If you follow the news, you have seen it happen: whenever anyone of the wrong pigmentation disagrees with our president's policies, or those of certain of his associates, he finds himself accused of racism. Just when you think this may be dead or at least exaggerated, it
pops up yet again. The hope is to sideline the logic and force of the criticism and put the critic (A) on the defensive and (B) in an insoluble dilemma (i.e. "Prove you're
not racist, on 'three': one, two...").
Such trump-cards are not confined to politics, of course. One of the more egregious is played regularly by
Leaky Canoneers.

Perhaps you're new to these parts and unfamiliar with the expression. I invented the term
"Leaky Canoneer" to denote the person who
formally says that he affirms the completeness, inerrancy, and closed nature of the Biblical canon, but who
informally gives the lie to that profession. How? By asserting that God
- ...continues to speak...
- ...directly...
- ...and quotably (or at least paraphrasably)...
- ...to him...
- ...apart from Scripture.
I've come at this dozens of times from dozens of angles, both here and at Pyro and elsewhere.
Today's sally is brought to you courtesy of
James MacDonald. You'll forgive me for letting you do your own research for links and specifics; we at Pyro (but not we alone) have been
pretty much on top of the situation, and sometimes ahead of the curve. Two of my favorite Tree Falling in the Forest posts were on the topic (
this and
this).
But anyway, James MacDonald decided to feature well-known modalist and word-faith preacher T. D. Jakes as a "Christian leader" on his Elephant Room show. A firestorm of very appropriate concern and criticism arose. MacDonald responded alternately by chest-thumping, backtracking, then more chest-thumping. Many wondered how this guy could be associated with The Gospel Coalition while seeming to be relatively unconcerned about, you know, the gospel.
As usual,
Phil Johnson put it best: "
The collective leadership of TGC are going to have to decide which is more important: the Gospel, or the Coalition."
Well no, it turns out, they won't.
In a solution that solves nothing, James MacDonald has resigned from TGC leadership,
as that leadership has acknowledged. In making this acknowledgement, however, they only compliment the departing brother, and make no direct reference to his hosting a heretic as a Christian leader. So that problem is unsolved.
What does MacDonald himself say? Oh, this and that, about what you might expect. He's making his priorities pretty clear to everyone, I daresay, and I hope the effect is salutary.
My focus is this bit
from MacDonald's post:
See that? MacDonald doesn't want his "minor" leadership role to " to give the impression [the TGC leadership]
agree with
all God has called me to do."
Let me break that down for you who are keeping score at home:
- God has "called" James MacDonald to do a number of things.
- The TGC leadership might not agree with all of those things.
- Therefore, the TGC leadership might not agree with God.
Nice, huh? They do nothing but compliment their departing heretic-promoting brother, and he responds by accusing them of sinning by not agreeing with him. Because that is the rub, right? God "called" James MacDonald to do certain things. Of this MacDonald entertains and allows no doubt. But the TGC leadership might not agree with those things. Those things that God called him to do.
Which means they don't agree with God.
So what is it when you don't agree with God? Right. Sin.
Nice, huh? And slick! You see, this way MacDonald doesn't have to answer any questions! He's completely off the hook! He doesn't have to explain featuring a heretic, his judgment, his priorities — why, now we know his priorities, according to him: he just wants to do what God tells him to do!
And who can blame him for that?
Unfortunately, much of the leadership of TGC probably can't, because at least some of them accept MacDonald's position at least in principle. God just might be mumbling and hinting and suggesting things apart from Scripture. Who can say?
And let's be very clear on this as well. Do you have a verse in your Bible saying, "And I command James MacDonald to give prominent platforms to men who deny the revealed truths of My nature and play fast and loose with Scripture on the whole"? Mine lacks that verse. This can only mean that God "called" James MacDonald directly, apart from Scripture.
So you can't judge it. See? God wasn't talking to you. He wasn't talking to me.
He was just talking to James.
This is that ugly little absolutely necessary corollary of Leaky Canoneering: adherents can play the "God told me" card and instantly get out of all criticism.

Well, not only that, right? Because now we know that James MacDonald isn't someone so desperate to be popular and well-liked that he'll make unwise (at best) associations to promote himself — no, he's a hero, because he and he alone is listening to the voice of God.
And these other guys? Psh. Carnal! Hidebound. Unspiritual, clearly. Because they might not "agree with all God has called [MacDonald] to do."
So, see? You thought it was James MacDonald who was looking kinda bad?
No, sir; no, ma'am.
It's TGC leadership, and anyone else who disagrees with MacDonald. For treating MacDonald with kid gloves, they get thrown under the bus.
And that, friends and neighbors, is "The 'God Told Me' Card."
Nicely-played, too.