YUCK!
Being a Workplace Support Chaplain I have to attend a meeting from time to time with other chaplains. I am used to being the most "progressive" there - some would say perhaps "spiritually dead liberal". But there was a farewell for a retiring chaplain who I respected, so I felt I had to attend. But I felt repulsed. There was a chaplain there who was sure of his superior spiritual awareness. He talked about various people with an evil spirit about them. He was anti-gay in some of his comments. He had been on an evangelical visit to India, and all Hindus were evil, with some master plan to oust Christianity from India. In fact he despised all other religions other than Christianity. He said words to the effect that the workplaces we go into were places of evil, we had to protect ourselves against that evil. (On the other hand I often say that I don't take God in there, but meet him there among my people.) He seemed to see evil forces everywhere - behind the media, the "system", and even behind the hierarchy of the Presbyterian Church for encouraging him to get some theological training. ("I disagree with the training they dish out anyway. Would the teachers even be truly 'Christian'?" he said. ) He seemed to be an angry man, even when he reported on some positive "wins" -souls saved- over the evil one. I was repulsed. This seemed so much of a distortion of the way of Jesus. It was a weird, superstitious world view. I visit a brewery, ambulance stations and fire stations. The language in these places can sometimes be pretty off-colour. Sometimes the topics too can be a bit lewd, or what Donald Trump might call "Locker Room talk". (though never, I think, as base as his recorded conversation piece.) But I feel more at home in those places than I felt at this meeting of religious people? This horrible arrogant "who is in and who is out", "who is evil" superstitious distortion of the way of Jesus really upset me. For me it was blasphemy, a disgusting representation of a way of life I hold dear.
I did not know how to deal with it. Should I challenge him? No, I decided it would be a waste of time and destructive of the relationships at the meeting. I ended up trying to change the subject. I have sought over the years to hear him and learn from his journey, but we are so different. There is very little common ground. I recall a man reporting after being at a Presbyterian General Assembly where "the gay clergy thing" was discussed. In his report he commented, "I sometimes thought there were two different faiths being expressed!" I have the same experience. I continue to lead within Church circles. I do so because the Church is where the story of Christ is kept alive. I struggle with some aspects of this journey, but feel that I am making some sort of positive contribution.
I wonder though, whether Christianity might have a deep split some time soon? Progressive Christians are becoming more organised, establishing connections and presenting confidently and openly a great alternative to the "old style" gospel. Evangelicals, mean time, in the face of uncertainty, seem to be rushing back to a fundamentalism and superstition that gives people some certainty in unsure times. We Christians have basic differences on how we handle scripture, and I wonder when there could be a new and deep split! I hope not, but I long to be able to avoid the feeling of repulsion I got from my "christian colleague's" comments the other day.
