Authority and Power in the Restructuring of an American Denomination
August 6th, 2006(That was the subtitle of Arthur Farnsley’s doctoral dissertation, which has little to do with this post. However, some of the ideas the author discusses there are inspiring my thoughts here.)
What you believe is important for what it makes you do. This is one reason why minor doctrinal issues may not be terribly important, for example, the question of whether humans are made up of two parts, body and soul, or three, body, soul, and spirit.
While I knew that beliefs were important in that they impacted actions, I forgot that one may look at actions for clues to beliefs. I also forgot that the beliefs in question may not come from the Bible. Most of all, I forgot about the huge impact that being American may have on beliefs.
Arthur Farnsley examined the actions of a denomination in crisis over a period of years and tried to uncover the beliefs that led to those actions. It is impossible to avoid the fact that politics with all their associated unpleasantness are often a part of denominational (and individual church) life just like they are a part of the American political system. What a denomination actually does in an attempt to resolve a conflict may be in sharp contrast to the teachings of Christ: “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
This is partially because the church is reflecting its very American beliefs in democracy and individual freedom.
I am having a hard time with the idea that a denomination or a church would hold on to American ideas every bit as tightly as it might hold on to certain doctrines.
I think many churches would, though (hold even tighter to what they perceive as truth than to what is actually truth). So many believe that our government is the perfect one, the way God would have all countries run…when in fact, He wanted to run Israel Himself, and didn’t even want to give them a king.
“What you believe is important for what it makes you do.”
Do you want to qualify that somehow? I know that I am questioning paternal wisdom here, but it sounds an awfully lot like the ends justify the means.
Perhaps it would be better to say that there is a connection between beliefs and actions. (I don’t suppose there is a perfect correlation…it is possible to believe something but be too apathetic to act on the belief.)
The “ends justify the means” focuses on results only. I think “what you believe is important for what it makes you do” focuses on both the beliefs and the actions.
Is that the sort of qualification you had in mind?
No, you are still evaluating your beliefs based on what they make you do. It is a completely pragmatic perspective.
That statement about beliefs is best applied within the context of Christianity.
I also don’t see it as an evaluation of beliefs, but as a statement of awareness that there is a connection between the two.
It sounds like you are backing away from “What you believe is important for what it makes you do.” Is this true?
Not exactly. It just took me a long time to figure out the proper context in which my statement should be understood.
In the post I was trying to make the point that churches often act upon a set of beliefs that are not necessarily biblical.
I am not sure that the statement in question belongs in such a post…I was having a really hard time thinking my thoughts.
I don’t think the context matters. Right actions do not justify beliefs.
I believe that helping people builds brownie points with God so that he keeps my life problem free. Therefore, I help people. Because helping people is a good and proper action, the beliefs that lead to it are good. It is good to believe that helping people leads to a problem free life. QED.
Do you have any difficulty with the following statement:
Minor doctrinal issues such as the one mentioned above are not all that important because they do not lead to a change in one’s thinking or the way in which one works out one’s salvation.
Yes.
Oops. Teach me to leave a yes or no question.
I agree that right actions do not justify beliefs. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love…” Do you think that works as a biblical example?
I think I see how “right actions justify beliefs” is the same statement as “The end justifies the means.”
I also think that right beliefs do not automatically result in right actions…just to hit it from the other end. Ideally, every Christian and, consequently, every church, would have both right beliefs and right actions.
That said, I still don’t understand the connection between “What you believe is important for what it makes you do” and “The ends justify the means.” I think of them as being opposites. I am not thinking “The actions justify the beliefs.” but something closer to “The beliefs justify the actions.”
I don’t quite like that wording, either. I like this better: One’s actions should be a result of one’s beliefs.
In Bible terms: “Faith without works is dead.” or “By their fruit you will know them…”
I do what Christ commanded because I believe He died for me.
I do not eat too much chocolate because I believe gluttony is a sin. (Ideally that is…I’m not dealing here with the fact that I sometimes do the things I do not want to do…)
If I believe women shouldn’t be teaching men in church, that will impact my teaching of Sunday School.
But, if I believe I consist of a body, soul, and spirit, I don’t see how that belief will result in a change of behavior. That doesn’t mean I should never study it, I suppose, but it isn’t all that important.
I wrote all of this because I am hoping that you will say, “Oh, that’s what you meant. Why didn’t you say so before?”