The recent exchanges described in The Times between local church entities parallel our national political dialogue.

So-called “progressives” maintain the patently absurd view that the U.S. Constitution is a “living, breathing document” – meaning that it’s subject to reinterpretation at any given time, depending on who is in power and what meaning suits them at the time.

The normal view held by sober (and honest) people is that the words mean what they mean and there is plenty of supporting documentation to back up those meanings, not the least of which is a common understanding of English language. The discussion among the churches here is similar.

Apart from Christ himself, the Bible is the foundation of Christianity. For a pastor to say that the Immaculate Conception is “an outdated myth” is out of line. When will he later decide that feeding all the people at the Sermon on the Mount is “an outdated myth?” What about the resurrection? What about raising Lazarus?

Finally, at what point does Jesus become just another guy – according to the whims of current fashion? When Jesus becomes just another guy, why worship him? When our Constitution means whatever you want it to mean, why have one?

Like our Constitution, the Bible, too, is a foundation. When you start tinkering with foundations, you put entire structures at risk.