Beyond the Either/Or God -- Yvette Flunder

I know about the either-or god that's why I understand this either/or conversation that exists I know about the either-or god I know about binary constructs right wrong black-white heaven hell you're in or you're out I know about binary constructs because you know I was raised as Pentecostal fundamentalist and as a Pentecostal fundamentalist we sought to find one answer to every question and if we thought we didn't know it we'd get on the radio with the Bible answer man and the Bible answer man would tell us what the Bible see and give me the answer and you'd write it down and then you would go around and I used to have a huge Bible it was huge and it had a big rubber band on it and it was filled with tracts and information you understand what I mean so that I could be prepared to give an answer one answer to every question that was asked of me because there was only one answer to things theological and once we found it if you didn't agree with it you were going to hell period you do not pass go do not collect $200 you go straight to hell if you disagree with our one answer I believe that the essence of religion was to find the right ways and I think the real question that we have among us tonight if the truth would be told we are still seeking to find the right way what is the right way once I thought I found the right way of course that meant everyone else was wrong and I managed to have genuine sympathy for you in your wrongness but make no mistake about it baby you were wrong okay why were you wrong because God honored my Creed my Kenan my saints my miracles my dogma my sons my wonders my church my church culture my worship style my mode of expression the way I did what I did and how I did it when I did it and however long I did it God honored it any deviation from that was substandard now here's my strip oh I'm amazed and how I have evolved theologically I'm amazed that as I grow and evolve theologically the more I grow the less I seem to be certain about this is a great struggle for me because I'm used to having answers and so people ask me in my congregation what about this of that and I say honey I don't know they say you don't know but you're the pastor is here but I still don't know I don't know and the kids ask hard questions who got to the tomb first wasn't married was it Peter we can't get it hooked up I told I don't know and if God created and learn the lie down with the lamb where did the dinosaurs honey it's the father phone I get the less I know and I've been in church all my life I turned 51 on my last birthday and you were tainted by now I would know some things more than I do but truthfully I am knowing less and less about the one answer to every question but I can tell you another thing I have more peace than I've ever had in my life I'm more secure even though I'm filled with more questions I'm more at ease in my relationship with God and I'll tell you something else I'm not ashamed and I'm not afraid what a blessing that is

Channel: livingthequestions

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Keywords: faith, Yvette, Flunder, Living, the, Questions, progressive, Christianity, livingthequestions.com, God

Id: oXtE7zmN5MM

Length: 4min 58sec (298 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 24 2008