by CNN reported last week that “more than 100 prominent Christians” had covenanted to contribute to a more civil national discourse. The story had a can-you-believe-it? flavor, noting that the signatories ranged “from evangelical minister Jim Wallis on the political left” to “Chuck Colson on the right.” But not to worry: The covenant won’t apply to Glenn Beck because, as Brother Colson helpfully explained, “we’re talking about the conversation in the family of believers,” while “Glenn Beck is a Mormon.” The report closes by respectfully noting that the Covenant “is the latest in a series of faith-based efforts to soften the public discourse.” Well, good luck with that.
I’ll say at the outset that I get where Colson is coming from. Mormons are not Trinitarians, we believe in nonbiblical scriptures, we reject the validity of all baptisms but our own, and we have a distinctive conception of the afterlife, not to mention that curious temple worship. Mormons are simply not orthodox Christians.
And we know it. Few Mormons are offended by the observation that we reject most of the historical and theological tradition embraced by Catholics and Protestants—that’s the point of our faith. But to say we’re not Christians at all? That we’re not even second cousins to the “family of Christian believers”? Please.
Colson’s unconscious irony is simultaneously comical and depressing. “Christian leaders urge civility, diss Mormons as unbelievers” would have been an apt headline. It is precisely this blindness to one’s own incivility that lies at the heart of so many global conflicts of the last ten years—if not the last 500. Would it be so hard for conservative Christians like Colson to allow that Mormons believe in Christ, while reserving historical Christianity for the Catholics and Protestants who claim it?
Apparently so. Don’t look for the “Christian” civility covenant to help anyone see the light.
FMG
Yes, I also found Colson’s remark disappointing. Obviously, we (on this blog, in this country, in this world) are people of diverse beliefs. One would hope that amidst this diversity, people would learn to a) maintain the truth of what they believe to be true, but also b) respect the value and sincerity of other people’s different views, and c) learn not to let creedal differences get in the way of particular common causes to which those differences need not be relevant. One would have thought that “civility” could be a common cause that needn’t call forth negative comment on perceived differences. Evidently that’s asking too much of some people, though. And of course, this isn’t the only instance. See, e.g., the Manhattan Declaration.
For a more positive example on this point, you might look at Robby George’s post about Latter-Day Saints on the Mirror of Justice blog on Easter Sunday. I would hope that Charles Colson, Mike Huckabee, and others might read it and learn something from it.
I grew up with a list that went something like this, “our church” (for certain), then “churches like our church” (because we don’t want to seem too judgmental), then groups who do OK like “certain flavors of Baptists and Methodists”, all of these are probably OK (for some reason CS Lewis and a couple of others like Bethel-James Dobson were allowed in the Kingdom). Then the Calvinists and Liberal Protestants which were apparently in the Kingdom parking lot. Then Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and other “cults” needed folks “rescued” from them. Oh and last and most definitely least, the Pope was the anti-Christ (though he was right about abortion and divorce).
This sort of thinking dies hard. I’m not sure that after 20 years and a conversion to Orthodox Christianity that I’m purged of it. It dies hard because it isn’t thinking at all, but a sort of social-network of lessening understandings of group identity. It’s a socio-cultural construction, not one born from dogmatics.
The way to solve it is not by apologetics, but by mutual association. Know and be known in person. I have a good friend and colleague (Mormon) who once told me, “You know when they preach on Sunday, we’re a cult; but when they want to organize an abortion protest, we’re family. Go figure.”
Jesus called his followers with the simple command, “Follow me.” See Matthew 4:19 (I counted 17 additional times in the New Testament). The New Testament church’s creed seemed to be simply “Jesus is Lord.” See Romans 10:9 (“[I]f you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”) and I Cor. 12:3 ([N]o one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.)
Churches must make judgments on many doctrinal matters (and I probably share Chuck Colson’s views on most things), but I think we should accept people as fellow Christians if they seek to follow Jesus and claim him as their lord.
BTW, I hope that Chuck Colson’s comments won’t keep people from reading the statement “Covenant for Civility” (linked by Fred Gedicks above). It encourages civil discourse among those who disagree–something this blog seeks to model and something today’s American public square greatly needs.
Chuck Colson’s exemption of Glenn Beck (who’s a Mormon? Who knew?) reminded me of Notre Dame’s stated reason for inviting President Obama to campus last year. Apparently the Catholic church’s rules prohibiting pro-abortion politicans from receiving university honors applies only to Catholics — and since the President is not Catholic, he is not subject to such strictures. I had never realized that I, as an evangelical at Notre Dame, was held to a different — and lower — standard than my Catholic colleagues. That struck me as somewhat amusing, but somewhat unnerving as well. But the idea that civility should not be encouraged among believers from any religious tradition is, well, wrongheaded. I doubt that is what Colson had in mind, and I don’t know the context of his remark, but surely the rules of civil engagement should be spread as far and wide as possible.
Not being Catholic they have little means of enforcing their standards on you; which is probably as much the point.
Applause!
But Notre Dame has the same ability to impose their standards on me as it does to impose them on my Catholic colleagues. The Catholic church (or any church) can discipline its members, but I am unaware of any instance in which non-Catholic faculty or students at Notre Dame are subject to different rules than Catholic faculty or students. Which makes the stated exemption for speakers such as President Obama that much more surprising.
“Mormons are simply not orthodox Christians.”
.
Rather, given our belief that ours is the church that Christ himself restored on earth, a distinctive feature about us is that we believe that “Mormons are simply *the only* orthodox Christians.”
Excellent, well written, and spot on.