The Archbishop of Kenya has criticized idolatry of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) saying faith in Christ, not works performed in his name, is the path of salvation.
The 22 February 2012 letter written by Archbishop Eliud Wabukala on behalf of the Gafcon primates chastised Christians who in the pursuit of social and economic change, lost sight of the centrality of the cross and the primacy of repentance and amendment of life. “While it is obvious that such good things as feeding the hungry, fighting disease, improving education and national prosperity are to be desired by all, by themselves any human dream can become a substitute gospel which renders repentance and the cross of Christ irrelevant,” he said.
While the archbishop’s letter stands in contrast to recent Western church endorsements of the MDGs ”“ a series of 8 initiatives adopted by the U.N. member states that seek to address education, healthcare, and poverty issues ”“ the African church, not America is the focus of concern Anglican Ink has learned.
I highly recommend reading the summary of Peeters’ critique of the “new global ethic” here: http://www.americananglican.org/assets/News-and-Commentary-Files/2012/02_2012/New-Global-Ethic-IMP.pdf?utm_source=AAC+Weekly+Update+February+17,+2012&utm_campaign=February+17,+2012&utm_medium=archive
Thank goodness someone has finally called the truth on the “Millennium Development Goals.” One of the many signs that my former parish had jumped the shark was when, several years ago, their Vacation Bible School decided, as their topic, they would do the “Gospel of the Millennium Development Goals,” saying that Christ’s teachings were consummated in the MDG and the actions of the United Nations. Not being there any longer, I don’t know who would have actually signed their kids up for that, but the whole thing was monumentally creepy and brought to mind the “Left Behind” series.
For me, the whole farce of the Millenium Development Goals is summed up in the following YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc62A82YJ14 .
I’ve never been able to figure out whether Fr. Matthew is being serious or unbelievably sarcastic about the whole thing, but to me it summarizes what a joke the whole “MDGs will save the world” theology is.
A lone voice of reason.