I saw the Emerging Church round the back of the bike sheds smoking a spliff!

I don't normally read the "Emergent-No"/Fundie type web-sites, but this particular "non-article" popped up because of the tags... Link... and it made me roar with laughter...  Silva seems to be saying...

I'm not saying that the Emerging Church advocates smoking pot... but they do say having a beer is OK, and some of them talk about community in a way the Hippies used to, and Hippies smoke Pot... so therefore we can make a wild leap and suggest that they might do... now we can say people should steer clear of the Emerging Church because they might just use dope... but I don't know if they do, but they might, but I have no evidence, but it would be helpful to me and my view if they did, or at least if people thought they did, so I'll write an article, full of disclaimers of course, that suggests a possibility that they might, and you never know people might get confused and believe that they actually do... Hey isn't the Emerging Church evil!?

... its enough to make anyone turn to drugs!

[update] Ken Silva has asked me to link to the article which he sites as his evidence... OK, it is here at 'The Ooze' I quote a section of the article below...

Now I know there are the folks that attempt a mix between dedication to Christianity and marijuana, but those are few, at least in my circles. What I get is folks that smoke and give slight attention to Christ and church. That is not surprising because it is consistent with everything else marijuana has done in their lives. They are passionless and ambitionless, so their slight attention to church and Christ fits in with their lack of drive for everything else.

... so as far as I can tell his "evidence" is one commenter who confesses to occasional use...

Some people unwind after particularly bad day at work with a glass of wine or a beer when they get home. 1 glass, every couple of days after work...is that what you would consider a problem? I wouldn't. I just happen to prefer a small "hit from the bong".

Fair enough Ken you found one voice to support your hypothesis, I saw a documentary recently where a family of fundamentalists advocated polygamy and violence towards homosexuals... fortunately I am not so silly to believe that that means all fundamentalists do likewise!

Technorati Tags: Blogging: Church: Emerging Church: Humour

Comments

[Ken Silva]

O very nice. Um, you say: "I'll write an article, full of disclaimers of course," which shows you got my Brian McLaren impression.

But as far as "evidence, you might wish to inform your readers I link to an article from the Ooze which brought up the original topic. Yeahm they might want to read the comments there from the emergents. peace.

[Mark]

With pleasure Ken

[dave]

Ahh... Ken Silva. A man of logical abilities that few of us can comprehend.

So one person, in the comments of a post about how Christians should not embrace marijuana, says that they he/she smoke it occasionally.

Therefore all Emergents are bad. Because they drink beer. And care about creation. And one person said they smoked pot. So Emergents like pot.

Let set up a logic statement:
Premise A: Emergents like beer.
Premise B: One person, on an emergent blog, said he smoked pot.
Premise C: Emergents care about creation.

Conclusion: Emergents like pot. Or at least they could. Or maybe some will, one day. Or maybe I am making the entire thing up.

[Scott Andreas]

Heaven forbid we think for a moment that e/Emerg[ing, ent] is not a monolith. Complex thought reveals a big, scary world. Of course, we know the alternative...and what it leads to.

[andrew jones]

did Ken find that pot smoker?? shoot! I guess we are all stuffed now. "OFF WITH OUR HEADS!"
but at least there is only ONE of them in the world.

See you in Orkney soon Mark.

[Rob]

now I'm upset ... I thought Ken liked my blog more than yours!
Happy hippy puffing!

[Ken Silva]

Hello Andrew,

You know, I think someone who is honest intellectually will note that the author of the Ooze piece quoted above says: "there are the folks that attempt a mix between dedication to Christianity and marijuana, but those are few, at least in my circles."

Last time I checked even a "few" is more than just one. And where there are few there will be more, you'll see. Did you bother to notice this comment:

"I think the article fits in well with the emerging conversation. Arguing that marijuana is a grey area is a minority position, and what is more postmodern than questioning the center and listening to the edges?"

Also what you didn't know is that I have personally known Christians - and some were even Southern Baptists and missionaries - who smoked pot citing the same reasons as the Rastas I mention in that article.

By the way Mark, I'm not a fundamentalist. And Andrew, haven't you gathered yet that I do my homework? So I say careful with the mocking there my friend, or I'll have no choice but to count you among my detractors. You won't like it there.

[Mark]

Ken, thanks for responding, firstly quoting one commenter on a blog and a bit of hearsay does notconstitute "research" (or even "homework") in my book, or any academic institution I have worked with! Secondly, I didn't say you were a fundamentalist, just that because some fundamentalists say/do something, with arrogant passion I might say, does not not mean to me that they all do... I use it to point to the reality that even within the most literalist and dogmatic traditions there are radically different points of view and/or beliefs, it would be nice if those who critique "Emerging Church" would not try to lump everyone together (see for example the conversations that occured re. Spence Burkes "Heretics guide to Eternity"... or that we all "follow" Brian Maclaren - he like everyone else is a voice, but not a leader - noone I know in the ECC agrees with everything he says or does!

[Mark]

Oh, and why if your personal evidence is "Southern Baptists and some missionaries" did you aim the "article" at 'The Emerging Church' not the Southern Baptist Church???

[joe]

Question: I have an urge to smoke tobacco from a pipe. Am I evil/emergent?

[dave]

Ken... you, of all people, are talking about being intellectually honest? You are attempting to make a connection between smoking pot and Emergent based on one comment and a blog post that mentions "few" people smoke pot in his circles. You know... if you want to be "intellectually honest" you would be honest and sat that "few," in this context, means very little.

It is not intellectually honest to pretend that there is a connection between smoking pot and Emergent, and you know it.

And making threats? Interesting. Wow... threats are cool now, I guess.

And I am curious why you worry so much about your "detractors." I thought you cared about the integrity of the church, not fighting against those who disagree with you.

[Greg the Explorer]

Surely Ken Silva is joking? Why are you commenting as if he is writing a serious article? It's a mocu/article folks - or do you have to be Australian to understand humour and parody?

[Mark]

Greg Ken is well known for his anti-ermerging church stance, have a read around his other posts and links

[dave]

***Greg Ken is well known for his anti-ermerging church stance***

Yea... I don't like to ermerge either. :) Now emerging on the hand - that is nice.

And no... Ken Silva was not joking. Greg - read the above from comments from Ken - he makes it pretty clear that he was serious.

[Greg the Explorer]

I guess I find it hard to believe that someone could be so stupid and yet obviously knows how to use a keyboard to type - without having their tongue quite firmly against their cheek.

Anyway, I'm off for a bong

[ron]

So underneath all the deep theological conversation...this is the emerging church's " smoking " gun. It's all making sense now...I think the rest of the " church " is worried about the effect of second hand smoke.