NCC PRESIDENT URGES COMMUNICATORS, TAKE ON ‘FALSE RELIGION’
New York, March 30, 2006–The president of the National Council of
Churches, the Rev. Michael Livingston, strongly urged church
communicators to, “Tell our story. By any means necessary.”
“Mainline Protestant and Orthodox churches have been pounded
into irrelevancy by the media machine of a false religion,” Livingston
said. He described what passes as religion to be, “a political
philosophy masquerading as gospel; an economic principle wrapped in
religious rhetoric and painted red, white and blue.”
Livingston made his remarks this week (March 27) in Cleveland at
the semi-annual meeting of the National Council’s Communications
Commission. He spoke to about 30 communicators from many of the NCC’s
35 member denominations.
“Get it [our story] out there,” he said, “this truth about the
human condition and the work of the church, these churches, this one
effort of millions of Christians alongside and through NCC/CWS [Church
World Service] to live in obedience to the word of the one who sends us
into the world: When you did it to the least of these my brothers and
sisters, you did it unto me. It all comes down to this, love God and
your neighbor.”
Livingston, who is also executive director of the International
Council of Community Churches, lamented the media attraction to Pat
Robertson and how the work seems to go unnoticed by Christians in
agencies like CWS, Lutheran World Relief and Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance.
The communicators were challenged not to mimic or imitate
others.
“We need fresh approaches to telling our story, reaching and
touching our nation with what we know to be a faithful response to the
gospel,” Livingston said. He singled out FaithfulAmerica.org as one way
to share the good news of faithful Christians responding to the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
Livingston is serving the two-year term as elected president of
the NCC through December, 2007. He has pastured Presbyterian churches
in New York City and Los Angeles. He also served on the staff of
Princeton (N.J.) Seminary prior to his current position with ICCC.
There are 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations who
are members of the NCC comprising nearly 45-million Christians in North
America.
, “a political
philosophy masquerading as gospel; an economic principle wrapped in
religious rhetoric and painted red, white and blue.”
Is that not EXACTLY what the NCC\WCC and entire religious left is!?!? The only modification would be the color and symbol on the flag!! Let’s nominate Mr. Livingston as hypocrite of the year…
Is this just crazy? How dare Livingston say that the media is pounding the NCC into an irrelevant philosophy. He and his ilk are just that irrelevant, quasi-do-gooders and nothing more. I wonder if he can look himself in the face after making such a comment? This whole crowd, Lutheran included have sold themselves to quick theology guised as religious caring. If you do this for the least, you do it for me. Right, lets lead them into hell with fornication, no matter the sexual orientation, lets allow murder in the guise of women’s rights, lets make Christ a myth and deny the Nicean Creed in all historical perspective, give me a break, again give me a break !!!!!