Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Erik Twist, Purgatory, and "Decision"

From Part IX:

...The Protestant notion of salvation is an all-in-one, instantaneous occurrence where the deal is sealed upon "conversion." Today the supposition is that such an event takes place once an individual "prays the sinner's prayer." I've been to many an evangelical rally, a few of which have been Promise Keepers events. At the last one I went to in San Antonio (3 years before Catholicism became a serious possibility) I remember being very turned off by the way salvation was articulated during the "altar call". The usual evangelical process was undertaken; lights were dimmed, the band played some ethereal tune in the background, and the "leader" spoke passionately about the benefits of a life with Christ. As droves of people came forward they were encouraged to fill out "Decision Cards" that were being passed out around the arena.

My good friend Duane Miller was with me and we reflected on the implications of referring to conversion as a "decision". In many ways it is quite innocent and probably mostly reflects the desire for Promise Keepers to keep a tally on how well their rallies are doing in "spreading the gospel." And there is certainly an element of personal decision in the spiritual life. The problem with it, we thought, was how reductionist it ends up being. [...]

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