"There is no absolute truth...truth is what we perceive it to be...that's post-modernism." And with that my 15 year old started writing furiously next to me " I don't think that that particular thing defines p.mod, and I don't like it when people try to condemn something they don't really understand." Sure, now in the middle of the Sunday morning service I have a daughter that is ready to fight... Why the pastor ever got on this little tangent was not entirely clear, since he was talking about elders, and how they were be humble, and submissive and whatever. Somehow post-modernism was tossed in alongside Mysticism (of the Hindu as well as New Age varieties), both equal examples of dangerous, insidious false doctrines and off we were on a sidetrack. Interpretation of the Bible came next, I won't even go there. My furious scribe shot this off next "and is he saying that we need to take the Bible literally? Because you have to put it into context... and not only that, it has different genres...."
The point of this isn't the specifics, but that people believe what they want to believe about post-modernism based on perceptions, and what other people tell them it is, and why it is so dangerous and wrong. The funny thing is, in many ways our pastor has a post-modern mindset. Apparently he doesn't know it.
And I was encouraged that my teen not only was listening, but was thinking about what she was hearing, and processing it, weighing it and finding it lacking, not just blindly accepting what was being preached as truth. Many adults don't do that, though it is really our responsibility to do so. Though I wonder, if after that, she was too busy seething to hear any of the rest of the sermon that did indeed contain good points!
4 comments:
I've found that sometimes people will condemn something in a public address that they might be a little more open to in private conversation. It's because people's mode of thinking is different when you're composing a sermon than when you're having a discussion. When you write a sermon you think in terms of rhetoric (i.e. "How can I state this point in as strong a way as possible?") whereas when you are discussing (hopefully) there is more of a freedom to recognize nuance and complexity in the issues. So yeah, it doesn't surprise me that your pastor has pomo tendencies when he's not thikning directly about whether a particular opinion reflects that particular label, and yet feels the need to publically denounce postmodernity when the issue is raised specifically.
Gerbmom,
I should have asked for a dictionary for my wedding. I've been kicking myself ever since. But, if that's not what postmodernism is, then can you help me understand what it is? Do you have a dictionary? Maybe i should google it.
Hey Rachel!
Here's some info for you. Maybe more than you're looking for....
About PostModernism
BTW Rachel - in my archives from April there is one called " Post Modern Journey". That'll help you know where I am coming from.....
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