CNN PresentsFight Over Faith Transcript.docx

CNN PresentsFight Over Faith Transcript.docx

《CNN PresentsFight Over Faith Transcript.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《CNN PresentsFight Over Faith Transcript.docx（15页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

CNNPresentsFightOverFaithTranscript

UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Whetheryouknowitornot,eternity'sinthebalance.

CAROLMARIN,CNNCORRESPONDENT（voice-over）:

Acrossthecountry,acrossChristianity.

UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Thereisasegmentouttherethatsimplyisanenemyoftheevangelicalfaith.

MARIN:

EvangelicalChristians,morethan100millionstrong.

UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Theystartedthewar,andit'sabouttimethatoursidefoughtback.

MARIN:

Soldiersofthecrossinafamilyfeud.DIANEKNIPPERS,PRESIDENT,ASSOCIATIONOFEVANGELICALS:

Youseelocalcongregationssplit.

MARIN:

BaseduponastrictinterpretationoftheBible.

UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Ifitmattersthemost,you'regoingtofightaboutitthemost.

MARIN:

Itisafightoverfaith.Andinthebalance,theultimatereward.

ROBINCARLISLE,EVANGELICALCHRISTIAN,SPARTANBURG,SOUTHCAROLINA:

Jesuswillreturn.Andintheblinkingofaneye,thesaintswillbetaken.

MARIN:

Forpeoplewhodon'tembraceJesus,whathappenstothem?



CAITLINCARLISLE,EVANGELICALCHRISTIAN,SPARTANBURG,SOUTHCAROLINA:

Theygotohell.

（ENDVIDEOTAPE）

AARONBROWN,HOST,CNNPRESENTS:

Theyareknownasevangelicals,bornagainChristians.Andtheirpower,theirinfluenceandranksareswelling.

WelcomeagaintoCNNPRESENTS.I'mAaronBrown.

Notthatlongago,theReverendJerryFalwellproclaimedthatevangelicalscontrolthefateofnotonlytheRepublicanParty,butalsoPresidentBush'sre-election.

Andwhilesuchclaimsaredebatable,thereisnodenyingthegrowingreachandinfluenceofbornagainChristiansinthecountry.Andtheyaremakingtheirpresencefeltwellbeyondthepulpit.

Butevenamongevangelicals,noteveryoneagrees.Andthat'swherethingsstarttogetabitcontentious.

It'sthe"FightOverFaith."Here'sCarolMarin.

（BEGINVIDEOTAPE）

UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

BuriedinChristinbaptism.

UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

（INAUDIBLE）,Christianradio.

MARIN（voice-over）:

Overtheairwavesandontheground.ForChristians,thisisatimeofreckoning.

UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Tobelieversaroundtheworld,reachingindividualsandfamilies.

MARIN:

InanondescriptofficebuildingindowntownWashington,asmallgroupofbelieversisdoingnothinglessthantryingtochangethereligiouslandscapeofAmerica.KNIPPERS:

ThisisadefiningtimefortheProtestantfaith.Thisisabsolutelyadefiningmoment.

MARIN:

InAmerica'sProtestantchurches,afiercebattleisunderway,promotedbyconservative,evangelicalChristiansandbolsteredbyalittleknownbutpowerfulgroupcalledtheInstituteonReligionandDemocracy.

DianeKnippersisabattle-testedevangelical.

（oncamera）:

Isitawar?



KNIPPERS:

Itis.Theseareconflictsoverthethingsthatwebelievethemostdeeply.Andfeelingsrunhighonbothsides.

MARIN（voice-over）:

EvangelicalsmakeupthelargestreligiousgroupinAmericaacrossalldenominations.Bysomeestimates,theyare100millionstrong.

KNIPPERS:

Oneofourbigconcernsthesedaysisthewholedebateovermarriageandsexuality.Andparticularlyintheso-calledmainlinedenominations,therearesubstantialgroupsthatreallywanttoabandonBiblicalteaching.

