But any attempt to make elected leaders toe a doctrinal line when it comes to their public duties raises multiple risks.
Though I don't agree with the Catholic bishops on this one, I don't understand the dichotomy that so many want to place between one's beliefs and one's practices. Shouldn't our politicians doctrinal beliefs influence their public duties?
The question of censoring "renegade" belief in the church is a sticky issue. On the one hand, should we not submit ourselves to the community of which we are a part? I strongly believe in a communal hermeneutic because the imput from others as they read the biblical text helps me better understand the text and keeps me from cocooning with too many like-minded readers. Yet on the other hand, were would the church be without those who challenged the churches teaching and sought to reform it?
Seems to me we need both. The difficulty for us in the discussion surrounding the emerging church is walking this fine line. I for one believe that we should submit our thinking to the scrutiny of the wider church community while at the same time continue to push the envelop for reform, rethinking, and re-imagining. Perhaps this is why blogging about these issues feels so relevant.
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