Christians Deceived v. Christians on a Mission

Molly Worthen has written an excellent article for The New York Times entitled, "Donald Trump and the Rise of the Moral Minority." My main critique of her analysis is that I do not like being called a member of the "Moral Minority" because I do not consider myself moral. I want to be moral, but find that I need God's forgiveness daily. Still, the bulk of the article is excellent.

In the article, Worthen writes: "In books titled “Radical” and “Counter Culture,” Dr. Platt urges evangelicals to reject Christian nationalism, “cap” their materialistic lifestyles and give more to charity....“We’ve chosen to be passionate about issues that have been the least costly to us,” he told me. “Countering culture” means recognizing the ways American Christians have mistaken both material and social comfort for spiritual rewards."
and
"Who are the heroes of these countercultural warriors? They have assembled a selective genealogy that omits evangelicals who once used the language of martyrdom and resistance to defend white supremacy. They trace their heritage from Paul and the Apostles (contemporary America reminds Dr. Platt of the fleshpots of first-century Corinth, “a city filled with sexual immorality”) to the Christian reformers of the 18th and 19th centuries, especially William Wilberforce, the evangelical politician who helped end slavery in the British Empire."

My view: Too many Christians are telling themselves stories of how we will "take back" America, as if we had it in the first place. This attitude opens up Christians to being deceived.

For example, I am baffled how so many Evangelical Christians can be so deceived by men such as Donald Trump and others in politics who obviously use them for their own purposes. Then, when I think of how many Evangelical churches see evangelism as a form of marketing and sales, I realize I should not be baffled. Salesmanship Christianity defends the easy life of America, and tells itself stories that all we need is more marketing and sales to bring in converts and win elections. Given this disposition, men like Trump and other in politics use marketing and sales tactics to win their support, and unfortunately often succeed.

Being a Christian is not the result of marketing or sales tactics, and being wealthy is not necessarily a reward for being spiritual. See Revelation 3:14-22. In this passage we see a good description in many ways of so many contemporary Evangelical churches.

You see, God is still in charge, just as He was in the early days of Christianity in a very immoral world. Furthermore, He is also in charge of a person's salvation because in our natural state, we cannot choose Him. He must choose us. See what Jesus told His disciples in John 15:16-17. No marketing or sales tactics can bring a person to Christ. "We love because he first loved us" (I John 4:19 ESV).

Christians Suffering from Collective Amnesia

The following quote by Craig L. Blomberg is very insightful:

"Every time things take a turn for the worse in the Middle East, some enterprising Christian publishes the latest unabashed analysis of  how end-times prophecies are being fulfilled and believers will soon be escaping from this world. And a frightening percentage of the evangelical Christian public seems always to suffer a collective amnesia, forgetting how the same kinds of publications just a decade or two earlier turned out to include a considerable amount of false prophecy. The one statistic that remains unvarying is that to date, 100 percent of all such scenarios have proven wrong. This alone should inspire a certain amount of reluctance to pin our hopes on the next round of speculation. Perhaps we ought actively to look in a different direction altogether."
- Craig L. Blomberg, "The Posttribulationism of the New Testament: Leaving "Left Behind" Behind," in A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to "Left Behind" Eschatology, edited by Craig L. Blomberg and Sung Wook Chung (2009, Baker Academic Publishing Group), p. 70.

Likewise, I have found such so-called prophetic teaching to be more like divination and interpreting omens. This is clearly prohibited in Deuteronomy 18:10: "There shall not be found among you anyone...who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens..."

Likewise, Jesus instructed us not to waste our time predicting the end times, but rather be engaged in the work of the Church: "So when they [the apostles] had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He [Jesus] said to then, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'" (Acts 1:6-8).

Craig L. Blomberg noted that many councilors and therapists say that the present generation of Christians "may be the least theologically equipped generation in church history when it comes to dealing with personal and collective suffering and evil" (p. 70). Yet, Jesus warned His disciples, ""See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name , saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray...Then they will deliver you up to tribulations and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved..." (Matthew 24:4-5 & 9-12).

Indeed, Jesus is coming again. In the last chapter of the last book in the Bible, Jesus said, "'And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.'" (Revelation 22:7).

Therefore, we must beware of contemporary false prophets who reduce Biblical prophecy to divining world events and omens, and false prophets who reduce Biblical prophecy to entertainment and fortune-telling.

Cheating in and Disdain for Higher Education

As a professor who has graded many papers, I have done my best to evaluate the work of each of my students. Most of my students are honest, but unfortunately there are too many students trying to buy papers or copy other sources and have these accepted as their own work. The Chronicle of Higher Education has an excellent article, "The Shadow Scholar," published in 2010, which describes one process for cheating written by "Ed Dante," a pseudonym for a person who writes papers for students.

