Southern
Baptist Pastor: Jesus
is the "Founder of Liberalism"
Commentary
by Paul Proctor
A reader sent me an amazing article over the
weekend from the Religion section of The
Decatur Daily titled “An emerging Christianity is reshaping faith.” It was
written by the pastor of a Southern Baptist church in Auburn Alabama, who just
happens to be a syndicated columnist, as well. His name is James L. Evans.
Addressing the Emergent Church movement, as
if to be introducing it to the general public for the first time, he wrote
the following: “Even 
now
a new form of the faith seems to be taking hold within the broad tradition
of evangelicalism. Calling themselves ‘emerging Christians,’ or in some instances
‘the Emergent Church,’ a movement of mostly younger believers who are re-shaping
the traditional faith in ways that are creating excitement among some, and
deep worry among more established Christian leaders.”
“Reshaping the traditional faith?” Isn’t
that a little like reshaping an old clay pot into an ashtray? Just how does one
do that? Since you can’t remold hardened pottery into something else, it seems
to me the only course of action is to smash it and then set your smoldering stogy
on one of the broken pieces.
Does that mean it’s still an earthen vessel?
- I’d say about as much as the Emergent Church is a “traditional faith.” Oh,
you can call it an “earthen vessel” if you like - but it’s really just an
ashtray, isn’t it?
In my view, the only thing that has been “reshaped”
here is rebellion - a rebellion that is wreaking havoc in the Church today -
something our Decatur Daily
pastor/columnist didn’t bring up - even though he many have written about it,
including yours truly in a recent piece called “The Emerging Civil War.” Or,
could this be what the good reverend meant when he wrote that the movement was “creating
excitement?”
Isn’t positivism refreshing?
I thought it was cute the way he casually
explained the Emerging Church movement in the third person - as if he was just
an objective observer reporting on an ecclesiastical trend that he happened to
be privy to but wasn’t actually a part of himself.
You see, if you visit Pastor Evans’ own
church website, you’ll see, hidden in plain sight, right there in the big fat
middle of an otherwise traditional looking church homepage, pictured beneath
the words “A Journey in Faith,” an occult symbol and prayer device commonly
associated with Eastern Mysticism and the Emergent Church, called a Labyrinth.
My guess is, the older, more
traditionally-minded members of his church have no idea what a Labyrinth is -
where it originated - what it represents or what it means to the future of
Auburn Alabama’s First Baptist Church. But then, that’s the way change agents
work among the flock today - in stealth - below the radar, if you will -
publicly appearing to represent one thing while covertly promoting another.
In the Decatur
Daily article, Evans proceeds to quote Scott McKnight, a Northpark Seminary professor from Chicago who describes the
Emerging Church this way: “Emerging churches are communities that practice the
way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine
practices. Emerging churches identify with the life of Jesus, transform the
secular realm, live highly communal lives, they welcome the stranger, serve
with generosity, participate as producers, create as created beings, lead as a
body, and take part in spiritual activities.”
“Practice the way of Jesus?” What’s that
suppose to mean? As for his nine Emergent Church practices:
1. We are not called to “identify with the
life of Jesus.” We are called to repent and believe the Gospel. The former is
ambiguous, esoteric and misleading. The latter is biblical. (Acts 3:19 - Mark 1:15);
2. We are not commissioned to “transform the
secular realm.” We are called to preach the Word in season and out, whether
secular society hears it and accepts it or not. (2nd Timothy 4:2); 3. We are not commanded to “live highly
communal lives.” Communes are where socialism and consensus are preached and
practiced and where hippies and flower children were known to hang out back in
the 60s. Where do you think the term “communism” comes from? Faith in Christ is
not about following a group or going along to get along, but rather about
obeying God and proclaiming His Word even if no one else around you will. (2nd John 1:9-11);
4. “To welcome the stranger” does not mean
we are to fellowship with unrighteousness and “unequally yoke” ourselves to
unbelievers. (Ephesians 5:11, 2nd Corinthians 6:14);
5. “Serving with generosity” is not an
acceptable replacement for knowing, believing and obeying the absolute truth of
God’s Word - something the Emergent Church has a real problem with. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Luke 6:46);
6. Nowhere in scripture is the Christian
encouraged or expected to “produce” anything. The Holy Spirit does the “producing,”
which may or may not involve my participation in a commune. (1st Corinthians 3:7);
7. Nowhere in scripture is the Christian
commanded to “create” anything, but only obey the Word of God. It is He that
does the creating and, in spite of the Emerging Church’s contemplative quest to
discover “God within,” the Christian is not the Divine. (John 1:1-4); 8. Jesus did not
tell Christians to “lead as a body,” but instead to take up their cross and
follow Him. You cannot lead and follow at the same time. Those who think they
can, are the same people who think they are God. (Matthew 10:38, Matthew 16:24,
Mark 8:34, Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23);
9. Witches, Satanists, New Agers, demons and devils regularly “take part in spiritual
activities” - that doesn’t make them biblical or even Christian. (1st John 4:1)
Nevertheless, the pastor continues with
this: “…one of the central concerns of the emergent Christian movement is the
desire for their faith community to be all-inclusive - to welcome the stranger.”
