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Chapter 12
The Postmodern Method:
Religion

Discussion Guide

Since this subject is of special interest to Christian groups, we suggest using at least two weeks on this chapter.

Religion Week 1
The Cardinal Sin of Intolerance

• Read the Dear Abby letter on pages 199-200 and her reply.
• Do you agree with McCallum and Leffel's observation that the definition of intolerance has changed in recent years?
• Do you feel free to object to another's religious view today, or to suggest their beliefs are untrue? Why or why not?
• What would happen at your job today if you openly express your religious convictions that another employee's behavior or views are wrong?
• Are postmodern-influenced people you know more tolerant? Are they tolerant of racism? Are they tolerant of Christianity? Are they tolerant of traditional western values? What are the rules of tolerance today?
• How do you feel about the relationship between knowing and declaring truth and falsehood on one hand, and being arrogant on the other?
• Everyone agrees that we may project arrogance when disagreeing with another. How can we avoid unnecessarily offending people in the postmodern world? Name at least three ways to project humility and understanding:

1.

2.

3.

• What would you say if someone at work or in the neighborhood asked you if you are a Christian fundamentalist? How would you explain your answer?

Facilitator's Guide to Religion Week 1
The Cardinal Sin of Intolerance

• Read the Dear Abby letter on pages 199-200 and her reply.
• Do you agree with McCallum and Leffel's observation that the definition of intolerance has changed in recent years?

- Possible response: They claim the definition has changed from the old: "In earlier years, intolerance meant bigotry or prejudice--that is, judging someone or excluding them socially because of who they are, or because of a superficial understanding of what they believe. It also usually implied the desire to use force. . ." But of the new definition they say, "in postmodern usage, intolerance has come to mean that simply disagreeing about beliefs"

• Do you feel free to object to another's religious view today, or to suggest their beliefs are untrue? Why or why not?
• What would happen at your job today if you openly express your religious convictions that another employee's behavior or views are wrong?
• Are postmodern-influenced people you know more tolerant? Are they tolerant of racism? Are they tolerant of Christianity? Are they tolerant of traditional western values? What are the rules of tolerance today?

- Isn't it true that tolerance is quite selective for postmodern culture? We will see examples of highly restrictive speech codes propounded by postmodern educators in recent years. Are such speech codes suggestive of tolerance?]

• How do you feel about the relationship between knowing and declaring truth and falsehood on one hand, and being arrogant on the other?

- In formulating your answer to this question, be sure to consider Jesus, who knew a lot, who condemned falsehood, but who was extremely humble. What other biblical heroes of faith denounced falsehood even though being humble.

• Everyone agrees that we may project arrogance when disagreeing with another. How can we avoid unnecessarily offending people in the postmodern world? Name at least three ways to project humility and understanding:

1.

2.

3.

• What would you say if someone at work or in the neighborhood asked you if you are a Christian fundamentalist? How would you explain your answer?

Religion Week 2
The Cardinal Sin of Objectivity

Discussion Guide

• The authors claim, "Both evangelicals and modernists have historically believed in the use of reason, beginning with the law of non-contradiction: A is not non-A." Do you agree with this claim? Can you think of any exceptions?
• For those who believe there are exceptions to the law of non-contradiction, if rationality fails in one area, how do we know it is valid in any area?
• The authors say, "Religion based only on personal experience and 'what's true for me' is perfectly compatible with the postmodern world view." Isn't experience important in Christianity? How would you distinguish between Christianity and other experience-based religions?
• The postmodern religionists says, "My experience is the basis for my beliefs, and those beliefs exist to empower me." Formulate a similar statement from the perspective of a biblical Christian:
  
  ___________________________ is the basis for my beliefs, and those beliefs exist
  
  _____________________________________
• The authors claim that the church has lost the loyalty of a huge number of people during our lifetime. Is this true? If so, what do you think are the reasons for such a shift? Who is to blame?
• What do you think of the assertion that some secular recovery groups are postmodern? Should Christians participate in recovery groups? Should the church start groups based on the twelve steps? If so, should the steps be adapted to Christian doctrine in any way, or left as they are?
• Are you aware of any movements or fads within evangelical Christianity that might tend to move self or experience to the center in terms of authority?
• Discuss the proposition at the end of the chapter: "In a world where everyone's position is true, nobody's position matters." Have you ever felt the reality of this statement? Think of conversations with relativist thinkers.

