

To understand why such an argument goes on, we need to consult with my discipline, economics. There needs to be a source of money to pay people who sit around and argue this stuff. Without the money, no argument. That is, whether it's a professor at a university, a free-lance author, internet poster and whatever, time has value. The old saying, "Time is money" is mostly true.

The source of money determines the theological postures of the various people who make the arguments. Religions change over time because there is nothing holding the rudder in place. Each generation interprets current events in a slightly different way and provides money to enforce how it sees things. It's not so much the rudder changes course, it's that there is no rudder period. 

Roger E. Olson, a retired professor of religion, says every church should have some "doctrine." Lots of churches get along find without any. In fact, this is becoming more common. He, of course, assumes there can be some set of ideas a church's members can agree on. Perhaps some churches can do this but really, who cares? If people come to a church and enjoy it, why start down a road that goes to another road and one after that?  

The only correct theologies are the ones that have money donated to keep them going. Others disappear in the sands of time.