Themometers or themostats
Last night at our one of our genx congregations we discussed the following quote:
“Most Christians are thermometers that register the temperature of majority opinion, not thermostats that transform and regulate the temperature of society”
Martin Luther King
Source
In our discussion, we found it helpful to read it and pretend to be a fundmentalist, conservative Christian and then re-read it and pretend to be a liberal, post-modern Christian. I will let you decide which one we had to do more “pretending” with 
What are your thoughts as you read the quote from your context?
June 30th, 2004 at 9:57 am
Well, that’s clear Phil, the liberal post moderns are in that first group. See what’s going on in the world and how people are feeling about things and adapt your theology to be more inclusive so the world has a hard time rejecting you. You agree with that right?:)
June 30th, 2004 at 10:01 am
No re-read it George and imagine your are a post-modern liberal Christian. How would you interpret it then?
June 30th, 2004 at 10:15 am
I have a problem with your words.
fundamentalism has changed in meaning over time. It was the same as evanglical when it first originated with those fantastic fundamentalist papers. google ‘the fundamentals’ and you will find the site .It has them all and a very good paper on the word fundamentalist.
Liberal I find in sydney is either code or a euphemisim for heretical.
I heartily dislike this for two reasons.
firstly biblical speaking code words or euphemisms are never used for dercying heresy.
secondly there is a difference between having liberal views and holding heretical views.
June 30th, 2004 at 11:20 am
Well, if everyone thinks the other person is the thermometer, and he is the thermostat, then the quote really becomes useless, doesn’t it?
I’m sure the liberal po-mo’s think they are thermostats because they are standing against the tradition of centuries.
Whereas the fundamentalists believe they are the thermostats because they are seeking to stand against the conventional wisdom of the day, which says “anything goes (except what we disagree with)”
June 30th, 2004 at 12:02 pm
I actually don’t think an exercise in putting ourseleves in someone’s shoes is useless. Nor do I see an exercise in reflecting on how we engage in society as useless. In fact I think both can be fruitful.
June 30th, 2004 at 10:21 pm
so lets all continue to ignore homer, its the question of what happens when an irresistable force meets an unmovable object, with change and tradition in their respective places
And back on topic i think its very important to remember that all thermostats contain thermometers. You must understand and react to the world to change it.
June 30th, 2004 at 11:05 pm
In the same paragraph from that document, (Letter from a Birmingham Jail), Martin Luther King says this of the early Christians, “They were small in number but big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be astronomically intimidated” Liberal…conserative, I don’t know. I do however know that I deeply long to be “God-intoxicated”
July 1st, 2004 at 12:01 am
What a question. Great. Sustaining the example of Dr King, I suppose it depends upon whether one remembers this part of his famous speech:
“I have a dream…join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual,’Free at last!…”
or this part:
“…and every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low,and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.”
I guess that tips my hand on my point of view. Best wishes and blessings,
July 1st, 2004 at 1:16 am
God-intoxicated
‘There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being
July 1st, 2004 at 7:25 am
Deb, what a wonderful phrase; “God-intoxicated”.
You and not perfection have inspired me to dig our my copy of letters from a birmingham jail and have another read. Thanks.
July 1st, 2004 at 12:50 pm
I actually don’t think an exercise in putting ourseleves in someone’s shoes is useless. Nor do I see an exercise in reflecting on how we engage in society as useless. In fact I think both can be fruitful.
Actually, I didn’t say the *exercise* of putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes was useless, I said the use of that quote in such an exercise rendered the quote useless.
July 1st, 2004 at 3:16 pm
I am not sure I get what you are saying Bryan.