Is the Church a box from which God has escaped? Are people finding
spirituality and relating to God in ways that have nothing to do with
the Church? Men and women today have strong values and beliefs about
caring for animals and for the creation, about tolerance for others of
different beliefs and customs, and about how we each may live mature and
fulfilled lives. They often feel that the Church's moral teaching does
not come up to their standards. Objections to the traditional Christian
view of God and religion include: Christianity focuses on sin and guilt:
God's an egomaniac - he's designed the world solely for his praise: God
sentences people to everlasting punishment: religion keeps people
immature: religion is stuck in the past: religion is divisive: the
belief in a wise and loving creator is not compatible with the suffering
and agony evident in the world. In 'God Outside the Box', Richard
Harries takes seriously thoughts and criticisms such as these and
answers them in detail. "Bishop Harries believes that "Christianity has
within its treasure store enormous spiritual riches". His book has
certainly helped to display some of those riches which modern society
desperately needs." The Tablet.
