Comments on: Authenticity and Truth

by: Heather

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 16:10:28 +0000

Love the thread about the corporate sell of authenticity. I have laughed for a while about conforming to nonconformity and even more about paying to advertise - buying T-shirts that display puma, gap, nike (especially when many of these companies stand behind some very nonChristian practices). However, the answer isn’t to merely to react against these, to show your own “independence” by being different just to be different. Our job is to continue evaluate Christianity in these fronts.

Also, be careful how you judge those who feel a part of the emergent church (you wrote, “Style, superficiality, and shallowness have triumphed over profound spiritual insights into culture.”) I believe that while no one church or denomination or movement or conversation has all the answers, each has spiritual insights that we can glean. Perhaps Truth is not in who is right and who is wrong but how we as Christians who disagree love each other in the process.

by: Matt Stone

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 11:36:03 +0000

I found your comments very pertinent. Though I identify with the Emerging Church to a certain extent also I share many of the reservations you express here. I blogged a few thoughts at my blog.
You’ve piqued my interest. Do you have a bio?

by: ArthurLB

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 20:41:43 +0000

How is it that the son of a Neo-Pagan understands the relationship of truth and authenticity better than those in the emerging church?

Because I’m outside of the situation and therefore a more objective judge?

[Bingo!!! –michaelh]

by: andrew (tall skinny kiwi)

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 18:21:21 +0000

[I’ve responded to Andrew’s comments via private email. If you’d like to read his full response you may read it on his blog, but I think his comments do disservice to his character and don’t think it would be appropriate to force his emotional comments to be permanently recorded on this blog. Needless to say I think he missed the point of my comments. It is disappointing that emerging folks take criticisms so personally, but sadly this is the norm and not the exception. Andrew is not the only person doing cross-cultural ministry in this world - I think many of his assumptions may be perfectly valid in his New Zealand context but in North America are less valid. –michaelh]

by: Vee

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 00:03:32 +0000

That was a fantastice post… I too have many concerns about the emergents. I will definately visit here again.

Thanks for the well written post.