Interchangeable, Like Batteries.
Someone once described ministers as "Interchangeable, Like Batteries." They say the same things, do the same things and one could be substituted for another.
This is largely true. But for reasons you may not suspect.
It was not always this way. During the time of St. Augustine there were precious few who would lay claim to being able to work in theology. Religion , like human interaction, story telling and non synthetic social networking - found its way to the center of everyone's life. And people were curious. During his time, if you wanted to study theology - you first had to study and master chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology. At least, that is how St. Augustine wrote about it - in his book "City of God". In those days, any signal from God could likely have been heard loud and clear. And likely rare. When a young child was born to a village, who for example, may have photographic memory or some form of extraordinary ability - it was considered a sign, and the entire village circled around the phenomena. Theology was a high art form that had to account for a number of different possible causes. The townspeople wished to know as much about the natural world, as they did the spiritual.
The catholic church, with its attack on Galileo - changed this landscape. They found the concept of an Earth
that fell into solar orbit, counter to a narrow interpretation of scripture. This became a movement to break apart
science, the natural world, and the practice of religion.
Today, theological white noise obscures signal and it is common for many to skip church altogether. To an entire generation, church has become an anachronism. This is largely due to the ministers and their attempts to ignore the natural drive of a people to connect, communicate and deal with issues of the spirit on an every day basis. Past edifice of religion is used to power motivational speaking, political campaigns, and to justify and build large corporations, mega churches and 'social movements' that are by and large piloted and provisioned by special interests.
In this current environment the path to the theologic elite , is found through a liberal arts education - and attendance of seminary. Many such academic programs are not rigorous. And in them, I have literally been told by a theology student , that one shouldn't care how something began. She told me, as she continued her studies - that science cares about how. She told me - with a straight face that how is not important; theology only wants to know why.
This doesn't make sense. If humanity is worthy of any divine or received wisdom, it is far more likely that God, or any supreme being - would deliver it in a manner most effecient and useful for its transmission across vast distance.
This is antithetical to the issuance of television script and made for TV megachurch drama to a power blue suited televangelist. Such is entertainment. And second rate.
Therefore. Interchangeable.
This is largely true. But for reasons you may not suspect.
It was not always this way. During the time of St. Augustine there were precious few who would lay claim to being able to work in theology. Religion , like human interaction, story telling and non synthetic social networking - found its way to the center of everyone's life. And people were curious. During his time, if you wanted to study theology - you first had to study and master chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology. At least, that is how St. Augustine wrote about it - in his book "City of God". In those days, any signal from God could likely have been heard loud and clear. And likely rare. When a young child was born to a village, who for example, may have photographic memory or some form of extraordinary ability - it was considered a sign, and the entire village circled around the phenomena. Theology was a high art form that had to account for a number of different possible causes. The townspeople wished to know as much about the natural world, as they did the spiritual.
The catholic church, with its attack on Galileo - changed this landscape. They found the concept of an Earth
that fell into solar orbit, counter to a narrow interpretation of scripture. This became a movement to break apart
science, the natural world, and the practice of religion.
Today, theological white noise obscures signal and it is common for many to skip church altogether. To an entire generation, church has become an anachronism. This is largely due to the ministers and their attempts to ignore the natural drive of a people to connect, communicate and deal with issues of the spirit on an every day basis. Past edifice of religion is used to power motivational speaking, political campaigns, and to justify and build large corporations, mega churches and 'social movements' that are by and large piloted and provisioned by special interests.
In this current environment the path to the theologic elite , is found through a liberal arts education - and attendance of seminary. Many such academic programs are not rigorous. And in them, I have literally been told by a theology student , that one shouldn't care how something began. She told me, as she continued her studies - that science cares about how. She told me - with a straight face that how is not important; theology only wants to know why.
This doesn't make sense. If humanity is worthy of any divine or received wisdom, it is far more likely that God, or any supreme being - would deliver it in a manner most effecient and useful for its transmission across vast distance.
This is antithetical to the issuance of television script and made for TV megachurch drama to a power blue suited televangelist. Such is entertainment. And second rate.
Therefore. Interchangeable.
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