Wednesday, July 07, 2010

I'll retire to Bedlam: Levi Johnston gets what Christians don't?

Ergun Caner reportedly makes scores of untruthful statements in public venue after public venue. He's caught out. Finally, he mumbles some generalities in public, but supposedly more in private — and that's supposed to be it? And folks who think it isn't are haters?

Francis Chan tells the world he's lurching off from his ministry on some sort of mission, giving bizarre reasons that just don't diagram. Call him on it in the same arena, and you're a hater?

Mark Driscoll does what he does publicly, and if Phil Johnson says something about it in the same arena without taking Mark to a Starbucks first, he's a hater?

Yet Levi Johnston, poster boy for why girls should never have sex outside of marriage, trashes the Palin family, and then has the moral sensibility to say this:
“I have already privately apologized to Todd and Sarah. Since my statements were public, I owe it to the Palins to publicly apologize."
(Fred Butler sends me an additional link.)

So, this morally, spiritually clueless young derelict "gets" what hundreds, thousands of professedly Christian, professedly Biblically-instructed people don't: public sins should be confronted publicly and confessed publicly.

(Though, were he a Christian, I would urge him to specify and correct his lies about the Palins.)

I will, as I say, retire to Bedlam.

17 comments:

Dave .... said...

What make you think you're not already in Bedlam?

Tom Chantry said...

Yeah, I saw the Caner situation, too. One is reminded of I Corinthians 5:1 - what are we supposed to do when the behavior tolerated in the church is not even tolerated by pagans?

Mark said...

Dan, I need a new gig. One where the money rolls in and I'm unaccountable!

Email me some ideas. :)

Randy Talley said...

Time will tell whether Levi really does "get it", but to your main point, I won't even pretend that you're surprised.

Praise God that the gospel is still the power of God for salvation, versus the inverted priorities of some who claim to uphold it but seem bent on marginalizing it.

DJP said...

Mark: Dan, I need a new gig. One where the money rolls in and I'm unaccountable!

I hear Liberty's looking for a president....





( ba-dum bum )

jmb said...

Johnston is a lowlife who has nothing to lose by apologizing - he may even gain a little respect. The others, particularly Caner, face a loss of credibility, no matter how much forgiveness they receive. Of course, they should do the right thing anyway, regardless of the consequences.

Robert said...

Fear of man vs. fear of God. It is clear that some church leaders have their priorities out of whack with that concept because they worry about what people will say/think instead of what God says in His Word.

Gregg Metcalf said...

Have we fallen down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland?

Rachael Starke said...

Maybe I'm just cranky today, but I don't think Mr. Johnston gets a pass for his lack of specifics because he's not a believer. But I'm not holding my breath that the MSM is going to be lining up to get details and print front-page stories on it. That would mess with their narrative.

B Barnes said...

Dan: ( ba-dum bum )


tisssh!

Keith said...

jmb:
I agree that "Johnston is a lowlife who has nothing to lose by apologizing." However, Dr. Caner is actually in the same exact situation, only worse. He lied about God by lying about what God did for him. He told the lies in public. He needs to tell God he is sorry, and then tell us he told God he was sorry.

In reality, Dr. Caner is a sinner (lowlife) with nothing to lose by apologizing (repenting).

Aaron said...

We're assuming that Mr. Johnston didn't have some other motive for apologizing (like lawsuits and child custody disputes). I have deep suspicion of celebrity apologies.

P.D. Nelson said...

Rush Limbaugh has said that the apology of Levi Johnston is just another publicity ploy. As he is addicted to being in the limelight.

Merrilee Stevenson said...

Thank God that He forgives and remembers our sins no more! (Unlike the rest of us, who are pretty good at selective memory, and very good at holding on to transgressions.)

This post made me think about the importance of the public aspect of church discipline. The purpose behind it being the desire for restoration of the broken relationship(s). If a brother or sister who has been put out of the church publicly for their refusal to repent later comes to a point of humility and repentance, there is a way to restore them back into fellowship with the body, and it also needs to be done publicly. (Although serious damage always leaves scars on a body, even after the healing.)

I can imagine that Mr. Johnston's private and public apologies will/have helped improve (perhaps restore?) relationships with he and his son's grandparents--a relationship for life. I have a hard time imagining what will happen with Mr. Caner and the relationships that need to be restored there. And is he under any kind of church discipline?

FX Turk said...

It's easy to apologize after the check from Playgirl clears the bank. Just sayin'.

DJP said...

We'll take your word on it.

Rhology said...

LOL @ cent and DJP.