Thursday, June 09, 2005

Go Matthew

Theologian Challenges Pope To Rethink Church's Position On Gays


Oh, Matthew Fox is doing that and quite a bit more in Wittenberg:

Like Luther, Fox believes that the church is in trouble and in need of a drastic change.
Fox's challenge was in the form an updated version of Luther's 95 Theses - applying them to today.
While Luther's protest was against indulgences and corruption in the administration of Pope Leo X, Fox's beef is more attuned to the injustices and power abuses he sees in the Vatican under Pope Benedict XVI and the apathy epidemic present in Protestant Churches...
-snip-
"Jesus said nothing about condoms, birth control or homosexuality," says one of the Theses. Fox said it is time for Christians to choose who the Church will follow: an "angry exclusionary God or the loving God who opens the path to wisdom."
Among his other theses are: "God is both Father and Mother" and "Religion is not necessary, but spirituality is."
-snip-
"The traditional purpose of a thesis is to open up constructive debate in the search for truth," said Fox. "At this critical time in human and planetary history, when the earth is being ravaged by the violence of war, poverty, sexism, homophobia and eco-destruction, we need to gather those who offer a future that is one of compassion, creativity and justice to stand up and speak their conscience together as never before. Religion ought to be part of the solution, not the problem."

Emphasis mine.

I've always thought that Matthew Fox really pushes the edges, and some of his earlier work was kinda "out there," or, at least, before its time. But he is absolutely correct as to the need for a prophetic voice to be heard.

If the drama of posting his thesis on the Church door is what it takes for the voices to be heard, than by all means. Like Bishop John Shelby Spong, Fox is advocating a new Protestant Reformation, and the end result will not look very much like traditional Western Christianity.

Fox has been seen as a threat to the Magisterium for decades. If his thoughts on the subject open up dialogue within the "mainstream" churches, he will seen as a threat to all those who mistake grace for power and love for intolorance.

Being a prophet is never easy. It involves being open to a radical re-examination of identity and existance. And, without a doubt, it involves beating one's head against a wall. But most of all, it involves being so in love with God and with God's people that you are willing to undergo a complete displacement in understanding who you are and who God is and be remade. Matthew Fox loves deeply. All who love deeply must be called to live that love, breath that love, speak that love and act that love.

[My appologies for any spelling errors undetected; Blogger is not allowing me to spell check and I'm kind of dizzy from banging my head against a wall]

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