Widening the Church's Invitation

Abstract

Most Christian churches today are fairly hospitable, and accept for membership anybody of respectable character, with few questions asked. Nevertheless it remains true that in joining, a man is universally supposed to give tacit assent to certain theological and historical beliefs. In many churches the Apostles' Creed, so called, is recited weekly. Most have printed statements of belief which are published as representing the convictions of the members. A frank statement of doubt or disbelief in-say-the resurrection of Christ, or the inspiration of the Bible, or the incarnation, or the atonement, is regarded as treason and as warranting the charge of hypocrisy if the member remains within the church. The church stands in the eyes of the world for such doctrines; and those who do not believe them stay for the most part outside, however much they acknowledge the value of her work, and however wistfully they may realize the inspiration her fellowship and counsel might give. The contention of this paper is that the churches should frankly cease to be groups of believers in certain creeds; that they should widen their invitation, not winking at the heresies of their more liberal members, but making it plain that there is no such thing as heresy for them, that a member is free to believe or disbelieve according as his own reason and experience lead him. The church, that is, should put as her one requirement the wish and earnest endeavor to live the Christian life. Are you willing, she should ask, to enrol yourself publicly as a follower of Christ, to live the sort of life he taught, at whatever needful personal sacrifice ? If so, you have a perfect right to the name Christian and to the fellowship of the church, whatever your doctrinal views may be. In this way the church might come to include all those who hate evil and