Christians believe that when Jesus said “no-one comes to the Father except through me”, he meant it. If Jesus was wrong and, as Ingham says, “all the great religions are authentic pathways to God”, Jesus blundered rather badly, didn’t really need to die on the cross for our sins and suffered from delusions of grandeur.
Or perhaps it’s Michael Ingham who suffers the delusions.
It’s very difficult to see how someone can be a Christian and not take one of Jesus’ major claims seriously; it’s even harder to see how that person could be a bishop in a Christian church – but, then, he is a bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada.
I am not sure I agree with you, David, on this one.
First, I agree, it is irritating and frustrating listening to Bishop Ingham on this topic. I see him as speaking to the general public, and not speaking to his own flock, his own Christian community. How does Bishop Ingham know other religions lead to God??? Only God knows who in the various religions are true disciples.
What an Anglican Bishop ought to say, is “I don’t know”. He can say, and he ought to say, “I believe the Christian religion leads to God”. He ought to say ” We call God the Trinity,and my job as a Bishop is to encourage Christians in their beliefs and in their living”. It would be nice if Bishop Ingham could realize what his vocation as Bishop is, to foster confident Christians, confident in their identity. (I believe there are good Anglican Bishops around, quietly doing their work. Unfortunately, it is rougue Bishops who get publicity).
concerning Jesus’ statements in St. John 14, these are wonderful, paradoxical statements. When I was a young man, John 14.6 really bothered me…”Jesus said to him (Thomas) ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no-one comes to the Father, but by me’ “. What irritated me was how some evangelicals used this saying. But as I was at seminary, and studying biblical analytic methods, I became aware of the context of John 14. It is a last discourse, Jesus talking with his disciples before his arrest. In literary terms, Jesus is under the shadow of the Cross. So, in a sense, it is Jesus, on the Cross, saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the Life”. Thus, this is a most paradoxical statement.
I now see this statement, as a statement of faith which immature Christians are unable to understand. I don’t see John 14.6 as a triumphant claim, that Christainity is better than other religions. I see it as a claim of sufficiency, the sufficiency of Christ’s grace, of His Word to us. Christ does warn his disciples, there is suffering and sacrifice for them. He warned them, they may share in similiar suffering like He had to endure. But, what John 14 is doing, is defending the crucified Christ, as the real Christ, in contrast with other concepts ( a military Christ, a statesman Christ, a nice-guy Christ, etc…)
Bishop Ingham is unable to understand John 14. But Ingham committed himself to Anglican religiosity, to Anglican religious culture. I do agree, though, that Anglican religious culture is banal, cowardly and sub-Christian. Bishop Ingham, by engaging in current Anglican activism, hides his spiritual poverty. By advocating accepting gay clergy, etc, he poses as a radical activist. He pretends he is a prophet. But, a prophet is different than a Bishop.
Let me finish, I partly, and in many ways, do agree with you David. I am very worried about “the Anglican Church of Canada”. It is a very sick institution.
Ingham does not warrant being addressed as “Bishop” because he has broken the very vows of the Anglican Church relative to the consecrating of a Bishop.
He has endorsed his own “erroneous interpretation of God’s word” and has failed to “deny ungodliness and worldly lusts”.
Does he not portray the wicked example of a false prophet according to any “Christian” interpretation of the scriptures….
Above all else he is the one with delusions of grandeur beyond the scope of imagination…Might he not undoubtedly have some very deep dark secrets which are prodding him to play Russian roulette with his soul..
Dave,if you are a”Christian” why would you say you are not quite sure you agree with Ingham..
Who do you believe.A christian is a follower of Jesus word..As you said in your quote”Jesus said I am the way,the truth and the life,no one comes to the Father but by me”..
Stand tall in the eyes of God . Do not cower to false prophets..
I ought to describe Ingham’s poverty as “theological poverty”. The whole Anglican attitude, that theological thinking doesn’t matter, that fussing too much about doctrine is old fashioned. That is the poverty of the Anglican Church. So, activist theology is a cover up for this theological poorness.
Dave,
I’m a simple man and tend to take what Scripture says at face value – including John 14:6.
I really don’t see the verse as triumphalist in the sense of we are right, you are wrong – more, here is a well – the only well – come and drink.
Surely this is a simple matter of logic: if there really were any other way, any other religion, creed or self-help method that could lead us to the Father, he would not have had to put Jesus through the unimaginable agony of the cross. As it is, Jesus did go to the cross, so there cannot be any other way to the Father.
Perhaps Mr. Ingham missed a few theology 101 classes in seminary? Or is it as the good Professor Kirke asked “What do they teach in schools these days?” Either one will give us the desired answer to what is happening in the ACoC.
At least Ingham is being consistent in his errant beliefs.
Bishop Ingham is dead right! As a Salvation Army pastor once reminded me, every human being, of whatever religion (or no religion) will one day stand before God. All religions of the world will lead people to that threshold. Only some of us, however, will pass from judgment to eternal life.
Thank-you, Ken, for that very pithy comment. For a minute there, I was prepared to be embarassed once again that my Bishop had skipped a few of his classes at Seminary.
Your words have exonerated him for stating what at face value appears to be a repudiation of the confession of every Anglican who has ever recited the Apostler’ Creed and the fervent faith of the Martyrs who shed their blood for the Church.
If Bishop Ingham believes all faiths are alike, let him attend, as I have, at the deathbed of a devout Muslim or Sikh, for instance. Perhaps then he could witness what it is to enter Eternity facing Judgment by another god.
The pair of you (Bernie and Kenneth) cannot possibly be gullible enough to think that that was what Ingham was saying in that clip. Surely.
Sorry, David. Just my poor attempt at humour, not gullibility . Kenneth and I think exactly as you do- just trying to put it a bit differently. Please read Kenneth’s comment once more, carefully- I think it’s brilliant.
Bernie and Kenneth, sorry, I was being dense; not a poor attempt at humour at all – really rather funny.
Which god has he in mind?
And presumably he doesn’t include Christianity in that generalisation, since he’s dragging them through the courts.