Jul 1, 2006

Presbyterian Obsfuscation


The Presbyterian Church (PC-USA) had their annual conference. Delegates to the church's policy-making body get together and hash out important things ... This year they announced a few possible alternate ways to describe the Trinity other than "Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Let's have a look:
"Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb,"
"Overflowing Font, Living Water, Flowing River."
"Rock, Cornerstone and Temple" and
"Rainbow of Promise, Ark of Salvation and Dove of Peace."


"You might as well put in Huey, Dewey and Louie," said Rev. Mark Brewer of Bel Air Pres.
byterian "Any time you get together representatives of 2 1/2 million people, you get some really solid people and some really wacky people."

Clearly the wacksters had the pens. What's remarkable is that they didn't make up these names while sitting in a hotel bar getting drunk. THey actually put some thought into them, then spent time reading them from the convention dais. Precious time that no one can get back.

"Rainbow of promise?"

I realize this is because a lot of people have problems with the masculine-heavy "father son and holy spirit." I understand, historically men have dominated and often oppressed women. SO I understand that.

Male and female aren't wrong, having a distinction isn't wrong. It's what humans have done to gender that is wrong. Humans were the ones who allowed masculine to dominate feminine: Not God.

But I think we ought to reexamine what masculine and feminine really are. It's everywhere, it's in philosophy (yin/yang), it's in nature. It's even embedded into languages like French

You don't hear French Academie degenderizing words in order to establish etymological parity. "la maison" shoudln't be feminine because it implies women should stay at home!

God's qualities are both masculine and feminine. But if this relationship with God is a relationship, and he initiates, then he's the one inviting us into a dance. and he leads. Is that so freakin wrong? or would you rather be the one trying to woo God, or telling Him which steps to take? My gosh I spent enough of my dating life chasing after men. And it was gross.

Je dis: vive la difference. But if you really need to rename the Trinity, Hughey Dewey and Louie get my vote.

1 comment:

Soulpadre said...

My personal favorite is Huey, Dewey and Louie...what if God is one us/just a slob like one of us/ just a stranger on the bus....thanks for your good word on obfuscation: from the ridiculous to the slime!

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