This is a fascinating insiders critique of uk Conservative evangelicalism
here
Having said that he also has a go at the 'open' evangelicals too,
here
It is time to ask open evangelicals whether blood is thicker than water... if you look at the Fulcrum site (on which there is much GREAT material) you get the impression that the only enemies of the gospel in the C of E are the conservative evangelicals. Really.
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No - not really. There seems to be a bit of a fashion on conservative blogs to keep repeating this inaccuracy.
PFJ said something in a MP3 somewhere that there were more conservative Evangelicals in England than there are in Sydney.
Which would make sense re population, but is not immediatly obvious from the outside.
Michael thanks for the links to John's posts. As an outsider, it was good to hear his take on the situation.
It is time to ask open evangelicals whether blood is thicker than water...
Well the level of ill-feeling certainly seems to be high, from other things I've seen, and I agree that it's a pity. But I wonder if such a question (or, such a statement) is likely to help much.
It's a commonplace that rivalry with a group rather close to one's own can be more bitter than with a common opponent. And there's plenty of precedent for this. To take some Sydney examples from the early nineties [sorry for non-Sydney folk]: opposition to Tom Wright was set up as a shibboleth; some overzealous staffworkers from NSW were reported to caution people about going to St Barnabas'; and lots of people, for good or ill, defined themselves with some reference to St Matthias'.
I think all three of those phenomena were regrettable, but I don't think are-you-with-us-or-against-us questions would have helped at the time. Right?
Well yes, you are right, fair cop. That was all regrettable. Paulg, I don't think I have exaggerated the tone over on Fulcrum in some articles...
And I would be the first to throw stones at the conservative side too!
The problem question is whether the tone of material on the Fulcrum website reflects "OE" opinion (if we can ever get to the bottom of what an OE is!)
The defence is that a lot of stuff posted is not actually from OEs (again leaving me wondering who the actual OEs are!). However there is a willingness to host, unchallenged, material that is of an inflammatory nature in a way that goes beyond the bounds of reasonable debate.
Now, I don't have a problem with stuff on discussion boards: that is fine. You should see Sydney Anglican's one!
And I have to modify my comment on reflection: I think that when the Fulcrum guys are making Fulcrum comments on current issues, it is usually (it seems to me) to lambast the conservatives.
I shoulda taken into account the Oliver O'Donovan material and stuff like it, which is excellent. Andrew Goddard has likewise put some excellent stuff up on the Windsor report.
I've never got round to looking at Sydney Anglicans one to be honest -but assuming it is moderated, then if they do allow unsubstantiated vitriolic attacks to be carried out then a plague on their house too.
It is easy to write politically crafted articles that make us sound like the good guys. But if we allow our comment posters to do the job for us by malicious gossip then we forfeit any right to claim to be ministers of the Gospel. It is that important. If as a pastor I preach apparently gracious sermons but then allow -nay even encourage the congregation to say nasty things about other churches over coffee then I have failed in my duty. Saying "Ah well we all do it" is no excuse.
We can't get Fulcrum and Thinking Anglicans to clean up their act but lets have strong words with so called "CEs" who are playing the same game
Well perhaps I have mispoke somewhat: the comments on Syd Anglicans are moderated and abusiveness is policed. We had some pro- young earth creation guys who were rightly shown the door, not for their views but for their noxious behaviour.
If you host a web comment board then it needs to be moderated, of course. I have no problem with having the boards per se and even people with views I dislike posting on them - but you are right it is the nastiness that has to stop.
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