Pensees: Thank You, New York Times!

Thank You, New York Times!

Thank you, New York Times. Your condescending twisting ways will work in our favor. Your deliberate misrepresentation of Kevin Bauder’s intentions, your dogged determination to cast Biblical Christianity in the darkest light possible will result in the introduction of thousands to men who will prove more effective than the current leaders of evangelicalism.

Dr. Kevin Bauder will explain himself well. And, in the process, garner for himself and those of like spine a vast following. Thanks to the introduction provided by ETE and the NYT.

Sappy, spineless, sentimental evangelicalism has flubbed. Their desperate and obsequious pandering to the culture by attempting to make the gospel palatable to as many people as possible while passing themselves off to millions of trusting believers as the champions of morality in this country has been royally embarrassed. A homosexual activist is a star of one of their movies. And, in spite of what many think, ETE had the option to dismiss him. Yet, most Evangelical leaders are unwilling to put their foot down. They, unlike prophets of old, don’t want to lose their heads over one issue. Thank God, John the Baptist wasn’t as savvy as they are.

For all their chest-beating in the cultural wars, they have utterly failed to see the big picture. The culture, the homosexual culture, is toying with their “gospel.” The world laughs. And Evangelicals (think World Magazine, Dobson, et. al.) are proving that what they dread more than a homosexual agenda driven culture is any identification whatsoever with fundamentalists. Thus, the lamest of excuses for ETE’s casting decision is heralded as sane, Christian action. The best defense for their capitulation to the culture is a dream, Steve’s dream.

Now a sleeping giant has been awakened. Sitting quietly in the backwaters of evangelicalism is an articulate, intelligent, and bold new cadre of leaders. They have quietly borne the reproach of fundamentalism with all of its attendant foibles and the condescending scorn of Evangelical Eliabs who think that by virtue of the fact that they have looked at Goliath for a longer period of time they know better than the ruddy little Davids about the real battle.

Eliabs, move over. It’s not your battle. It’s the Lord’s.

For all of the confused people who think that the noise made about homosexuality is irrelevant to the gospel, I will remind you that John the Baptist lost his head, not because he piously restrained from the “culture wars,” but rather because he chose to die on a “culture war” hill. He made a stink about Herod’s adultery. It was on that issue he lost his head. Literally. You cannot claim to be champions of the Gospel if you are not going to stake out violations of God’s moral law and cry out against it. And you lack the spirit of the prophets if you don’t cry out against the most public violations even as John did.

Thanks to ETE’s self-serving promotional stunts and the liberal NYT thousands will be introduced to men with spine, men who have for too long been silent on cultural issues, but have been honing their skills in the back country. These men, with deadly accuracy, will hit the mark.

Pray for Dr. Kevin Bauder.

*For a humorous take on ETE’s childish reaction, read Larry Rogier.