Some, perhaps most students cheat simply because they panic or have bad character. However, I have also encountered students who cheat because they disdain their professors and therefore feel justified to cheat in order to pass a class. This disdain for higher education is encouraged by many political commentators, and I have found most of these commentators to be political conservatives.

The effect of such attitudes towards higher education are disturbing. For example, I often read about so-called "scholars" in the popular media who claim to be scholars in politics and history, and yet have no academic training in these fields. They are usually dealing with politics and history, but I have also found such people to be in theology. They do not claim to be commentators, which would be honest and valid, but as scholars. This implies that they have completed formal training in a field in an accredited university. However, such men refuse to pay the price to go through the discipline of an academic program and complete a degree, and they succeed by preying on their readers and listeners (the Apostle Paul warned us about such men in I Timothy 4:3). The disdain these commentators have for higher education can encourage students to disdain their professors in college.

This is troubling because I take my profession as a calling from God, and therefore do not cheat or try to deceive people, and I do not try to claim to be a scholar in areas in which I have no expertise. Each degree I earned was from an accredited university. Furthermore, I wrote every paper for my undergraduate and graduate classes, and I always strove to give credit to authors by citing their works in my papers. Likewise, my wife edited my dissertation for grammar, and my dissertation committee (the professors who guided my research) also edited my dissertation for content. However, the work was original, which means I extensively researched the topic and wrote the book-sized dissertation (which took years to complete). As I went through my doctoral program, it seemed at times as if I did more things wrong than right given the amount of criticism I received on my papers, but I persisted. Eventually, I came to appreciate the criticism each professor offered because I realized they were helping me become a better scholar. It was a long and hard process, and very humbling, but it was worth it.

Yet, I find that pseudo-scholars have poisoned the hearts and minds of well meaning people to the point that I have had both family and friends openly show contempt for my profession. This is sad because there are many Christians who have paid the price by completing a challenging academic program in an accredited university, and thus, earning their respective degrees. Some are politically conservative, too, which means the issue is not about being politically conservative or liberal. The issue concerns disdain for higher education.

Is it no wonder, then, that many students cheat when they are taught to disdain the their professors?

Political, Ethnic, Socio-economic, Intellectual, and Moral Identities

"If we get our very identity, our sense of worth, from our political position, then politics is not really about politics, it is about us. Through our cause we are getting a self, our worth. That means we must despise and demonize the opposition. If we get our identity from our ethnicity or socioeconomic status, then we have to feel superior to those of other classes and races. If you are profoundly around of being an open-minded, tolerant soul, you will be extremely indignant toward people you think are bigots. If you are a very moral person, you will feel very superior to people you think are licentious.

"...Whatever you base your life on -- you have to live up to that. Jesus is the one Lord you can live for who died for you -- who breathed his last breath for you. Does that sound oppressive?"

- Tim Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism.

What future is real to you?

"Isaiah, Amos, and many of the prophets wrote about what God wants to bring about in the future--the kingdom of God, the new heaven and new earth, a healed material creation......When John the Baptist sends a messenger from prison who says to Jesus in Matthew 11: 'Are you really the Messiah? Are you the one who is bringing the kingdom of God?' Jesus answers: 'The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor' (Matthew 11:5). That is the kingdom of God--shalom--complete healing of all the relationships in the creation. We will be reconciled to God; to nature; to one another; and to ourselves.
     "And to the extent that that future is real to you, it will change everything about how you live in the present."
- Tim Keller, King's Cross​: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, (Dutton, 2011), p. 221-222.

Only God the Son can redeem the world, and only God can bring us into fellowship with Him. Any other pseudo-Jesus is an anti-Christ (I John 2:22). Jesus is the "I AM," YHWH in the Old Testament (Exodus 3: 13-15 and John 8:58).

The future can be hopeful if we place our hope in Jesus. Putting our hope in anything else is only a phantom wish. Such idols will only disappoint us. This is something I need to remind myself over and over.

Do Not Allow Hate To Win

Please take the time to watch this video at The Gospel Coalition: VICTIMS’ FAMILIES FORGIVE THE MAN WHO MURDERED THEIR LOVED ONES AND CALL FOR HIM TO REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.

These families are hurting real bad. Yet, they extend God's offer of love and forgiveness to the killer.

That is Christianity in practice!

"Letter from Birmingham Jail"; Complete Text aand Outline

If you have not read this, Justin Taylor has posted Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" with an outline over at The Gospel Coaliton. I highly recommend reading this letter.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. not only wrote intelligently and on a foundation of Christian love, he wrote prophetically reaching the reader's conscience. It is an excellent work.

Praying doctrine...

"Doctrine cannot be understood unless it is prayed...And doctrine, if it is to be prayed, must also be lived..."
- Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church, new edition, Penguin Books, 1997, page207.

That Dangerous "Slippery Slope": It runs both ways...

