CANADA: The collapse of the liberal church
CANADA: The collapse of the liberal church
By Margaret Wente
The Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/the-collapse-of-the-liberal-church/article4443228/
July 28, 2012
[Dear VOL readers. Substitute the Episcopal Church for the United Church of Canada and you will see the same result.]
Two weeks from now, the United Church of Canada will assemble in Ottawa for its 41st General Council, where it will debate church policy and elect a new moderator. The top item on its agenda is a resolution calling for a boycott of products from Israeli settlements. Fortunately, nobody cares what the United Church thinks about Israeli settlements, or anything else for that matter, because the United Church doesn't matter any more.
For many years, the United Church was a pillar of Canadian society. Its leaders were respected public figures. It was - and remains - the biggest Protestant denomination in a country that, outside Quebec, has been largely shaped by centuries of Protestant tradition.
But today, the church is literally dying. The average age of its members is 65. They believe in many things, but they do not necessarily believe in God. Some congregations proudly describe themselves as "post-theistic," which is a good thing because, as one church elder said, it shows the church is not "stuck in the past." Besides, who needs God when you've got Israel to kick around?
Read the full story at www.VirtueOnline.org
By Margaret Wente
The Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/the-collapse-of-the-liberal-church/article4443228/
July 28, 2012
[Dear VOL readers. Substitute the Episcopal Church for the United Church of Canada and you will see the same result.]
Two weeks from now, the United Church of Canada will assemble in Ottawa for its 41st General Council, where it will debate church policy and elect a new moderator. The top item on its agenda is a resolution calling for a boycott of products from Israeli settlements. Fortunately, nobody cares what the United Church thinks about Israeli settlements, or anything else for that matter, because the United Church doesn't matter any more.For many years, the United Church was a pillar of Canadian society. Its leaders were respected public figures. It was - and remains - the biggest Protestant denomination in a country that, outside Quebec, has been largely shaped by centuries of Protestant tradition.
But today, the church is literally dying. The average age of its members is 65. They believe in many things, but they do not necessarily believe in God. Some congregations proudly describe themselves as "post-theistic," which is a good thing because, as one church elder said, it shows the church is not "stuck in the past." Besides, who needs God when you've got Israel to kick around?
Read the full story at www.VirtueOnline.org
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