Message For Christadelphians
I would like to welcome you to my site and invite you to consider the information, insights and experience presented. It may be a valuable resource for you. In many ways it is tailored to your perspective. That is because as a former Christadelphian I am coming from where you are. This site has now been widely read by Christadelphians, who form a high percentage of its readership based upon the feedback I receive. Many have written and expressed thanks for the value it provides. Several have also visited many times based on the site statistics. Some agree, some disagree, some agree with parts. That’s okay. Hopefully we all grow in understanding and that’s really what this site is about. Exploring the issues – and in that sense it is personal. Although I seek to be fair and objective, to some degree it is related to my experiences, what I have read and the people and thinking I have been exposed to. As I grow in understanding and as I receive feedback and criticism, I try and alter it to improve its balance, correct weaknesses and more fully explore issues. I believe by doing this it aids those who are Christadelphians by helping them better understand their own religion, explore doubts and concerns, and move further down the pathway of truth we all want to follow.
Although to some Christadelphians the wide considerations of issues found on this site may be portrayed as opposing truth, in fact it is very much in tune with what the founder of the community advocated, at least initially. The idea promoted was that light reveals darkness, truth overcomes error and can withstand strong investigation. In fact truth has nothing to fear from a rigorous examination of facts and evidence. Institutionalisation was portrayed as the obstacle to free thought by contrast. Although there is a widely supported status quo, there are also signs many Christadelphians want more scope to question both their theology as well as traditions which are limiting to that.
There is another reason. The community is no longer a movement based on reforming existing theology. Like many established denominations it has lost energy and seems increasingly archaic. Its historical focuses no longer serve it well and its structures provide little support for contemporary challenges. Not reforming it is no longer an option and the prospects without that are a lingering death. In addition after 150 years, the weaknesses of the historical approaches are evident. It isn’t going to return there. Nor will reform occur simply because folk read the Bible and religious books more. Deeper questions about some of the foundational assumptions are at the heart of this and they are not going to go away. The evidence is that in its traditional areas it is in severe decline and not all of that is due to the wickedness of the world. These challenges are considered further in “Wrestling with the Need for Change.”
Personally I doubt the community will survive as it is, although it may emerge in new strains. It isn’t the same as it was in 1880 or 1900 anyway. Ultimately what matters isn’t the survival of a religious denomination, but that as individuals, families and communities we have ways forward. The truth is the community never came out of a void or had a restoration of the first century gospel. It was a product of its times and to a degree questioned certain assumptions, but not others. We have had 150 years to explore the assumptions which haven’t been questioned, find out about verses we can’t easily reconcile with our own theological positions and learn the limits of certain approaches. Even statements of faith and constitutions and determined members trying to maintain what they see as gospel truth can’t totally subdue weaknesses we begin to grasp within ourselves. That approach no longer works as well, there isn’t a central hierarchy to maintain it and so at some point we have to genuinely seek to understand the issues that people raise and want answers to. Force cannot ever supplant real answers to questions raised and where this site is inaccurate then its weaknesses will emerge and be answered. On the other hand where it has validity eventually those issues will need to be addressed, no matter how great denial may be right now.
The advantage I have as a former Christadelphian is a greater ability to raise issues and questions without needing to consider how that will affect my social status or fellowship position. The downside of course has been that I have had to live with a loss of social support, a very real struggle to move forward and this raises some other relevant issues. Whatever failures the community has it does supply many benefits to its adherents. A community is one of them. The reality is that the pursuit of truth and understanding does have a price tag attached to it. Those who wish to question things openly need to be aware of this price tag and for many it is a price they may not wish to pay. They may also believe they are better remaining where they are and trying to alter perceptions from within. These are the choices I cannot make for anyone else.
Join me in my consideration of where we have come from, what it teaches us, what knowledge and experience we can present to the far wider group of folk outside the community and the deep questions of life, spirituality and purpose. This is a resource base that has been built for you. Take from it what you find of value in your journey and blessings to you.