Jan 13, 2010
Why It Matters How We Respond to Bad Theology
So this well-known Christian said something that wasn’t all that good the other day. If you know what I mean, you’ve probably noticed all of the chattering on social media and on news outlets. If you haven’t, you can read a bit about it at Don Miller’s blog along with his great response.
I really appreciated Don’s response to this Christian, and he is a Christian even if we find what he says reprehensible because that’s what God’s grace is all about—he can overcome our sins. Don hits on the right reaction: correction, sympathy, and sadness.
This morning I was ready to tear into this Christian leader for his statement, to mock him, and to pick his theology apart. I had what a friend of mine calls a “wisdom attack” to keep my mouth shut at that time. Did we really need someone else denouncing this guy, calling him names, and mocking his poor attempt at theology?
Folks watching this unfold probably aren’t surprised to hear about a Christian with troubling theology. That’s nothing new.
I don’t think anyone else is surprised to learn that Christians are mocking a fellow Christian and criticizing him. That unfortunately is also nothing new.
In fact, we gain nothing by criticizing or mocking a fellow Christian. However, that doesn’t mean we keep silent. We can certainly outline our points of disagreement and challenge points of bad theology that misrepresent God. We can also respond with compassion and forgive such people for saying something that he doesn’t even realize recognize as tremendously hurtful.
It’s not enough to be right or to expose bad theology. Our responses must also be redemptive, forgiving, and loving. Because really, does anyone think that this dude is going to reply to any of our posts, tweets, or Facebook updates?
Believing something like that is delusional like his theology.
If you’re like me, I post such things to let others know about the Jesus I follow, the kind of life I want to live, and the stuff I believe. If I kept silent, they could make the mistake of equating myself with such public figures. There is a need to clear the air.
However, by responding with grace and sympathy, much like Don Miller, we show that the love of Jesus can overcome the bad theology of a Christian in the media spotlight. And after we have that bad taste out of our mouths, we should probably spend the following day and every day after that on something more constructive, such as giving to World Vision or making a text donation to the Red Cross.
In fact, what if all of the Christians in the world were so busy sending aid to Haiti, even putting building campaigns on hold and selling off their possessions so they can donate more money, that this dude’s statement is covered in a mountain of charity and good deeds in the name of our Lord and his coming Kingdom? That’s a good way to spend our time… and money.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to sell a few theology books so I have a bit more cash to donate.
Ed: Well said, and timely. I especially appreciated this line: “It’s not enough to be right or to expose bad theology. Our responses must also be redemptive, forgiving, and loving.” Peace.
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Perfect.
Thank you, Ed.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by edcyzewski: New blog post: Why It Matters How We Respond to Bad Theology – http://tinyurl.com/ycem9k8...
You’re line about being redemptive, forgiving, and loving are absolutely true. I do think some CHristians need to get their definition of these words out of My Little Pony land, though.
Love is a matter of sticking around through the mess, and not abandoning people. It doesn’t mean not hurting their feelings. It might mean hurting their feelings very, very badly.
Much of the “don’t judge Pat” crowd’s logic would suggest that a parent shouldn’t throw themselves in front of their child’s knife-wielding attacker because you might jostle him a bit and that would be rude. It’s outlandish. If the man is wrong, he’s VERY, VERY wrong and should be made to look as such, just as publicly as he fumbled it. Not for the egos of the one’s who are right. But “so that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord.”
Love is a cross, not a warm tone of voice.
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I hear what you are saying,and there is a lot of grace in it, but there is another side to this. About the only people Jesus was ever rude to were his Mom and the religious leaders of the day. Frankly, he ripped them a new one. (Mom was a little different story.) Jesus didn’t handle the religious leaders of the day with kid gloves, he called them son’s of satan, he raised a ruckus, threw over some tables, hit people with a whip.
Is that called for with Pat? I don’t know. Jesus did what he saw the Father doing, so I suppose you would need the Holy Spirit to speak to you that way, to act that way. However, I don’t see strong, disruptive, and even mocking criticism to be inherently un-Christlike.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by edcyzewski, edcyzewski, Ray Hollenbach, Zach Cross, Tim Seiger and others. Tim Seiger said: RT@edcyzewski New blog post: Why It Matters How We Respond to Bad Theology – http://tinyurl.com/ycem9k8 [...]
great post.
but what do we do when this person continues to spew divisive and hurtful attacks to the Body of Christ? There are many Haitians that are Christian and are in mourning right now, not just over losing loved ones and the destruction to their island, but that there are implications that they deserved this plight. It’s wrong.