Facilitator's Guide, Religion Week 2
The Cardinal Sin of Objectivity

• The authors claim, "Both evangelicals and modernists have historically believed in the use of reason, beginning with the law of non-contradiction: A is not non-A." Do you agree with this claim? Can you think of any exceptions?
• For those who believe there are exceptions to the law of non-contradiction, if rationality fails in one area, how do we know it is valid in any area?

- Anyone who claims reason doesn't apply to some area of inconsistency in his own argument but does apply everywhere else is guilty of the logical fallacy called "special pleading." When we special plead, we demand special rules for our own argument but we are not willing to let the opposition have the same or similar special rules in their argument. In other words, once we say there are exceptions to laws like non-contradiction in one case, we must allow that other exceptions may exist in other areas. Reason suddenly has no authority in defining reality.

- Remember, saying something is beyond our comprehension is different than saying it is beyond the realm of the rational. See the example of a Xerox copier--we may not understand how it works (it is beyond our comprehension) but that doesn't mean it is irrational. That which is beyond my comprehension is not necessarily beyond someone else's comprehension. God, after all, comprehends everything

- Realize that some theological formulations have historically been phrased as contradictory by theologians who placed no confidence in reason. Before accepting such formulations, make certain they are biblical and not merely traditional.

• The authors say, "Religion based only on personal experience and 'what's true for me' is perfectly compatible with the postmodern world view." Isn't experience important in Christianity? How would you distinguish between Christianity and other experience-based religions?

- Experience is important in Christianity. Christianity is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and a relationship, to be personal, must be an experience. However, experience isn't what makes Christianity true. God's truth is true regardless of what I experience. Experience might help to verify the truth to me as one line of evidence. It does not make something true for me.

- Experience plus rational evidence is completely different than experience instead of rational evidence. Experience also must be judged by truth, not vice versa. This means experience must ultimately be judged by reason when biblical revelation bears on my experience.

- For instance, I may feel that a Bible teacher blessed me so much during a teaching, that he must be of God. Later, I discover that the text he relied on actually means something else in context. At that point, I should judge my experience as mistaken, no matter how pleasurable.

• The postmodern religionists says, "My experience is the basis for my beliefs, and those beliefs exist to empower me." Formulate a similar statement from the perspective of a biblical Christian:

- Possible answers: [God's word or ultimate reality] is the basis for my beliefs, and those beliefs exist [because they are true]

• The authors claim that the church has lost the loyalty of a huge number of people during our lifetime. Is this true? If so, what do you think are the reasons for such a shift? Who is to blame?

- Current polls continue to show rapid decline in overall church attendance during each of the past several years. Since the 60's church attendance has fallen nearly 50%. Evangelical church attendance has not fallen significantly. However, even though millions have apparently transferred from liberal denominations to evangelical churches, evangelical attendance has failed to rise

- We suggest resisting answers that center on powerful minorities of sinners who brought their evil agenda in and took over the country. We should not look away from the fact that if the church was doing its job, anti-Christian forces never would have gained the ground they have.

• What do you think of the assertion that some secular recovery groups are postmodern? Should Christians participate in recovery groups? Should the church start groups based on the twelve steps? If so, should the steps be adapted to Christian doctrine in any way, or left as they are?

- We believe the secular recovery movement should not be brought into the ministry of the church without a careful reconsideration and modification of several key points in their agenda.

• Are you aware of any movements or fads within evangelical Christianity that might tend to move self or experience to the center in terms of authority?
• Discuss the proposition at the end of the chapter: "In a world where everyone's position is true, nobody's position matters." Have you ever felt the reality of this statement? Think of conversations with relativist thinkers.

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