MARIN:

Mostlywhiteandlargelyconservative,evangelicalsbelievethereisoneandonlyonepathtoheaven.TheBibleistheirauthority.Salvationistheirgoal.

AhundredmilesawayinRichmond,Virginia,wherestatuesmarkthegreatCivilWar,Presbyterianshavecometheirannualmeetingtodebatetherulesthatcouldchangetheirchurch.

UNIDENTIFIEDFEMALE:

Wetalkofknowingandconvincingandwinninganddeciding,andthoseclosed-mindedconservativesandthoseGod-forsakenliberals.

Itissoeasytofillourheartswithhate.

MARIN:

Wehavecomeheretofindoutexactlywhatthefightisabout,andtomeetthemanwhomaybethemostpolarizingfigureinthePresbyterianfaith.PaulRolfJensenishisname.

PAULROLFJENSEN,LAWYERANDPRESBYTERIAN:

IamcalledtoactionwithinthePresbyterianchurchtofightbackagainstthosewhohavemadewarandwoulddestroyourchurch.

Themanagementofthechurchhasshiftedsofartotheleft,sofarawayfromtraditionalChristianity,thatit'sturningpeopleoffindroves.Welost48,000membersnetlastyear.

MARIN:

Forthepastthreeyears,PaulJensen,aself-describedevangelicalactivist,hasbeenturningwordsintoactions.Hehasfiled25chargesofheresyagainstotherPresbyterianswhodisagreewithhisstrictinterpretationoftheBible.

ThenotionofaccusingsomeoneofheresyalmostsoundslikeathrowbacktoSalemandwitchtrials.

JENSEN:

I'mnotproposingthattheybeburnedatthestake.Iamproposingthattheybeevaluatedbytheiractions.

MARIN:

SteveVanKuikenofCincinnatiwasoneofthefirsttobecharged.InFebruaryof2000,hewaspastorofMountAuburnPresbyterianChurch,aprogressivecongregationintheheartofCincinnati.

Thatyear,hepresidedovertheweddingofCherylandJenniferMcKettrick,indefianceofchurchlaw.

Inyourview,whatdidVanKuikendowrong?



JENSEN:

Heintentionallyanddeliberatelyandpubliclydefiedhisordinationvowsandourconstitutioninablatantattempttodestroythechurch.

STEPHENVANKUIKEN,FORMERMINISTER,MT.AUBURNPRESBYTERIANCHURCH,CINCINNATI,OHIO:

Wewereawarethatwewereviolatingtheconstitutiononthat,inthetraditionofMartinLutherKing,youknow,whosaid,look.Wehavemoralobligationstodisobeyunjustlaws.

MARIN:

SteveVanKuiken'sdecisionultimatelycosthimhisjob.HeleftnotonlyMountAuburn,heleftthePresbyterians.

HisSundaysarenowspentinavacantCatholicchurch.HisflockiscalledTheGathering-amixtureofstraightandgay,somewholefthisoldcongregation,somewhofoundsolaceinhisbrandofChristianity.

VANKUIKEN:

Thanks.Pleasebeseated.

FaithisnotabouttakingGodinourhands.It'saboutplacingourselvesinGod'shands.

What'shappeningisthatthePresbyterianChurchisbecomingamoreandmoreinhospitableplaceforpeoplewhodonotinterprettheBibleinaliteralway.

It'sacrusadingmentality.It'samentalitythatseestheworldinblackandwhite,goodandbad.Ifyou'renotwithus,you'reagainstus.

MARIN:

Issexualitythedefiningissuehere?



JENSEN:

Sexualityisnotthedefiningissue.Itisthemosteasilyidentifiedissue.Thedisputeisaboutwhetherthisbookmeanswhatitsays.

MARIN:

EvangelicalsbelievetheBibleisliterallytrue,orinerrant.Andwhatitsays,accordingtoconservativeevangelicalslikePaulJensen,isunwaveringwhenitcomestoissuessuchasgaymarriageorordination.

