From the loins of Just This Side of Heresy, a second project has begun. In my most recent newsletter, I explained my intentions. Here's the essay:
Go onto YouTube.com and type in Brian McLaren's name, or Doug Pagitt's, or Rob Bell's. Before you ever reach a video featuring one of these three men, you'll find several videos or soundbytes by John MacArthur, denouncing them. McLaren, Pagitt, and Bell are three of the leading teachers in the emergent movement, a mini-reformation within Christianity which, at it's conservative end, believes that the Gospel is good news, rather than just an alternative to damnation. It believes that Christ's ministry to the poor consists of helping them socially, lifting them up from their shame, in addition to helping them in a spiritual manner. And it uses the arts as a medium of truth, placing great value in creativity.
MacArthur goes to great lengths to find and extract random lines that he can excerpt to condemn these men as heretics. Over the past few years or so, Ray Comfort and R.C. Sproul have joined him in his hunt. There's also a rather funny street preacher that stands outdoors and yells at people as they leave Rob Bell's church. Check that out for a laugh.
What I really want to point out is that MacArthur tries so hard to find rope to hang these guys that McLaren actually makes a general note of it in the second edition of his book, A Generous Orthodoxy, stating that he is certain he has included plenty of material that certain preachers will take issue with. He says this without naming names, but sadly, MacArthur has made such a witchhunter of himself that many know exactly who he is talking about.
But MacArthur's poorly titled program, Grace To You, comes on in my area. From time to time, I'll try to listen to it and attempt to not yell at my radio for broadcasting his ignorance. Here's one trend that I've noticed: MacArthur says numerous things on his program that sound heretical if you don't listen to the fifteen minutes of preaching that precede it. He's quite careless with his words, considering how careful he demands others to be. It's a wonder, in fact, that no one has turned the text-proofing sword back on him. McLaren and Pagitt are, admittedly, too meek or humble to do anything of the sort.
I'm not.
I may start a second blog soon, titled Emergent Venom, to pick apart every little detail that comes out of the mouths of MacArthur and his swarm. Think Ann Coulter, but with a sex change and a degree from seminary.
Beyond treating those things that I deem "heresy," I believe I may also spend a great deal of time quoting MacArthur's own contradictory claims. For example: He is very fond of the formulaic phrase, "Any bible believing Christian knows X." Though no one else has ever called attention to it, I've noticed that he uses this phrase most when he has no intention of backing himself up biblically. In one message, he stated that all bible-believing Christians held to the doctrine of Unconditional Election, but followed that up by saying that he is well aware that there are many verses which contradict his interpretation. That, he says, is what bible-believing Christians call a paradox. We shouldn't try to make sense of it, he suggests. The bible is full of paradoxes which will only be solved when we reach Heaven. Oddly enough, those paradoxes only occur when on assumes a Calvinist interpretation of the scriptures, as MacArthur does.
If we are, as the bible says, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, I can only assume that MacArthur, Sproul, and Comfort want thier errors rubbed in their faces, across the internet, and in print, should anyone ever happen upon them. Point taken, gentlemen. I'll get right on it.
***
Go onto YouTube.com and type in Brian McLaren's name, or Doug Pagitt's, or Rob Bell's. Before you ever reach a video featuring one of these three men, you'll find several videos or soundbytes by John MacArthur, denouncing them. McLaren, Pagitt, and Bell are three of the leading teachers in the emergent movement, a mini-reformation within Christianity which, at it's conservative end, believes that the Gospel is good news, rather than just an alternative to damnation. It believes that Christ's ministry to the poor consists of helping them socially, lifting them up from their shame, in addition to helping them in a spiritual manner. And it uses the arts as a medium of truth, placing great value in creativity.
MacArthur goes to great lengths to find and extract random lines that he can excerpt to condemn these men as heretics. Over the past few years or so, Ray Comfort and R.C. Sproul have joined him in his hunt. There's also a rather funny street preacher that stands outdoors and yells at people as they leave Rob Bell's church. Check that out for a laugh.
What I really want to point out is that MacArthur tries so hard to find rope to hang these guys that McLaren actually makes a general note of it in the second edition of his book, A Generous Orthodoxy, stating that he is certain he has included plenty of material that certain preachers will take issue with. He says this without naming names, but sadly, MacArthur has made such a witchhunter of himself that many know exactly who he is talking about.
But MacArthur's poorly titled program, Grace To You, comes on in my area. From time to time, I'll try to listen to it and attempt to not yell at my radio for broadcasting his ignorance. Here's one trend that I've noticed: MacArthur says numerous things on his program that sound heretical if you don't listen to the fifteen minutes of preaching that precede it. He's quite careless with his words, considering how careful he demands others to be. It's a wonder, in fact, that no one has turned the text-proofing sword back on him. McLaren and Pagitt are, admittedly, too meek or humble to do anything of the sort.
I'm not.
I may start a second blog soon, titled Emergent Venom, to pick apart every little detail that comes out of the mouths of MacArthur and his swarm. Think Ann Coulter, but with a sex change and a degree from seminary.
Beyond treating those things that I deem "heresy," I believe I may also spend a great deal of time quoting MacArthur's own contradictory claims. For example: He is very fond of the formulaic phrase, "Any bible believing Christian knows X." Though no one else has ever called attention to it, I've noticed that he uses this phrase most when he has no intention of backing himself up biblically. In one message, he stated that all bible-believing Christians held to the doctrine of Unconditional Election, but followed that up by saying that he is well aware that there are many verses which contradict his interpretation. That, he says, is what bible-believing Christians call a paradox. We shouldn't try to make sense of it, he suggests. The bible is full of paradoxes which will only be solved when we reach Heaven. Oddly enough, those paradoxes only occur when on assumes a Calvinist interpretation of the scriptures, as MacArthur does.
If we are, as the bible says, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, I can only assume that MacArthur, Sproul, and Comfort want thier errors rubbed in their faces, across the internet, and in print, should anyone ever happen upon them. Point taken, gentlemen. I'll get right on it.
***
So there you have it. I'll be back later.
4 comments:
Hi mate, you can delete this if you want - I just don't have an email address to communicate via (i hate making them public coz bots get ahold of them etc, so if you wanna contact me, use the contact page at greatcircle.com).
Just wanted to say that I feel your anger and it resonates with me. I wonder however if we're beginning to become like that which we criticise. Many of my rants lately have begun to bother me; partly because they are in the opposite spirit of what Jesus said about loving each other. It's a wrestle isn't it to both obey that and be true to his values of truthtelling and righteous outrage. May we find the balance somehow...
That's great Saint, but I think it could use a picture of Venom, you know, from Spider-man.
Did Justin or I ever mention that our pastor has met McLaren? He says that he's not as "out there" as his books make people think he is; he just calls attention to the things he thinks the church isn't talking about, and doesn't feel the need to preach the things the church is already preaching.
In fact, maybe you could tweak the picture a bit . . . like, Venom with a cross on his chest, or a priest's collar around his neck . . . the possibilities are endless.
By the way, I love that the comment feature says "choose an identity." Blogger is so existential.
Pete, I agree. If there are people out there that are giving the benefit of the doubt and being compassionate, then I can do the same for them. But as I said, when someone like MacArthur attacks another person without mercy, they're only living out the way they would like to be treated.
Zoe, I love McLaren. His "Why I Am Green" talks about a swamp in Maryland and made me quite homesick. At some point, when I go back to MD, I want to visit his church.
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