My Testimony.

No doubt when I am dead and I can no longer speak for myself the forces of conservatism will claim me as one of their own.
They will put words in my mouth and say that I supported orthodox theologies like rewards and punishments and penal substitution.
They will say that I really thought like them.

This, of course, is a complete falsehood.
I do not support these things and I am certainly not coming back to judge anyone.

I understand how Jesus must feel.

"'Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, and you say, "If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets."
"' Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.'"  Matthew 23:29-31 (NRSV)

After his death the figure of Jesus was usurped by the forces of conservatism and turned into one of them.
They put words in his mouth and returned his teaching of unconditional love to the orthodox theology of rewards and punishments.  Thus elevating themselves to the position of absolute authority and power.

They made Jesus The Christ = God.

Let these words be my testimony:

I do not support the theology of rewards and punishments.
I do not believe in original sin.
I do not believe we need sacrifice or suffering to atone for our sins.
I do not believe that God disapproves of homosexuality.
I do not believe in celibacy.
I am not sexless.
I am not conservative.

I am radical.
I believe in radical love.

And I believe that God is more radical than I am.


[Scripture quotations (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]