Over at Reddit, there is a subreddit which has named itself "
OpenChristian." These self professed "open" Christians are committed to, what else, openness and open mindedness. Or so they might have you think from their chosen name. In fact, they are very closed. This, of course, is the delicious irony of liberalism, for there is nothing less tolerant than the promoters of tolerance.
On the side bar, the OpenChristian group provides the following description of itself (emphasis original):
Here there be heretics!
OpenChristian ...welcome(s) those of any ethnicity, nationality, gender expression and identity or sexual orientation. OpenChristian is pro-feminist, pro-queer, anti-racist and anti-oppression.
Any comment that is racist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynist, or otherwise in any way geared against someone for their sexual or gender identity will be removed, and repeat offense WILL lead to banning
Does that sound open and accepting to you? Does that sound welcoming? I know using all CAPS, bold, and italics to highlight a torrent of what amounts to little more than name calling just screams "welcoming" and "open" to me.
No, it seems that the "OpenChristian" group only tolerates those who think like they do. If you think differently, especially if you believe in traditional, orthodox Christianity, you will be dealt with by removal from the site in true
Stalinist open-minded fashion.
To add to the irony of it all, and despite their gleeful acceptance of the moniker "heretic," "OpenChristian" has its own set of disallowed beliefs (i.e. heresies) which lead to comment deletion and ultimately to banning from the community (emphasis added):
OpenChristian strives to be Open and Affirming, operating from the position that people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions are welcome in the full life and ministry of the church. As an Open and Affirming space, advocating the position that GSM identities or non-hetero relationships are sinful is not allowed and will result in post/comment deletion.
Ah yes, there is nothing so "Open and Affirming" as deleting people's posts for disagreeing with you! One can almost smell the burning pages as books of the "intolerant" are thrown (metaphorically) into the bonfire. Such tolerance!
Of course, such tactics are all too common among the devotees of tolerance as was seen by the late Father Neuhaus (
requiescat in pace),
Orthodoxy has indeed been proscribed at "OpenChristian."
Liberalism's inherent tendency towards totalitarianism, towards crushing all those who oppose "tolerance" with the utmost intolerance, was clearly seen by our beloved Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, who called on these so-called "open" Christians to develop a mature faith,
Today, having a clear faith based on the Creed of the Church is often labeled as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, that is, letting oneself be "tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine", seems the only attitude that can cope with modern times. We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires.We, however, have a different goal: the Son of God, the true man. He is the measure of true humanism. An "adult" faith is not a faith that follows the trends of fashion and the latest novelty; a mature adult faith is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ. It is this friendship that opens us up to all that is good and gives us a criterion by which to distinguish the true from the false, and deceipt from truth.We must develop this adult faith; we must guide the flock of Christ to this faith. And it is this faith - only faith - that creates unity and is fulfilled in love.
Homily of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Dean of the College of Cardinals, Mass for the Election of the Supreme Pontiff, St. Peter's Basilica, 18 April 2005
Perhaps their desire to remain "open" is what ultimately destroys any chance for a mature faith for people like the moderators at "OpenChristian." Being "open-minded" is not, after all, the highest intellectual goal. It ought never be mistaken for a goal at all for "open-mindedness" is merely a means to a higher end. No less a wit than GK Chesterton said it best,
“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”
That "something solid" is Truth. We open our minds in order to better discover the truth. Once truth is attained, we then must close our minds to error. Such is common sense. It would be no great thing for an astronomer (or anyone) to keep on "open mind" as to whether the Earth is round or flat! It's round, we know it is round, hence we can close our minds on the solidity of the truth of its roundness and move on. Not only is such a closing to error the whole point of "open-mindedness", it's also the only path to freedom, freedom from the tyrants of tolerance - those who would, in the name of "openness" close down all thought that counters there own. It is one thing to clamp your mind down on the solidity of truth once grasped, it is another entirely to angrily denounce all and any who dare disagree with you in the name of "tolerance." But such is, sadly, what passes for high-mindedness in todays decadent culture.
Then again, maybe we should just ban the writings of Father Neuhaus, Pope Benedict, and GK Chesterton - that would, it seems, be the tolerant thing to do.
Re: Should I joing a non-denominational Bible Study Group???
Today, 3:03 pm
I'm sure there are others in your parish who would greatly benefit from participating in such a study.
