English Christianoidity Today
This page describes the presence of heresies in English Christianoidity today.
The world-history of heresies is described in the "Past" section of this site.
These beliefs of course flow from principles and ultimately from attitudes. The History section indicates some of these connections in general terms, but I have not yet tried to trace them in their specifically English manifestations.
My experience is more extensive with some heresies than with others, but I will present my understanding, and if anyone feels misrepresented I hope they will let me know.
Almost every English Christianoid I have ever encountered, whether personally or through their public statements, has turned out to believe at least one heresy, and to be obstinate in that belief.
As mentioned in the theory underlying that history, a real Christian never persists obstinately in heresy.
As regards individuals, of course I give each the benefit of the doubt in the sense of being willing, in principle, to listen to and discuss with them. But time is limited, so it would be irresponsible of me to chase every Christianoid I hear of, in the hope that they might be a real Christian.
I conclude that there are few real Christians in England.
I trust God that there are some real Christians, scattered here and there, alone like me or in groups too small to have appeared on my radar. I suppose there are probably hundreds. Maybe more, but if so they must be keeping quiet for reasons that elude me.
There is probably some Christianoid Mysticism somewhere, but I have not encountered it.
Some Additionalism is explicit, but often it is disguised, for the talk is often Integralistic, as expressed for instance when Calvinsists speak of "total depravity". But their schizodoulic practice reveals their underlying Additionalism, for the two always go together.
At the same time, some of them practice a kind of Separatism, but without the Integralism that is the basis of real Christian Separation. For instance, there are Christianoid schools whose curriculum is substantially that of the surrounding culture, with a Christianoid veneer.
For many years I tried to wean various Evangelical groups from Additionalism. Instead of allowing their errors to be corrected, I found that they cling to them and try to defend them, inventing all manner of absurd and fallacious arguments.
For instance, there is a little group of New Testament verses which they routinely press into the service of Otherworldalism by fastening onto traditional but misleading translations, such as "My kingdom is not of this world" and "The kingdom of God is within you". Review Salvation has not changed our task.
Confronted with evidence from the Bible (which they profess to regard highly), they often oscillate, as regards the Separationalism entailed by real Integralism, between claiming that It's not important (usually expressed as "you are too narrow") and that It's not true. Retreating from the first under overwhelming arguments, they flee to the second. Retreating from the second for similar reasons, they then slip back to the first, by which time they have managed to forget why they abandoned it, so they reaffirm it and the discussion (whether verbal or written) becomes circular. However agile, one cannot refute both propositions simultaneously, so can never get to the end of the evasions.
I eventually, reluctantly, concluded that the motive must be a refusal to face the truth.
I have never met an English Christianoid who was not a Psephogynist.
Full-scale Epicenalism is I think quite rare among English Christianoids.
"Catholics" (whether Papist or Anglican) are of course Clericalists.
Some Christianoids, seeking a more comprehensive Christianoid practice that would avoid Additionalism, have fallen into a Charismatic form of Clericalism, camouflaged by calling it "leadership" and emphasising its humble, supportive approach.
This was especially prominent in the "Shepherding Movement" in the 1980's, where it amounted to Cult Totalitarianism. Since then I gather it has receded, but as far as I know some groups still practice a high degree of Clericalism.
Most English Christianoids are Statists.
The only exceptions I know of are Pacifists.
As explained in The State, Pacifism is not a heresy (though I disagree with it), but it always seems to go with Bonhominalism. I know not why this is so; maybe assertion of independence from coercive human authority spills over into assertion of independence from regenerative divine power.
I am not aware of any English Docetists.
Unitarians and old-fashioned theological Liberals in most denominations are Adoptionists.
The only Arians I know of are the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Of course the Eastern Orthodox are Monopatrist.
I think Evangelicals have paid the matter little attention, but (for instance) I find that the Covenant Christian Coalition omits any indication of filioquism in their (otherwise comprehensively Trinitarian) Covenant. I suppose this is toleration of Monopatrism, rather than affirmation, but it suggests that they regard the filioque as, if not untrue, then unimportant.
Most English Christianoids are Restitutionalists. Except the Pelagians.
Just a few Calvinists.
Someone once told me that Pelagianism was an endemic disease of Englishmen. I think he was quoting, but I cannot trace it. Certainly most English Christianoids affirm the basic goodness of human nature as it now is; if this is not Pelagian, it is an advanced case of Residualism, akin to Otialism.
Most English Christianoids are Residualists. Except the Calvinists.
Most English Christianoids are Synergists. They see it as "moderation", a compromise between Monergism and Pelagianism, which indeed it is, like the compromise of sharing my goods with a burglar.
The only exceptions I know of are the self-consciously Calvinistic.
Papists are of course Meritorialists, but it extends well beyond them.
I am not aware of any English Judaicists.
"Catholics" (whether Papist or Anglican) are of course Sacramentalists.
Most Protestants retain a residue of Sacramentalism, but I think that in many cases this does not amount to heresy, only to a confused attachment to traditional ceremonies.
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