Justin Tayler notes that some "thorough-going rotters," as C.S. Lewis would say, get a free pass theologically, while others (read: Mark Driscoll) get taken to task for the tone of their orthodoxy. I'm reading between the lines, but I thought this was a useful sideline to the current Driscoll outcry.
I don't often link to "bad theology" articles in order to bash them, but I'm making an exception here. It is rare for a writer to be this honest about the functional sovereignty of his own mind in determining the object of his worship. In other words, Bart Campolo is an idolater of the first-order. (Something tells me, though, that there won't be any "protests" planned against his views.)
So why isn't Bart's church getting protested? Where are the open letters to Bart? Just a little chocolate for cogitation.
9 comments:
The problem I find with Campolo's argument is not that he believes in a completely good God who can triumph over evil, but rather that he communicated it poorly. Is there something wrong with a assuming that God, who can create this world with the flick of God's not too existent wrist, can choose to save ALL people if God would like? I think we often make a theological problem worse by assuming that God must act as we believe God should act, or that God must send individuals to hell simply because that's what we believe the bible says. Even Karl Barth noted that it was not his place in theological discussions to impose on God how God could respond to any individual's eternity.
Dustin,
I don't think he worded it poorly. I think he said exactly what he meant. If you believe that God has written history from beginning to end, that he created evil for his own purposes, then you do not worship the same God/god as Bart Campolo.
I am a free agent, after all, and I have standards for my God, the first of which is this: I will not worship any God who is not at least as compassionate as I am.
Bart is saying that he with his finite mind is a better judge of what compassion is than an infinite God.
A few excerpts:
This is my first article of faith. I required no Bible to determine it, and—honestly—I will either interpret away or ignore altogether any Bible verse that suggests otherwise.
John Calvin—or Jerry Falwell for that matter—may well be right after all, but if they are I would rather cling to my glorious hope than accept their bitter truth just to save my own skin.
I don’t hate God because I don’t believe God is fully in control of this world yet. Heck, God is not fully in control of me yet, even when I want God to be—so how could I possibly believe that God is making all the bad stuff happen out there in the streets? I don’t hate God because I believe God is always doing the best God can within the limits of human freedom, which even God cannot escape.
After reading most of the piece, I think Bart would freely state that he and I do not worship the same God.
There must come a time when we stop trying to win friends and influence people, a time when the sign on the club house door must come out that says "members only", a time when the group hug ends, a line is drawn in the sand and we "choose this day whom we will serve"...
That day comes when we start discussing issues like authority of Scripture and the character of God as revealed in said scripture. We can either have the God of the Bible or another God, but we cannot have both at the same time.
We cannot have the Savior we want, onlt the Savior we need, because the Savior we would want is no Savior at all.
This in no way limits the awe inspiring power of God or places Him in a small box. On the contrary, it honors Him for how He has revealed Himself in Scripture, and causes our love for Him to only grow. This is the God I pledge my alliegence to, the only one revealed in Scripture, the only one with the power to save.
I am well aware that I don’t get to decide who God is. What I do get to decide, however, is to whom I pledge my allegience. I am a free agent, after all, and I have standards for my God, the first of which is this: I will not worship any God who is not at least as compassionate as I am.
Just for grins, I'd like to see the lance wound in Bart's side, the nail holes in his hands and feet, the burns from the fires of hell he entered to preach the gospel before this resurrection. Then maybe I could agree that he was as "compassionate" as my God.
I know this is simplistic, but either believe or don't. Don't create a God in your own image to make yourself feel better.
Cheers.
And another thing. Query: Which Big 12 team is undefeated? KU (delenda est) or Mizzou?
Cheers.
I agree with those of you who commented on Bart's writing: he communicated with startling clarity, and with remarkable arrogance. We're used to encountering arrogance in a more subtle form - reconstituted as something supposedly palatable (kind of like SPAM).
Which Big 12 team is undefeated? KU (delenda est) or Mizzou?
Thud. The shot hits home. Brandon Rush needs to stop tip-toeing around the court in slippers and start asserting his NBA-esque abilities. The Jayhawks need to realize that despite their ridiculous talent, they can't win just by showing up.
I like to think that only on this blog would you find eloquent commentary on the compassion of the incarnation - followed closely by hoops smack.
Thud. The shot hits home. Brandon Rush needs to stop tip-toeing around the court in slippers and start asserting his NBA-esque abilities. The Jayhawks need to realize that despite their ridiculous talent, they can't win just by showing up.
Maybe Driscoll could given them a pep-talk? "Gird up your loins like men"--that kind of stuff. Hey--I'm just trying to bring the thread back 'round to the "tone of orthodoxy" theme--and that line about slippers is yours, after all.
Is anybody else following the discussion over at Scot's blog today? I've been posting like a madman (MUHAHAHA!!) in the thread Driscoll responds. So if any of you want to come over and yell "attaboy" or "I'm not with stupid", I'll be waiting for you. I imagine before the day is over, I'll get called a heretic at least once.
Maybe Driscoll could given them a pep-talk? "Gird up your loins like men"--that kind of stuff.
Maybe so... of course, after the latest, there might be protesters outside Allen Field House, demanding free KU tickets to compensate for Mark's hurting their feelings.
Is anybody else following the discussion over at Scot's blog today? I've been posting like a madman...
No joke! You've made some good points, too. I especially liked your "apologies" comment. I said a couple things myself, but you take the cake for pure eloquence (and volume ;).
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