the unedited version

In my other blog, I just wrote down a few thoughts about the liberal evangelical spectrum in our church. It's how I feel but edited for church reading. Here's where it came from.

For whatever reason, I've always been a pretty moderate person able to get along with different people. I'm the Christian that has a lot of non-Christian friends. I'm the non churchy guy that pastors a church. I'm the evangelical that has many liberal friends. Good or bad - that's just me. I know some people call me wishy washy and maybe even lukewarm but frankly, I don't really give a crap. It's who I am and being able to relate to people makes me a good pastor. I know what I believe.

It's a fight though. In my first presbytery meeting I attended while at Regent College, I was invited out with the "evangelical" crowd following the meeting. During that time, they put down just about every liberal, feminist or female in the meeting. It was WAY worse than any of the bashing that my non Christian friends would give to anyone. It was personal and very nasty. The problem was that some of those liberals they were talking to were good friends of mine. That was the last time I went out with those "spiritual" clergy and elders. Each Presbytery, I sat with my friends - most of whom were the people that I didn't share theology with but whom I respected and loved. To their credit, they may have been liberal but they never once put down the other people. But they did put down and express some hatred around the evangelical camp of the church - not specific to people - but just comments like, "How can evangelicals think they are the only way to heaven?" "how can they say that the Bible is literal and God's word?" etc. etc. etc. And then they would always look over and say something like, "you don't think that do you?"

I don't normally let theology get in way of friendships or how I see people. My father in law has a liberal theology and in the interest of family, we don't talk about the things that divide us. I know what he thinks. He knows we don't agree. So we just stay away from it. With many of these friends, I guess they just aren't used to an evangelical that isn't pushy and judgemental.

But maybe I'm not pushy enough. I probably need to be more outspoken about this than I am.

But to the evangelicals and liberals reading this, get over yourselves. Grow up. God's judging us both.