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pretty-red, old guy's avatar

I certainly believe how resistant our local Lutheran Pastor is to thinking of having anything to do or say outside of his church box, for sure. He has suggested the congregation read a book: the Myth of a Christian Nation, Dr Greg Boyd. Wondering if you have read it and your take on it, if so? Available on Amazon, Kindle, $2.

I have read it and have some major . . . issues with the philosophy.

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Tony's avatar

I have not read the book but I appreciate you mentioning it.

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pretty-red, old guy's avatar

OK. Long story short: go the Martin Niemoeller way not the Banhoeffer way!

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Tony's avatar

Interesting. Niebuhr was a pacifist but decided violence was warranted. Perhaps to operate in the world as it exist we should take elements of both. At any rate the church is failing to take its rightful place in the current battle against evil. I am not very familiar with Niemoeller so I appreciate you mentioning him.

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Tony's avatar

Thank you. Really interesting stuff. The role of the church is to proclaimed the gospel, not involve itself in politics. Bonhoeffer made it clear that the church should stay in its own lane, except when the state strayed too far out of its lane. The intellectual framework left by Bonhoeffer on how to understand this is very important in my judgement. Because stepping out of our lane is an unusual event and outside our primary role I think it is difficult for church leaders to grasp. Especially when the enemy is so difficult to identify as is our situation today.

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pretty-red, old guy's avatar

Tony, you may have pin-pointed the reason our local pastor has pushed Boyd's book. He is not capable of envisioning the darkness in the world outside of his church people. He likely sees only MSM media and not Fox News, Joe Rogan podcasts, substack. He is brainwashed quite effectively by the psyops Dr. Malone writes of in his new book. He has never read Eric Metaxas' book on Bonhoeffer, as likely, you and I have!

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Tony's avatar

Yep

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