Worthy bros Justin Taylor and Kevin DeYoung are shocked, shocked that WORLD magazine would print an article by Andree Seu lauding Glenn Beck and dubbing the practicing Mormon a born-again Christian.
What about the "but-Beck's-a-Mormon" thingie? Seu dismissively chirps, "I know he’s Mormon and all that" — leaving one to assume that "all that" includes polygamy, damning Gospel of works-righteosness, adding books to the Bible, etc. She hopes he's just like Apollos: a little off, ripe for someone to explain the difference. Which no one has done. Ri-i-i-ight.
But anyway, back to Justin and Kevin. Both find Seu's column shocking. I myself used to love Seu's writing. This is shocking.
But is it more shocking than gushing all over an unrepentant murderess and antinomian, dubbing her (also) a "Christian"?
Is it more shocking than accepting as "Christian" a convert to Roman Catholicism, without as much as one question about the meaning of the Gospel?
WORLD did all this, and it was duly noted... more than four years ago.
By someone.
UPDATE: now WORLD magazine has clarified (?) matters by stating "All of us need editing. Our website editing system failed in regard to Andrée’s post about Glenn Beck." Nice. What does that mean? They don't say. They do say that they will all the more press to interview Beck and "ask hard questions." Well, that's also nice. I hope they do.
But before we get too happy, note that the writer goes on to say, "One of the hardest aspects of reporting is assessing hearts, so we try not to do it...." If memory serves, that was the excuse the reporter gave years ago for not even asking Ann Rice what she thinks the Gospel is.
So... we'll see.
(HT Justin)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
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18 comments:
I'm beginning to notice a pattern...
If I did not have an unshakable faith in an absolutely sovereign God who is in total control of his creation, I would suffer from an increasing despair at the complete lack of discernment that exists in what passes for the Christian church these days.
It isn’t just the Glenn Beck thing, but also the absence of outrage at the BioLogoses, Joel Osteens, Brian Mclarens, and Rob Bells out there, who are making a mockery of the true gospel.
I have no doubt that we have reached that age that Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Squirrel
There is so much in that "and all that" that it would take a long series worth of posts to cover it all. Mormonism is a cult...just like Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't know much about the author of that article, but I surely know more than I'd like to about Mormonism. Which is more than enough to say it is heretical. They may use a lot of the same terms, but the meaning the words hold for the Mormons are not the same meaning they hold for Christians.
Squirrel,
I wish i had the link, but Paul Washer gave a powerful sermon talking about that and how people running into these churches are getting what they are seeking after.
There should be more anger and outrage at people taking God's name in vain by their form of "worship, fellowship", or whatever they are calling it in their "churches" today. These churches and almost all that participate in their various services make me think of Isaiah 1 and Amos 5:18-27. While I know the audiences of these messages are Judah and Israel, respectively, I think they apply just as much to these churches and God's attitude towards religious hypocrisy. Hosea 4:6 also comes to mind for the lack of knowledge people have...which there is no excuse for, what with the multitudes of Bible translations, commentaries, and sermons available.
Douglas: excellent taste in movies.
HTML linking skills... not so much.
(c:
Hardly shocking.
Anyone, anywhere, can pick up a Bible and get the tag "Christian."
Anyone, anywhere, can quote Scripture (in context or out/accurately or not) and be assumed "Christian."
Heck, you can just hang out at any assembly that calls itself a church for one Sunday and take on the title.
Even being persecuted for being "Christian" is hip these days. Like emerg guys, the ultimate Bible-Acrobats, get validation from anyone who launches hard-Truth rockets at them. And Bio-logues :) probably like getting abused for their faith too.
If Beck was straight with Scripture, wouldn't he be out from Mormonity in a flash? Same with Rice (RC and fellowship), or Lamott (repentance).
Cause the world doesn't have the definition of Christian right. Not shocking at all.
Robert,
You (and Paul Washer) are absolutely right, of course. The people who fill Joel Osteen’s arena each week are there because that’s where they will get exactly what they want. It isn’t like there aren’t good Bible-teaching churches in the Huston area they could go to.
As I said, I do not despair because I know that God is sovereign. His sheep will hear His voice!
Squirrel
Squirrel,
While it is the vast minority, there are definitely plenty of good churches around here (I live just outside Houston). I am sure it is the same story across the country, although here, there just happens to be a church on almost every corner...and I'm not exaggerating.
But...But Dan!! He's a political conservative who keeps giving the liberals the business! Don't be so mean!
<.< >.>
What's the "unrepentant murderess" about?
Hmmm, wierd. Desiring God is advertising a link to subscribe to WORLD (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/subscribe-to-world-magazine-and-support-desiring-god)
what to make of that!?
mikeb:
Follow the link in the last sentence of the post ("By someone"), then scroll down a few lines to the paragraph that begins, "It started many months ago..." The phrase you asked about is a reference to Anne Lamott.
"unrepent murderess and antinomian." "convert to RC-ism"
Before I look, let me guess. Anne Lamott and Frank Beckwith?
(Lamott, BTW, strikes me as the sort of person likely to just say stuff without any strict correlation to things in the real world. What ever did come of her startling admission?)
If you really want to get a donnybrook started in some circles, dare to criticize "The Shack."
Squirrel, sometimes I come close to despair also.
http://online.worldmag.com/2010/09/17/justin-taylor-on-a-tragic-mistake
Uh, editing system fail?
Thanks, Pooka, but that's already in the post as an update.
(c:
I missed it.
linkeratin' isn't my best feature.
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