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Some Christians condense the above seven criteria into four: Scripture, church tradition, reason, and personal experience. Unfortunately, the influence of culture is often ignored.
Why denominations often adopt different policies:
Many denominations hold small group of cardinal Christian doctrines in common. However there are hundreds of other beliefs and policies over which faith groups often disagree.
Two devout, intelligent, sincere, educated, thoughtful, mature Christians can research a given issue and come to totally different conclusions about truth and the meaning of the Bible. Both are honestly seeking the will of God. Both may use the Bible as their main information source. But they frequently reach decisions that are mutually exclusive. In our list of "current teachings of religious groups on human sexuality", we show that some denominations may consider a certain practice to be "blessed" while other faith groups considers it to be "morally unacceptable in most cases", or even "condemned" in all situations.
Generally speaking:
 | Conservative Protestant theologians have historically given great emphasis to specific Biblical references on a each ethical issue. "Sola Scriptura" (Scripture alone) was one of the rallying cries of the Protestant Reformation. "Quod non est biblicum, non est theologicum" ("What is not biblical is not theological) was one of its slogans. 1 Thus, one or two direct statements by Jesus, Paul, Peter or some other Biblical figure on a given topic is usually regarded as binding on present day Christians. Church tradition is also considered important. The remaining factors listed above -- personal experience, science, etc. -- are often considered of lesser importance. They are particularly opposed to altering church policies to respond to scientific findings. They often regard scientific theories to be changeable and transitory -- and just plain wrong when they differ from the Bible's accounts of reality. |
| Roman Catholic theologians are almost alone with Christianity over the major importance that they give to Church tradition. They consider the remaining factors listed above important as well. |
| Liberal theologians have tended to respond quickly to emerging scientific findings. Jesus' overall teachings are generally considered more important than St. Paul's actions and teachings, and to church tradition. They also tend emphasize biblical themes like justice and love, more than specific statements like the six "clobber" passages often used to criticize same-sex behavior. |
By accepting different sets of information, and weighting each factor differently, denominations are certain to reach different conclusions, and perhaps develop quite opposite policies.
Current status of major ethical topics:
| Slavery: At the close of the 20th century, only Christian Reconstructionists and some of the more radical of the Christian Identity groups still favor the legalization of human slavery. All other Christian groups have taken a solid abolitionist position. In 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention issued a sincere apology for its past policies on race, slavery, and segregation. They vowed to eliminate any current residual racism in the denomination. Unfortunately, Sunday morning -- and in some denominations, Saturday morning -- continues to be the most highly segregated time in America, due to the country's large number of nearly all-white and nearly all-black congregations. |
| Status of Women: Until 1930, few denominations were willing to ordain women. 50 years later, female clergy were allowed in all liberal and most mainline churches, including the United Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Lutheran, and a minority of conservative denominations. By the late 1990's women had risen to the highest levels in some denominations, and some conservative churches began to address the question of sexual bias and rigid sexual roles in their denomination. Others, like the Southern Baptist Convention have reinforced the submissive role for women and the leadership role for men in church and at home. |
| Status of Gays and Lesbians: The movement to accept celibate and non-celibate gays and lesbians as church members, and as clergy started only in the 1970s, after the Stonewall riots, the emergence of the Gay Liberation movement, and the decision by the American Psychiatric Association that homosexuality is not a mental illness. 2 A few very progressive religious groups have married same-sex couples where legal, have authorized "services of union" for gay and lesbian couples, have ordained sexually active gay clergy, and have gone on record as supporting same-sex marriages. A number of other liberal and some mainline denominations have begun to change in this area -- notably the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian and United Methodists -- at great threat to their church harmony. Conservative faith groups have generally retained their traditional rejection of non-celibate gays and lesbians. We maintain a list of the policies of many dozens of faith groups concerning homosexuals. |
References used:
- James Akin, "The Practical problems of Sola Scriptura," at: http://www.cin.org/
- The Stonewall Riots are described at http://www.umr.edu/
Copyright © 1998 to 2008 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Latest update: 2008-FEB-25
Author: B.A. Robinson
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