Stanley Hauerwas (from the St Petersberg Times)
People care more about who their doctor is today than who their priest or minister is. Most Christians live lives of practical atheism. ... Atheism isn't explicitly a denial of God, it's to live in a way that God does not matter.
this is an odd thing to say, even in context. I'm tempted to say 'well of course you should care about who your doctor is!' I'm not sure why that's bad.
However, I don't want my doctor to keep me alive forever. I just want to know he or she is vaguely competant.
Arguably, it does not matter who the preist is. God functions through them, however worthy they are or are not. The 26th Article of Religion for the CofE (i do not think they apply across the communion) tells us that provided the minister ministers not in his name, but Christ's, their 'unworthiness... hinders not' the sacraments.
Posted by: ash | February 16, 2007 at 10:41 PM
This is a typical Hauerwas kind of statement. I think there is just a little bit of rhetoric going on here. The bit that explains why he talks about who's more important your doctor or your priest is the last sentence that as Christians we live lives that act if God doesn't matter. If God doesn't matter a doctor becomes the most important person in your life because he is the one who keeps you alive.
Posted by: andy goodliff | February 18, 2007 at 09:04 AM
I agree that it is a typically Hauerwasian statement - intially captivating, but the more you think about it, the less compeling it becomes.
If one claims that the consequences of a bad diagnosis are greater than the consequences of a bad sermon, how does that "prove" a lack of faith. If the Godly path is illness or premature death, why did Jesus heal or raise people? Why bother praying for doctors to do their job well?
Posted by: fernando | February 19, 2007 at 06:33 AM