When Did the Church Lose Her Heart?

I cannot embrace online (or offline) savagery emanating from doctrinal aficionados and aimed at the struggles of sinners, both professing believers and non-believers. The dry eyed verbal dismemberment is both heartless and void of any compassion that should be shown by imitators of Jesus. We all deal with self righteousness, but when it accepted as a normal, and even God approved, form of attitude and communication, then it has become a clandestine agenda. There are many instances of this, and I will use one as a corrective lesson for us all.

There is a young man named Randy Potts who is admitting to having an attraction for men. I guess this would not make any real news, except that this young man is the grandson of Oral Roberts. But let me be clear about two things. I take serious issue with the entire Robert’s theology and teaching, and I consider him to be a false teacher. Whether he knew Christ as his Savior is above my pay grade.

Also, I cannot accept homosexual behavior as consistent with the Scriptures. It remains clear what God has said about such things. But I have never struggled with such feelings and therefore cannot pound my doctrinal chest while eviscerating others who do. Redemption is for gays too.

I would direct you to an online discernment site called Apprising Ministries. It is administrated by a pastor named Ken Silva. This site calls into question the teachings of such men like Rob Bell, Brian McClaren, and many others. Many times his articles correctly identify doctrinal compromises and even heresies taught by such men. Even though I might take issue with a site whose core purpose is heresies, I still have benefited in reading some of the posts. And of course there are no posts in these type of sites that deal with their own lack of spiritual power because doctrinal orthodoxy is defined as absolute spiritual power.

But when they take it upon themselves to castigate sinners and magnify the moral failures and struggles of believers and nonbelievers alike, then I believe correction is in order. When this young man named Potts came out as gay THIS ARTICLE APPEARED. Yes, the feeding frenzy had begun. Of course the titillating factor that he was the grandson of Oral Roberts just added another juicy element to the spectacle. Now if you read the post and were able to wade through all the self links which are prevalent in all his posts, then you can understand the tabloid nature of such communications even when camouflaged as some kind of watchtower journalism.

Oral Robert’s oldest son was rumored to struggle with same sex attractions and as reported in Silva’s post he committed suicide. Well at least we can take comfort in the fact he didn’t try to justify his attractions. A gun to the head is better than a gay agenda. I am sure many so called orthodox and fundamentalists took secret and overt delight in the Robert’s family tragedy. But highlighting the family tragedies of non-orthodox preachers is not unusual, and in fact it has become big game territory in the online jungle of “look what others are saying and doing”.

But this latest online discernment service goes way beyond the usual moral and doctrinal hubris that passes as courageous stands for God’s truth. This crosses any authentic line which could by any stretch be identified with the spirit of Jesus. These kinds of public admissions, especially when it is of a gay nature, are relished by sites like AM, and they gleefully pounce upon these opportunities to tout their Scriptural exegesis and the indispensable informational service they provide. I cannot resist: It’s like throwing chum into a shark infested water. And when the subject of such heartless attacks references those sites, as in Pott’s case when he tweeted about Ken Silva, that is online discernment gold!

So the next post (you knew there would be more forthcoming) was a satirical swipe at this young man POSTED HERE. How compassionate. How loving. How humble. We are all so broken about the struggles of others, even if they are counter to what the Scriptures teach. Of course none of us ever do what the Scriptures teach against, or don’t do what the Scriptures do teach. And none of us struggle with sin on any level. The “Lord be praised” we continue to walk the narrow path of almost perfectionism while carrying the necessary bag of stones needed when opportunities arise. And we will admit to just enough nebulous personal sin to keep our orthodoxy intact.

But as void of pathos for the lives of others are contained in those two posts, the current post must be placed in the self righteous hall of fame with a special recognition of manipulation through the leveraging of the failures of others.

YOU MAY READ IT HERE.

Wow. Just wow. Now the life and struggles of the young man named Potts can be used to both tout the increasing readership of your site, as well as shamelessly plugging for money. Do you see what has happened here? I mean just the first sentence is an incredible moment of self serving rhetoric.

“As you know Apprising Ministries is blessed by God to be one of His leading online apologetics and discernment works helping to blaze a new mission field that was previously largely unused.”

If you cannot see the palpable self righteous spirit in those words than I probably cannot help you see it. Blazing new mission fields? Never mind. Those words were written by the administrator himself. But to use Randy Potts in your post title in order to peak the interest of the readers, and then go into your reader count, is unconscionable. And then when you post positive choir e-mails to launch into a plea for funds it is carnal genius.

Yes, I disagree with the emergent theology and the health and wealth movement and many other segments of evangelicalism. But it breaks my heart when young men like Potts abandon the struggle and surrender to themselves. But it makes me sick when I see online discernment “ministries” use those personal travails as leverage for their own purposes and as nourishment for their reader’s flesh. I am guilty of much, and I struggle with self righteousness and other sins, but I will quit blogging if I ever sink to feeding upon the sins and struggles of others, and if I ever stop challenging myself and my readers to deepen the stakes and lengthen the cords of their own spiritual tents.

A final note: Please do not send money. (I know, self righteousness by me.)