Yikes! Part 5 or, Intelligent People Agree with Me

Here is yet another excerpt from Getting Christianity Right! by Robert Sessions.

Among the Christians who see their religion as dead or dying, two groups are especially noteworthy.


(1) One category is a multitude of thoughtful persons, among both the economically disadvantaged and advantaged, who witness most of Christianity ignoring or even supporting the continuation of poverty in their own localities and among millions of the world’s starving people.

. . .


(2) Another growing group asking whether their religion is dead or dying is made up of some of the most intelligent and best-educated Christians, who are questioning many of the beliefs and practices of traditional Christianity. Bible scholarship has undermined the notion that the Bible is “The Word of God, from cover to cover.” Scientific discoveries have made many long-held beliefs untenable. Questions of the theology and practices of traditional Christianity are rising not only from science labs or scholars’ studies, but also from insightful journalists, a few “thinkers” in pulpits and, increasingly, from the pews.

. . .


Jesus was a brilliant thinker and understood many things, but he was as much a seeker of truth as a proclaimer. One of his most characteristic traits was asking questions of himself, of his disciples of the crowds, and even, perhaps especially, of God. He found many significant answers, but often they led to more profound questions, probably even on the cross. He wanted his followers to be learners, too, and he wanted them, even, in some ways, to think beyond him.


pp. 4-5

Do you find the presumption here as breathtaking as I do?