www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall What to Make of This?

An article about a group dedicated to helping ex-pastors "come out" as atheists: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/...-to-come-out-as-open-atheists/?hpt=hp_t2

Sad, and also interesting at the same time. I think it's true that many who pretend to believe, probably really don't.

Alexis

I have met priests and ministers who don't appear to believe anymore. They stay in their positions for the salary and retirement benefits. I suspect that after enough years, it would be hard to start over again.

I think I would feel compelled to stop living off people's dime who are paying for my position because they believe I share in their faith....

Alexis

What's to be made of this? Here are some ways to start making something of it, besides going "tut-tut":

1) Don't judge these people too harshly. In fact, leave their judgement to God. Ministry is draining and often parishioners start to resemble nuisances and pests rather than members of a flock in need of a shepherd.
2) Faith is a fragile gift and is easily shattered beyond repair.
3) Human nature itself is frail. Some men in our Churches get into ordained ministry with unrealistic expectations or without the necessary psychological fortitude.
4) We all do dumb things we later regret and develop remorse or repentance for. Sometimes it's too late: the irreparable damage has been accomplished.
5) Structured religion, with its hierarchies and so-called "special" members, often abuse their powers and impart death-dealing blows to the faith of the people directly under their supervision or authority. This is an intrinsic part of the clericalism I so vocally denounce in many of my posts on this forum.

As I have also quoted Flannery O'Connor before, I'll quote her again within the context of the phenomenon of clergy who lapse into atheism:

"Faith is like the ocean tide: it comes and it goes. If it is arrogant to say you will never lose your faith, it is equally arrogant to say you will never have any."

And then we can ask ourselves: do we pray and fast, that our religious leaders remain "joyful in hope, perservering in prayer and faithful under trials?"

A refrigerator magnet in the kitchen of our parish fellowship hall simply says, "Take nothing for granted."

Very good points. One never knows what personal trials others go through at any given time that might be threatening their faith.

On the other hand, if one is in a position where their faith is actually a requisite of that position, one should choose one's words very diplomatically and very carefully, if any...

For this particular preacher, it could have been the often shallow fervor of Pentacostalism that did this to him...I think that, while it may be a good place to start one's faith journey, after a while, more depth is needed--reading church fathers, aghiographies, sacraments, etc...

Also, if he had been preaching correctly, perhaps he would have remembered the words of Mark 9:24:

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

or the promises of our Lord in Matthew 7:7

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

I cannot help but wonder if, upon his losing of faith, if he asked God to help him. (Humility, so intrinsic to Eastern tradition, does not seem to be a dominant theme in the Pentecostal tradition. This is where reading the monastic fathers is very helpful)..

Any way--Just wondering; not judging...

Thank God, sometimes people change their minds and re-tthink things. In Christianity, that's often called "conversion".

As is well-known on this forum, I find Pentecostalism and its' variant stepchildren to be utterly inadequate, intrinsically flawed religions.

As for myself, I believe but am (unfortunately?) ambivalent about certain aspects of "Church" and articles of Faith. That's why I copied down the quote "help my lack of faith" and taped it to the lower part of an icon of Christ the Teacher I have in my bedroom. Maybe it'll do me some good - it won't hurt nothin'.

More than 150 years ago German Reformed Theologian John Williamson Nevin wrote a scathing tract The Anxious Bench denouncing the forerunners of modern Pentacostalism for "confusing salvation by feeling with salvation by faith".

The neo-Pelagians who trust their own "decisions" or, worse still, their own emotions will ultimately find them lacking.