Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 16, 1994 TAG: 9407260036
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By TOM SCHAEFER KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The buzzword for this week's column is theology. Those who like to count angels on the head of a pin may find fresh material for religious discussions:
Harold Camping has folks stirred up.
The 73-year-old radio evangelist in California predicts that the end of the world will arrive (finally!) in September. That's this September.
You may remember Camping. He wrote a book a few years ago titled ``1994?'' and a sequel ``Are You Ready?'' (His use of question marks in book titles perhaps could lead to a third book: ``Was I Wrong or What?'')
But there's a bright side to this theological speculation about the end of history. If you're tired of hearing about O.J. Simpson, worried about your job or your health, fearful that your kids will become the Beavis or Butt-head of your neighborhood, just remember: September is less than two months away. And that also could mean no more Christmas shopping.
(On a more serious note: Would someone please tell these self-proclaimed prophets that they have no inside knowledge of such apocalyptic matters. And you can check that out - it's biblical.)
Evangelicals and Roman Catholics found common ground this spring when they signed the document ``Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission for the Third Millennium.'' In it, leaders of various conservative Protestant groups acknowledged that, despite their theological differences, they and Catholics belong to the same family of faith.
(It's amazing how long it takes for such a basic statement of common belief to be acknowledged by Christian groups. Even Mideast peace talks move faster.)
Of course, not everyone was happy about the development. Some evangelicals are upset that Protestants would acknowledge the faith of Catholics who historically were branded by them as heretics. And some Catholics balk at some of the non-sacramental theology that groups such as the Southern Baptists proclaim.
Well, it turns out that old ways of thinking can change. As the Rev. Philip Roberts, head of the Interfaith Witness Department of the Southern Baptist Convention's mission board, told the Associated Press when it asked what Roberts says to those who think only Baptists will be in heaven: ``My response is: We don't even believe all of them are going to make it.''
Does anyone care about theology anymore? (And I'm not referring to Harold Camping, who has a strange way of caring.) By theology, I mean questions about good and evil, the nature of God's relationship to humanity, the destiny of humanity, etc.
William Placher of Wabash College tackles the subject of God-talk or theology in an article in Christian Century titled ``Why Bother With Theology?'' He raises an important point for liberal Christians, conservative Christians and the rest of the world:
``If we Christians have anything distinctive to say as Christians, it grows out of the content of our faith. If `liberal mainstream' Protestantism has anything to say, it grows out of a determination not to yield to overly simple or authoritarian answers. If we are to clarify what we have distinctively to say, we therefore need to do theology together. If we haven't anything distinctive to say, it's unclear why anyone should listen to us and even, eventually, why we should continue talking among ourselves.''
As you might guess, I receive some bizarre mail. At least twice a year I get a postcard from ``Jesus Christ,'' scrawled in pen, from Ohio or Florida, I forget which. The message is usually along the lines of ``Evil is bad; do good.'' (Sort of a fortune cookie theology that melts in your mouth, not in your head.)
My most recent piece of bizarre mail is a spiral-bound ``scientific survey'' from Santa Fe, N.M., entitled ``The Alexander UFO Religious Crisis Survey: The Impact of UFOs and Their Occupants on Religion.''
The author mailed 1,000 surveys to priests, ministers and rabbis in the United States, asking them to give responses, from strong agreement to strong disagreement, to 11 questions such as: ``Official confirmation of the discovery of an advanced technologically superior extraterrestrial civilization would have severe negative effects on the country's moral, social and religious foundations.'' (Respondents to this one were mostly on the disagree side of the scale.)
In the 30-page report, the author provides all sorts of demographic information, based on 230 surveys returned, and concludes that: 1. Religion isn't threatened by UFOs; 2. Those who believe there are UFOs shouldn't be afraid they'll be ridiculed if they reach out to religious groups for support; and 3. UFO organizations should re-examine their ``long-held position'' that UFOs can only have a negative impact on religion.
After reading the study, all I can say is that if UFOs and religion are the next theological rave, then I think I'll start saving my mail from ``Jesus Christ'' - the one from Ohio or Florida. At least it doesn't take him 30 pages to state the obvious.
by CNB