Gotta love a guy whose willing to hold up his hand - well done, Bob.

It seems to me, Bob, that any time someone takes on a major culturally accepted stronghold and attempts to question, redefine or plain bring it down, that person is going to take some considerable flak. And it’s going to take some considerable process before that person’s conviction about what really is at the root of the problem - as compared to the peripheral stuff - fully takes shape and it’s only as that process comes to fruition that people will decide whether they are really up for being a part of it and then a movement for change can really begin to develop.

The impression I get is that the time has never been riper for grass-root American Christians to be involved in redefinging what it means to be an American Christian - but I don’t envy anyone who steps up to the plate for that struggle, because it’s big, (but presumably not bigger than Jesus attempt at redefining what it meant to be the “people of God,” in the midst of fervent, first-century Judaism) however, if that is one of the aspects of what Jesus meant when he said “make discipels of all peoples / nations” then his assurance would be that he is with that person / movement in their struggle.

One thing is for sure, though, the unity that co-exists with diversity, through accepting and understanding one anothers viewpoint, while holding to our own with dignity, is one of the strongest ‘weapons’ we have, as fellow citizens of the kingdom of God.

shalom!
 John<