Episcopalian Heretic ‘Bishop’ John Shelby Spong Dead at 90

“I have become convinced that we must put an end to atonement theology or there will be no future for the Christian faith….Unless biblical literalism is challenged overtly in the Christian church itself, it will, in my opinion, kill the Christian faith. It is not just a benign nuisance that afflicts Christianity at its edges; it is a mentality that renders the Christian faith unbelievable to an increasing number of the citizens of our world. John Shelby Spong, Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy: A Journey into a New Christianity Through the Doorway of Matthew’s Gospel

The Rev. John Shelby Spong, the former author and Episcopalian bishop known for his progressive beliefs and open heresies has died at the age of 90, according to an email sent from his home congregation to members.

A rock star within the decrepit Episcopal Church and emblematic of what it means to be an enemy of God, Spong spent decades supporting and debating the goodness of homosexuality (He debated Dr. James White in 2006), writing best-selling books about it and making a practice of appointing LGBTQ clergy within his diocese, all until 2009 when he released a manifesto declaring that he refused to discuss it anymore, arrogantly concluding men copulating with other men to the glory of God is theologically settled and is beyond dispute.

While known for his apologetic work in advancing the kingdom of sodomy, he was also known for being a rank heretic, openly rejecting and abandoning multiple primary Christian doctrines, such as theism itself, the virgin birth, the bible as the word of God, miracles, and notably, the physical resurrection of Jesus.

Despite denying all those things, he was welcomed with open arms within the Episcopal church, demonstrating what a rotting corpse of a denomination they are. To quote Albert Mohler from 2009, back when he was still pretending to be a conservative:

“Bishop Spong has staked out a theological position that is so far outside the realm of Christian orthodoxy that it defies description. In a succession of notorious publications, Spong has denied virtually every conceivable doctrine and has embraced almost every imaginable heresy. His abandonment of biblical Christianity is both intentional and straightforward — what this bishop demand is nothing less than the total reformulation of the Christian faith. In other words, Bishop Spong would replace Christianity with a new post-Christian religion while continuing to be recognized as a bishop of the Episcopal Church.”

Despite rejecting the vast majority of Christian belief and proverbially smacking the Lord in the face on the daily with his doctrine of demons, in some sad and perverse way he viewed himself in some way a ‘believer’ tellingly saying in a 2013 interview with RNS that would set the stage for the rest of his life:

“The older I get the more deeply I believe but the fewer beliefs I have…And I think that’s probably where I am. I have a sort of mystical awareness (of God) that’s indescribable, but I can’t avoid it. When I’m asked to define God I’m almost wordless.”

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