Page 671 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

almost 400 United Methodists participated in the energy’” (AFA Journal, Feb. 1994).
conference. The United Presbyterian Church contributed Chung has published a rewrite of the Gospel
a grant of $66,000 and sent a group of representatives narratives from an Asian feminist perspective. She told
led by high-ranking officials. 405 Presbyterians the Minneapolis conference, “The Bible is basically an
participated. More than 300 representatives from the open book, and I want to add the next chapter.” Chung
misnamed Evangelical Lutheran Church in America spoke at the 1991 General Assembly of the World
attended. There were 234 Roman Catholic and 144 Council of Churches and identified the Holy Spirit with
United Church of Christ participants. There were a Buddhist goddess.
representatives from the United Church of Canada, the Standing Ovation for Lesbians. During the conference,
Church of the Brethren, American Baptist, Episcopalian, a group of roughly 100 “lesbian, bi-sexual, and
and Mennonite. transsexual women” gathered on the platform and were
When challenged by certain members who were given a standing ovation by many in the crowd. They
protesting their denomination’s involvement in this were “celebrating the miracle of being lesbian, out, and
meeting, the Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly Christian.”
Council issued a “fact sheet” which claimed, “The lesbian theme was heard repeatedly from major
“Participants were challenged to expand their horizons, speakers. In a workshop called ‘Prophetic Voices of
to be enriched and nurtured spiritually, and to engage in Lesbians in the Church,’ Nadean Bishop, the first ‘out’
dialogue with women and men from around the world.” lesbian minister called to an American Baptist church,
Apostates always have clever explanations of their claimed that Mary and Martha in the Bible were
rebellion. Don’t need atonement. During a panel on lesbian ‘fore-sisters.’ She said they were not sisters, but
Jesus, Delores Williams of Union Theological Seminary, lesbian lovers. Janie Spahr, a self-avowed lesbian
said: “I don’t think we need a theory of atonement at clergywoman in the Presbyterian Church USA ...
all. I think Jesus came for life and to show us something claimed that her theology is first of all informed by
about life. I don’t think we need folks hanging on ‘making love with Coni,’ her lesbian partner. Judy
Westerdorf, a United Methodist clergywoman from
crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff ... we just Minnesota, told the workshop that the church ‘has
need to listen to the God within.” always been blessed by gays and lesbians ... witches ...
God Is an “Abusive Parent.” Virginia Mollenkott, who shamans.’ In a seminar on ‘Re-Imagining Sexuality-
participated in the translation of the New International Family,’ lesbian theologian Mary Hunt said, ‘Imagine
Version, said, “[Jesus] is our elder brother, the sex among friends as the norm. ... Imagine valuing
trailblazer and constant companion for us—ultimately is sexual interaction in terms of whether and how it
among many brothers and sisters in an eternal, equally fosters friendship and pleasure. ... Pleasure is our
worthy sibling-hood. First born only in the sense that he birthright of which we have been robbed in religious
patriarchy” (AFA Journal, Feb. 1994).
was the first to show us that it is possible to live in
oneness with the divine source while we are here on this Worshiping Sophia. The Nov. 3, 1993, Minneapolis
planet. ... As an incest survivor, I can no longer worship Star Tribune reported that “throughout the conference
in a theological context that depicts God as an abusive worship experiences will celebrate Sophia, the biblical
parent [referring to Christ’s death on the cross] and goddess of creation.” Sue Seid-Martin of the University
Jesus as the obedient, trusting child.” of St. Thomas School of Divinity in St. Paul, Minn.,
claimed that this Sophia is “the suppressed part of the
Praying to the trees. Korea’s Chung Hyung Kyung told biblical tradition, and clearly the female face of the
the crowd, “My bowel is Buddhist bowel, my heart is human psyche.” Seid-Martin believes Sophia is found in
Buddhist heart, my right brain is Confucian brain, and Proverbs 1-9, Mt. 11; Lk. 3:35; 11:49; and 1 Co. 1-2,
my left brain is Christian brain.” This is ecumenical and she identifies Jesus Christ with this Sophia.
schizophrenia of the most radical sort! Chung is a
professor at Korea’s Ewha Women’s University, the These feminists are not reading the same Bible I have
world’s largest university for women, with 20,000 read for 20 years. I have never found a Sophia goddess
students. in my Bible! The Greek word sophia is translated
“wisdom” in the KJV and “denotes mental excellence in
Chung instructed the crowd of women to seek help the highest and fullest sense ... comprehends knowledge
from the trees if they are in need of energy: “When we and implies goodness” (George Berry, A Greek-English
do pranic healing, we believe that this life-giving energy Lexicon and New Testament Synonyms). This word is
came from god and it is everywhere, it is in the sun, in often applied to Jesus Christ, but never in any sense
the ocean, from the ground and it is from the trees whatsoever having to do with “the female face of the
sisters and brothers in need. If you feel very tired and human psyche.” The word “sophia” is not found in the
you don’t have any energy to give, what you do is ... go
to a big tree and ask it to ‘give me some of your life

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 671