Week 10

The final part of Borg’s book is a look on his own personal views and feelings towards religion and Christianity. I think how he wrote his book tells a lot about himself. It seems that for the majority, he’s the type of guy that would just like to hear himself talk. The way he wrote his Epilogue only further proves this point. I also found it interesting how he says that none of this book is totally objective. I mean it seems as if he just thinks that this is the best opinion about everything and that no one will have anything different from it. However I remember reading a chapter where he discussed how everyone has a different interpretation of the bible. Cant this be the same for his book and peoples outlook on Christianity? Borg believes that the main divisions lie between the “conservative” and the “progressive” types of Christians. It surprised me to hear that 80% of the populations of Christians in America are Evangelicals, or conservatives. I feel that I do not know any Evangelicals, or very few at least so it makes me wonder why? Is it because of where I live? Or is this just not part of the world that they tend to live in? I think it was interesting how Borg started talking about the rights and wrongs of Evangelicals and then moving on to discussing church. He said that long ago going to church was more accepted among individuals. It seems like now days, there is a higher and higher decline of people attending church. The few that do stay is because they are truly passionate about church and want to stay. It makes me wonder why there is such a decline in going to church. Are people just too busy these days, trying to support their families? Or is it another reason like not being accepted for the church you are going to? Whatever reason it is I think it is sad. If there are people out there who want to go to church, but don’t, simply because they are looked at differently, that is not right. If people thought of church as something you must attend in order to be closer to God, would there be more people actually going? I feel that everyone interprets the Bible and the issue of going to church or not differently. When Borg states that he thinks America’s views of Jesus were causing a division in Christianity, I do not agree with that. He says the three phrases; “WWJD, Jesus Loves Me This I Know, and For God So Loved the World” are controversial. I personally don’t think they are. There might be a different interpretation through the viewpoint of others eyes, but I don’t think it would be entirely that much. In conclusion I think that Borg has a good idea of how Christianity should be like. He also has a feeling of what the proper way to practice it is and he shows it in the best form he knows how, writing. This book was a very interesting book to read. It not only gave me a perspective from someone else, but it made me look back upon my own view. There were things I agreed with in here and things I didn’t, however both were still interesting to read about.