Recently, I have found the "slippery slope" argument being used quite a bit among conservative Evangelical Christians to argue that holding certain beliefs will inevitably lead to belief in a number of bad things, usually theological liberalism. Do you believe in: women in ministry; continuation of the spiritual gifts; or, a different interpretation of any passage in the Bible that threatens the status quo? Then, as the argument goes, you may be on the "slippery slope" towards liberalism.

Yet, there are several problems in using the "slippery slope" argument. For example, today's comic by Scott Adams (June 06th, 2015) shows how Dilbert's boss uses a "slippery slope" argument as a way to stop a conversation and avoid solving a problem at work. You can access this comic here. As seen in this comic, a "slippery slope" argument does not answer questions, resolve arguments, or provide solutions to problems.

Given this, why do people invoke this argument? It can be used to shut down debate. It is a conversation stopper! In using this argument, a person conveys the message that it is more important to control the argument than to answer questions or debate important concepts. 

A few other problems include:

1. The misuse of the truth is a slippery slope, itself. I have noticed that people invoking the slippery slope argument only see one slippery slope that leads to liberal doctrine and diluting the Gospel message. They do not see how their refusal to debate an issue on its own merits can be a slippery slope towards legalism and intellectual rigidity, even if they are doctrinally correct.

2. Those who invoke the "slippery slope" argument do not see how this argument can be used against them, as well. For example, I once had a Roman Catholic friend who argued that the Reformation was wrong because it put the Church on the "slippery slope" to disunity and opened the door to doctrinal heresy. Ironically, many of my friends today who invoke the "slippery slope" argument are Protestants who do not see how this argument can be used against them.

3. Invoking the "slippery slope" argument does not prove or disprove a proposition. Much like an ad hominem argument, if you cannot win with logic and facts, attack the man. That is, if you cannot win an argument, resort to the "slippery slope" to shut down debate. 

Indeed, I find it hard to refute "slippery slope" arguments because it shuts down the discussion. It suggests that no matter how correct my proposition may be, it must be wrong because it inevitably leads to something worse. This is why it is so important to understand that "slippery slopes" go both ways: they not only can lead to false doctrine and a dilution of the Gospel, "Slippery slopes" can also lead to legalism and rigidity.

One way to avoid the temptation to use the "slippery slope" argument is to check one's motives. Paul wrote, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person" (Colossians 4:6 ESV). Are you trying to provide a proper answer, or are you trying to control the argument and control the other person?

Again, one can avoid the “slippery slope” argument by addressing issues each on their own merit. If something is true (for example, that salvation is by faith in Christ alone, and not by works - Ephesians 2:8-10), then we must argue for this truth and not be swayed that such beliefs may be "slippery slopes" towards Church disunity. Can you argue for a doctrine on its own merits?

Certainly, if a belief or doctrine is wrong, then one must persuade others of its error. In doing so, we must be like the Jews of Berea who “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11 ESV). This is necessary because, as John Locke wrote,

All the Life and Power of true Religion consists in the inward and full perswasion of the mind: and Faith is not Faith without believing…true and saving Religion consists in the inward perswasion of the Mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God.

- A Letter Concerning Toleration, edited by James H. Tully, 1983, Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., p. 26-27.

Using the "slippery slope" argument does not effectively persuade someone about the truth of a belief or proposition. At best, this argument installs an unhealthy fear in a person rather than nurturing a living faith. At worse, it fails to refute bad doctrine or promote the message of Christ. It is an argument based on fear, and is motivated by fear. Therefore, Christians must seek to persuade others of the truth of a doctrine with the help of the Holy Spirit rather than shut the argument down with fear.

Where is Moral Decay Found: Government or Business?

"In this growing -- we fear it must be said rapid -- decay of virtue and integrity in legislative halls, in some quarters even in courts of justice, and in leading financial circles, the most portentous evils are opening before us. Can they be arrested? The answer to this question depends upon another. Have we vital Christianity enough among us to check the progress of moral decay? Is there that fear of God and love of truth and right among our countrymen, which will insist on honesty and integrity in the administration of public affairs and in the conduct of financial corporations and commercial enterprises?"

- William Henry Green, Conflict and Triumph: The Argument of the Book of Job Unfolded (1999, Banner of Truth Trust), p. 17. William Henry Green (1825-1900), a linguist and Old Testament scholar, and was the chair of Biblical and Oriental Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1851 to 1900.

I like in this quote because Dr. Green applies the need to have virtue and integrity in both government ("the administration of public affairs") and business ("the conduct of financial corporations and commercial enterprises"). It has been rightly said before that politics is downstream from culture, and Dr. Green notes the need for vital Christianity in our culture.

Too often, contemporary politics distorts the Christian message, such that conservatives decry big government and liberals decry big business. Each is a biased view. Dr. Green properly applies the standards of honesty and integrity to both government and business, and notes that all individuals need the eternal foundation of authentic faith in Christ.