UM Bishop Asks for End to Theological "Profiling".
In her speech, Christopher faulted the need for profiling on "anxiety" and the need to consider people who differ from ourselves "an enemy to our closely held and self-created identities." She noted that this behavior is not the "exclusive property of one side or the other."But indirectly, Christopher implied that conservatives might be more to blame for the profiling phenomenon. "Our focus on orthodoxy, handed-down doctrine, has submerged our orthopraxis, the practice of our faith," she said. Instead of ideology, she said the focus should be on "relationships with one another."
Looking to the Bible, what does someone like the Apostle John say about "theological profiling?"
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
1 John 2:18-23 NKJV
Sounds to me like John was quite a bit concerned about people knowing the truth and being able to reject those who denied that Jesus is the Christ. If that's theological profiling, then maybe more, not less, discernment is needed in the church.
Posted by joelfuhrmann at May 14, 2003 09:37 PM