Threats of Theological Liberalism
Theological Liberalism did not quite succeed as expected. Among other reasons, this was so because one of science’s great discoveries was that it is not an absolute master of truth, and it is far from inerrant or infallible, different from what great minds of the past naively thought. In practice, its conclusions are everything but safe and objective. Plain truth is these conclusions do not derive directly and objectively from available data, but from the reading that the scientist does of the data, whose interpretation is always influenced by his assumptions and biases. In other words, science came to be an accumulation of personal conclusions subject to crude mistakes rather than a safe lens that reveals pure and unquestionable truth. But that’s a different conversation… Out topic are liberal theologians and ministers.
Even after the failure of rationalism, liberals are still around, what shows indeed that their job is not about love for reason but about the will of denying faith – something typical to all enemies of God, people who cannot stand his Word. Those liberals are out there, pastoring churches, teaching in seminars, writing books or promoting “modern” theories that have actually been overcome since decades.
Why are liberals dangerous? Obviously, because they promote incredulity. Well, atheists also do so. However, liberals consist of a threat once they promote disbelief while bearing the position of masters in churches. For instance, young Christians who enter the seminary willing to be better prepared to serve the Lord are cast into grand chasms of doubt because of them, ending up in uselessness once they see no reason in investing their lives in teaching myths. In the worst scenario, they come to live as unbelievers, contaminated by the idea that sin is nothing but a primitive concept and God’s judgement an ancient superstition that the fancy mind of modern men cannot take seriously.
Liberals are also dangerous for they act as parasites. They never start a church or a theological school. Instead, they take ownership of churches and seminars previously founded by conservative ministers and leaders. Under the excuse of bringing “advance”, they take possession of everything that formerly belonged to promoters of biblical faith and turn them into entities who serve rationalism, incredulity, and denial/ridicule of orthodoxy.
At last, liberals are dangerous for they turn local churches into welfare entities. Denying the reality about The Fall, the empty grave and eternal doom, liberals notice the church is left with no message to proclaim. Its existence starts lacking meaning. So, in order not to close the doors (and become unemployed), liberal pastors (usually flirting with political tendencies) turn their community into a center of social support in which members act as volunteers catching lice out of homeless people, giving out soup to vagabonds, teaching children not to mistreat the trees and the animals. Always surrounded by the ancient sound that churches must fulfill a social mission.
All of that is so beautiful, but churches chief mission is not social. Its mission is to proclaim and protect gospel’s truth which, if accepted, will have tremendous impact over social as well as all areas of life. That is so because the gospel not only takes lice out the head, but also takes out wrong values, evil thoughts, existential emptiness and insane goals. It seems, though, the biggest problem is lice, according to liberals.
On the face of it all, Christians must run away from liberalism. They must flee churches guided by liberals and seek protection against the propositions of intellectuals of disbelief. In all they do, they must “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2.22)
Pr. Marcos Granconato
Strength and faith
Soli Deo gloria