IsitMatthewwhosays,judgenotlestyebejudged?



JENSEN:

That'scorrect.

MARIN:

Butyou'rejudging.

JENSEN:

Idon'tbelieveI'mjudging,becauseIamnotcondemninganyonetosalvationordamnation.WhatIamdoingisjudgingactions,andcallingpeopletoaccountforthoseactions.

VANKUIKEN:

ProgressiveChristiansfeellikewe'rebeingpushedoutofthemainlinedenominations.Andwe'resimplyfightingforaplaceatthecommuniontable.

Wheneveryoueatofthisbreadandyoudrinkofthiscup,...

MARIN:

Isthereroominthetentforthosewhodisagree?

Canthatdisagreementliveinsidethechurch?



KNIPPERS:

Idon'tthinkitcanoverthelonghaul.

MARIN:

Soareligiousdivorceisinevitable?



KNIPPERS:

Insomeofthedenominations,Ibelieveitis.

MARIN:

WhatishappeningamongPresbyteriansisnotunique.InvirtuallyeveryProtestantdenomination,similarbattlesareunderway.

VANKUIKEN:

There'salotoffear,andthere'sabendingoverbackwardstoplacateortopleasethewatchdogs,theconservativewatchdogs.

UNIDENTIFIEDFEMALE:

I'veservedthischurchallofmylife.AndsoIwouldaskthatyoufindawaytoshapeachurchthatismorereflectiveofafaithinGod,wholovesusall.

MARIN:

In1863,Presbyterianssplitintotwobranchesovertheissueofslavery.Ittooknearly120yearsforthatdivisiontoheal.

（oncamera）:

Thingschange,though.Societieschange.Therewasatimewhenpeoplekeptslaves,whentherewassegregation.

Andwe'veseenchangeandareinterpretationofbothourcivilconstitutionsandourchurchconduct.

Isn'tthathowanalivedemocracyshoulddoit?



JENSEN:

Thechurchisnotademocracy.Thechurchisamonarchy.AndJesusChrististheking.

MARIN（voice-over）:

Next,conservativeevangelicalsandthestrengthofbelief.

C.CARLISLE:

There'snootherwaytoheavenexceptthroughJesus.

（ENDVIDEOTAPE）（COMMERCIALBREAK）

BROWN:

WenowreturntoCNNPRESENTS,"TheFightOverFaith."

（BEGINVIDEOTAPE）

MARIN（voice-over）:

So,whatexactlyisanevangelical?

Therearecertainbeliefsallconservativeevangelicalsshare.

（oncamera）:

Isthereaheaven?



UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Yes.

MARIN:

Isthereahell?



UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Yes.

MARIN:

DoesSatanexist?



UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

Oh,yes.Ibelieve.

MARIN:

Andisthereaclearpathintoheaven?



UNIDENTIFIEDMALE:

TheonlywaytoheavenisthroughJesusChrist.

Now,howpeoplegettoheaventhroughJesusChristmayhavealotofmysterytoit.

MARIN（voice-over）:

It'sthatmysterythat'sbroughtustoSpartanburg,SouthCarolina,thekindoftownwhereeventhecarwashpostsdailyBiblepassages.

We'vecomeheretomeettheCarlislefamily.There'sCassidy,Robin,15-year-oldRick,Prissythedogand11-year-oldCaitlin.

C.CARLISLE:

We'retypical,because,Imean,whatkindofhousewelivein,thekindofcarswehaveandstufflikethat.

Butwe'renottypicalbybeingChristian,becauseChristiansaren'ttypical.They'redifferent.Theyleadalifethat'sfollowingJesus.

R.CARLISLE:

Peoplealwaystellme,oh,yourkidsaresogood.AndI'mthinking,yes,andthisisthesamekidwhojustmouthedoffatmeforsomething,youknow.So,they'regoodwhentheyhavetobe.

MARIN（oncamera）:

So,they'renormalkids.

R.CA