First of all, the “central concern” of any
Christian, pastor or church, especially in this day and time, should be our
innate propensity, both individually and collectively, to stray from God’s Word
- to run after every “wind of doctrine” that comes along (Ephesians 4:14) - not a “desire for their faith community to be
all-inclusive.” There is no biblical mandate to be “all-inclusive.” That
ludicrous notion is the demonic doctrine of new age liberals masquerading as
Christians - trying to get everyone onboard the U.N.’s peace train to a
humanistic heaven on Earth.
He goes on to say: “This concern has
resulted in high tolerance for people of other faiths.” Emergent Christians
have serious doubts about doctrinal ideas which hold that some are in and some
are out - that is in or out with God. Is the re-shaped reverend suggesting here
that the Emergent Church embraces universalism? And, if so, does that mean he
too embraces it? Or is he still in the closet? Oh, I forgot - he’s just
conveying information impartially, like any good journalist. One thing’s for
sure - he certainly isn’t speaking out against the Emergent Church - at least
not in this article. But isn’t rightly dividing the Word of God his first responsibility
as a preacher of the Gospel?
Another agenda maybe?
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which
is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out
devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.” - Matthew 7:21-23
As if that wasn’t enough, Evans adds
absurdity to absurdity: “This means, of course, that emerging Christians are
not very evangelistic - at least in the traditional sense. For the most part we
will not find them trying to convert people from one faith to another or from
no faith to their faith.”
So, Emergents
might “transform the secular realm” - but don’t expect them to “convert people
from one faith to another or from no faith to their faith,” even if they’re
Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Moonies, Wiccans,
Satanists, atheists or agnostics, huh? Just bring ‘em
all in, light the candles and let the good times roll - is that it? The U.N.
folks will love that.
What about Jesus saying: “he that gathereth not with Me scattereth?”
I
guess “practicing the way of Jesus” isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be -
biblically speaking.
Still, Evans continues: “Emergent Christians
also tend toward a more liberal social view. They are concerned about the poor
and about the environment. The emphasis here for emergent Christians is on
serving and being generous. They think it is more important to live and act in
faithful ways rather than obsessing about what we should believe. This concern
for people and the world is not a stance related to any political party. For
emerging Christians, caring about people in this world is their mission in
life.”
Well, if that’s true, then I guess Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Al Gore, Rupert Murdock, Bill Gates,
Simon Cowell, Ted Kennedy, Ted Turner, Sheryl Crow
and Madonna are all Emergent Christians.
If this pastor is not immediately removed
from the pulpit of Auburn First Baptist Church, then AFBC ought to be removed
from the Southern Baptist Convention. But, you know what? He’s not going
anywhere - and neither is AFBC. You know why? Because you can go to the
Southern Baptist Convention’s LifeWay Christian
Stores online or to any of their walk-in bookstores nationwide and find a wide
array of books promoting the Emerging Church and Contemplative Spirituality.
If you find that hard to believe, just go to
the website of Christian Research Service, click on their Master List, scroll
down to the section subtitled: “CENTERING PRAYER/CONTEMPLATIVE
SPIRITUALITY/EMERGING CHURCH/CHURCH GROWTH/MYSTICISM/PURPOSE DRIVEN” and then
enter the names of the authors listed there into the search engine of LifeWay Christian Stores, beginning with the name “Ruth
Haley Barton,” and you’ll know why.
This is not just a James Evans problem. It’s
not just an Auburn First Baptist Church problem either. It’s not even a
Southern Baptist Convention-only problem. This is a global spiritual
catastrophe in the making and very few from today’s Church are even aware of
it, much less are speaking out against it.
“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not
to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting
about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh
envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse
disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute
of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
- 1st Timothy 6:3-5
Paul Proctor, a rural resident of the Volunteer
state and seasoned veteran of the country music industry, retired from showbiz
in the late 1990’s to dedicate himself to addressing important social issues
from a distinctly biblical perspective. As a freelance writer and regular
columnist for NewsWithViews.com, he extols the wisdom and truths of scripture
through commentary and insight on cultural trends and current events. His
articles appear regularly on a variety of news and opinion sites across the
internet and in print. Proctor can be reached via e-mail at watchman@usa.com.
