Doctrine, Preachers

Denial

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In a strange fit of unintentional honesty, Bob Gray sums up the issues with fundamentalism in four paragraphs:


[Noah’s sons] knew their father was not perfect. They knew their father was a sinner, drunk, and naked in that tent, but they did not want to see it even though they knew it was true. Anyone who is over you is there because God placed them there in your life, and if you are not careful you will miss the fact that God put them there and you will end up excusing your rebellion because of their imperfection. Here are some sons who said, “We know it’s true, but we don’t want to see it.”

I had the wonderful honor of preaching with Dr. Jack Hyles at least once a month for 22 years. Wait a minute, I knew he was not perfect because he was a human being like me, but I did not want to see his imperfection. I needed a hero. You need a hero. I knew he had weaknesses, but I did not want to see them. I knew he had sins, but I did not want to see them. I refused to allow myself to get that close.

Most divorces are caused because there is no mystique between husbands and wives anymore. Ladies, dress up for your husband like you would for guests in your home. Most church splits are caused because people become too close to each other. They begin to see all the warts. They see all the imperfections. They see all of the sins and here comes trouble in that church.
If you become too close to a staff member, let me tell you what you will find! As it is written, he is not righteous, he does not understand, and he does not seek after God. Let me tell you what you will find if you get too close to anyone. Romans 3:10-18 describes what you will find. Paul is speaking here about the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews thought they were better than the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul is saying you are no better than the Gentiles. He describes every human in these verses. This is the biography of Dr. Jack Hyles, Dr. John R. Rice, Dr. Curtis Hutson, Dr. B. R. Lakin, Dr. Lee Roberson and the Dr. Tom Malone’s of this world.

We have lost our mystique! You are going to find that your wife has the poison of asps under her lips, she is unprofitable, a throat that’s an open sepulcher, a tongue that uses deceit, her mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, her feet are swift to shed blood, and wives who become too close to their husbands will find the same thing out about them.
Let me see the beautiful forests, but do not let me become too close to see the knots, broken branches, dead branches, serpents, insects or the spiders. Let me stay at a distance and see the autumn time as the forest puts her coat of many colors on like Joseph of old. Let me step back and see it! Don’t let me become too close to see the diseased and dying tree. These two boys said, “We know daddy is a sinner, but we do not want to be reminded that daddy is a sinner.”

Denial is a virtue. Truth is overrated. Fantasy and magical thinking is what we need more of.

Odds and Ends

E-mails from Fundies: Scott S. Edition

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This good word comes from “Scott” who apparently believes that I’m wasting my life. Which is weird since he apparently doesn’t know a thing about my life.

You really think you’re hilarious, don’t you? What is your point with all this? Did your parents mistreat you or are you just having a bad day? This is what you dedicate your time doing? Seriously?

Jude 1:18 -How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
2 Peter 3:3 – Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

….but you don’t care about that, do you? You’re just out in the world making your own rules, questioning everything God has revealed to you in His Word and rejecting the truth…just like your father, the devil. Go ahead and laugh and laugh until you’re bowing before Him with absolutely nothing to say for your wasted life

Thanks, Scott! I’m sure that when you are asked in that great Judgment Day that the Almighty will be very impressed when you tell him how many e-mail rants you submitted to blogs. Be well, sir.

Current Events

Four Predictions For the Future of Fundamentalism

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predictions

After reading this article from last November about the future of fundamentalism I’m going to make my own four predictions about where I see fundamentalism headed.

1. It will get competitive

Church attendance across the spectrum is in decline and the cold-calling methodology of the trying to get new members is highly inefficient. Fundamentalists will continue to poach members from each other’s churches or target the very young and very old with offers of transportation but the core tithe-paying memberships will continue to shrink.

2. It will get cozier.

As fundamentalism shrinks and multiple churches begin competing for the same few souls you will begin to see more and more alliances formed between people who previously were once sworn enemies. There was a time when BJU and Hyles people would never have shared a platform but we’re beginning to see a trend towards more cooperation in an effort to stay solvent. Joining forces makes more resources available and opens up new “markets.” Case in point is the Baptist Friends organization which spans the entire spectrum of fundamentalism.

3. It will get crazier

The hallmark of fundamentalism these days is its inability to discipline its own leaders on anything from heresy to harassment. Apologists for fundamentalism always seem to be waiting for one more piece of evidence. They would be happy to do something but they just need a little more proof. They’d definitely not tolerate abuse but nobody has managed to give them absolute certainty that there is any abuse in fundamentalism. I mean what does “rape” really mean anyway? When any organization loses the moral fortitude to be self-policing, the people who inevitably take control will continue the destructive cycle of silencing relatively moderate voices in favor of the hand-picked minions who will let their bad behavior go unchecked.

4. It will get creative

Massive rebranding efforts are underway now on college campuses and in churches. There will always be a few who simply double down on the ways of the past but much of fundamentalism has begun to realize that they at least need to put a fresh new face on the same old Pharaseeism. What they won’t do, however, is apologize. They’ll never even admit that they’ve changed at all. Fundamentalism will continue to exist as long as there are people who are happy to trade the birthright of their minds and morals for the pottage of feeling safe and superior. That’s not going to change anytime soon.

A silly blog dedicated to Independent Fundamental Baptists, their standards, their beliefs, and their craziness.