Monday, November 01, 2004

The Christian Thing To Do?

While I was in the process of putting that last post together, there was a "op-ed" programme on the radio including a small piece from Dr Lloyd Geering.

The chances of Dr Geering being remembered, let alone known, in this country or outside is fairly small. If you go back in time about 20 or so years, he was well to the forefront in NZ news.

His claim to fame then was for comments he made regarding the basis of the Christian Church. He was then Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in this country. He faced at least two heresy trials before that Church. He is now Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Victoria University.

This is about the closest I can find to a biography on the 'Net
Dr. Lloyd Geering is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. He was a forerunner of The Jesus Seminar and is now, perhaps, its senior Fellow.

Most of his adult years he has been affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. More than once he was tried for heresy by that denomination, but in every instance he was not only acquitted but honored.

He has been given credit for leading New Zealand to become the most secular nation in the world. He welcomes being called a humanist and a naturalist. Now he unashamedly declares that his religion is Secularism.

Dr. Geering perceives that the emergence of the dominance of the human species and the subsequent globalization of its influence to be the logical on-going processes of social evolution. He says, "I would venture that any coming global culture will need to be humanistic (rather than traditionally religious), naturalistic (rather than supernaturalistic) and ecological (designed to promote the health of all planetary life) . . . but do we have the wisdom, courage and motivation to be global citizens and to welcome a global culture?"


With that background then, you might understand why I for one listen when he speaks on matters of the modern world.

His short op-ed piece on the radio centred upon George W Bush as a "man of faith". There was no criticism or analysis of that fact or of the man. There was only the thought put of how a "man of faith" should act in the face of events such as 9/11.

He concluded by wondering what might have been the course of history if, immediately after 9/11, George Bush had instead called Osama bin Laden to a meeting in a place where the security and safety of both could be assured.

He suggested that the opening statements to that meeting could (should) be that they were there to speak the truth, before God, and before mankind.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, there is an above average likelihood that each of those men would believe the Truth to be unrelated things. The only way such a meeting would have been truly productive was if an "act of God" destroyed the safe place while they were both inside.

LibertyBob