Social Justice Conference

[TBC: This week will see the “Justice Conference” make another appearance in Oregon.]

According to the organizers: “The Justice Conference 2012 is the second annual international gathering of advocates, activists, artists, professors, professionals, prophets, pastors, students and stay-at-home moms working to restore the fabric of justice. For some it means speaking. For others it means singing. For some it means going. For others it means giving. For all, it means living with mercy and love.”

Amongst those living with “mercy and love” is liberal theologian Walter Brueggemann who promotes replacement theology, using less than loving words to criticize Israel for its exploitation of "ancient promises" to create a "toxic ideology." His authority for such a criticism (according to theololgian Bruce Waltke) is based upon the idea that “Brueggemann’s own reasoning, unaided by the Spirit, becomes his final frame of reference for knowing.”

Other speakers include Shane Claiborne, whom we have addressed in a previous Q&A. See: http://www.thebereancall.org/content/question-i-recently-heard-term-progressive-christian-conjunction-some-controversial-speakers’

Concerning another speaker, we noted in the January 1998 issue of the newsletter that Richard Twiss, “got Promise Keepers to ask Native American men to host its October 4th 'Standing in the Gap' gathering in Washington, D. C. These men participated in full Native American dress including the eagle war bonnet. That bonnet signifies that "the wearer actually becomes the eagle, which is to say that he identifies himself, his real Self, with Wakan-Tanka [the Great Spirit which . . . (the Spotted Eagle) represents." (Brown, The Sacred Pipe . . . (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1989, p. 7, 45)]. Twiss denies he is a syncretist when he identifies biblical Christianity with indigenous religion. For example, he insists that the “Great Spirit” is the same as the God of the Bible. There is a problem, however, the Great Spirit has no son and with no son, there is no atoning death for our sins.

[TBC: T.A. McMahon addressed what drives these conferences in “The Shameful Social Gospel” (see: http://www.thebereancall.org/content/shameful-social-gospel )