Ecumenicism: Seven Devilish Ways To Block Church Union

When Protestants move from one town to another, the biggest factor in picking a new church is not denomination but nearness. Three-fourths of a group of Staten Island churchgoers, sampled by their local Protestant Council in New York, held no beliefs that would prevent their switching to some other Protestant denomination. Despite this evidence of doctrinal tolerance, church merger negotiations in the U.S. are being quietly balked. At least some of the opposition to church union, argues Methodist Theologian J. Robert Nelson of Oberlin College in the current Theology Today, is so "arbitrary and irresponsible" that he satirically wonders if some Dark Unseen Presence might be behind it. With a bow to C. S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, Nelson suggests seven ways that the Devil might have devised to block the road to union.

∙TEACH THAT "SPIRITUAL UNITY" IS ENOUGH. "Let people think that the essential unity of the church is quite unimpaired by denominational distinctions, disputes over sacraments and ministry, doctrine, liturgy, polity, or race. All talk about the sin and scandal of division can thus be discredited."

∙PROMOTE FALSE REASONS FOR CHURCH UNION. "If Christians can be persuaded that the union of churches will be a virtual panacea for their ills, weaknesses, inefficiencies, disabilities and infidelities, the prospects for disillusionment are superb." So long as some Protestant Christians "are kept from seeing any union as a mandate of their God, and regard it only as a matter of expedient defense" against numerical gains by Communists, Roman Catholics or fundamentalist sects, "there is really little to fear."

∙INSIST THAT UNITY MEANS UNIFORMITY. "People are too shortsighted to see that no encompassing uniformity is found even within their own denominations. So they will go on resisting unity because they think their freedom to enjoy diversity will be jeopardized."

∙DISTRACT AND COMPLICATE. In a merger, " 'catholicity' is the main thing, claim some. No, it is 'right doctrine,' say others. Both are inferior to 'mission,' declare still others. No bucket of mud in a fresh pool of spring water could more effectively cloud the issue."

∙CONFUSE SELF-INTEREST WITH CONVICTIONS OF FAITH. Christians can be encouraged to disguise "selfishly motivated actions in theological, liturgical, or ethical dress. They will impugn the ritualism or moral laxity of another church. But to treat the matter openly on the plane of money, position, or power—well, that is asking too much of even a Christian."

∙URGE DENOMINATIONS TO INVEST THEIR MONEY HEAVILY IN BUILDINGS. "It is self-evident that the chances of church union are in inverse proportion to the amount of money and power invested in ecclesiastical headquarters."