He said something horrible about Hurricane Katrina, as well.
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Thanks so much for this, Ed.
I am really angry, and am torn between letting grace and forgiveness do its work and saying “Enough is enough” (in the spirit of what Justin is saying about Jesus, above).
But I do know this: It might be a waste of time for the “little people” to deride Pat in hopes of changing him and those who gladly follow his every step, but it isn’t a waste of time for us to let non-believers around us know that he doesn’t speak for this. You said it perfectly here:
“I post such things to let others know about the Jesus I follow, the kind of life I want to live, and the stuff I believe. If I kept silent, they could make the mistake of equating myself with such public figures. There is a need to clear the air.”
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[...] Ed Cyzewski [...]
I don’t think it is ok right of Pat Robertson a Christian who has lost his way or has a simple case of bad theology. His evil and wicked ways go far beyond the stupid things he says on his silly program. From wikipedia (for more in depth information on his business dealings check out Chris Hedges’s American Fascists):
“According to a 2 June 1999, article in The Virginian-Pilot,[18] Robertson had extensive business dealings with Liberian president Charles Taylor. According to the article, Taylor gave Robertson the rights to mine for diamonds in Liberia’s mineral-rich countryside. According to two Operation Blessing pilots who reported this incident to the state of Virginia for investigation in 1994, Robertson used his Operation Blessing planes to haul diamond-mining equipment to Robertson’s mines in Liberia, despite the fact that Robertson was telling his 700 Club viewers that the planes were sending relief supplies to the victims of the genocide in Rwanda. In response to Taylor’s alleged crimes against humanity the United States Congress passed a bill In November 2003 that offered two million dollars for his capture. Robertson accused President Bush of “undermining a Christian, Baptist president to bring in Muslim rebels to take over the country.” At the time Taylor was harboring Al Qaeda operatives who were funding their operations through the illegal diamond trade.”
Robertson has staked his life on the side of murderers, terrorists, slave owners, thieves. I see no reason to affirm an unrepentant man like Robertson as a Christian. If anything, a man this evil shakes my belief that there is no hell.
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Thanks friends for the great comments here.
Nate, I agree that we should be strong in denouncing Pat and I hear ya on that verse you quoted. However, the mocking tone of many tweets and some angry comments don’t benefit anyone all that much. I’m not too worried about people being critical in critiquing his theology, but I am worried about smug, mocking replies that don’t have any kind of redemptive benefit and only show the world that we can be mean even when standing up for what’s right. I also think we need to ultimately explore more about ways we can overshadow Pat with good deeds rather than words.
Justin, I’m not sure mocking can have a redemptive effect and benefit anyone. As far as Jesus overturning tables goes, I think we both know that verse has been used in some pretty unsavory ways, so I’d hesitate to use that in ripping apart a believer with bad theology. I think you’re right in identifying Pat as the kind of person Jesus would have “roughed up” verbally, but you’re also right in saying that we’re probably not in the best position to play the role of Jesus.
Dee, I don’t know what we do to stop Pat. I don’t think we can. I just want to be sure we respond according to the Spirit of Christ and not a spirit of worldly anger. People have seen little of the former and too much of the latter. I think we can do much though by strongly disagreeing with Pat and then taking action that will overshadow whatever he says.
I must admit I’m excited at the thought of Christians throughout the USA and the world making extreme sacrifices in order to give aid to Haiti. If churches sold off equipment, stopped building projects, donated capital from building campaigns, if believers sold books, jewelry, furniture, or whatever else to raise money… that would be the kind of stuff that could turn the tide against Pat and his false portrayal of God.
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Wow Adam, I think we posted at just about the same time. I had not idea about all of that other stuff! Well, that certainly changes a few things about my post if all of that is true! And if Chris Hedges said it, I’m inclined to believe it…
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It really is boring (and sad) to hear other Christians ripping into other Christians … or even non-Christians. Is that the best of Jesus they could come up with? Bad theology needs to be erased by correct theology in action. It is true, however, to set the record straight, but only to clarify and correct, so that our actions will be attributed to the right source – true examples of Christ.
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I appreciate your ‘positive approach’ – it seems you are on the way toward dialogue in that you do not wish difference in ideas to result in harmful communication. But I would suggest that you can go further in this direction by allowing your own ideas to also be ‘put at risk’ It not as clear a matter to speak of ‘bad theology’ as it would be, for example, to speak of ‘bad science’. And even commonly accepted assumptions in science must also be susceptible to question.
Doing theology, in the best spirit (pardon the pun) must surely be a dialogue around the shared question of the nature of God and the nature of the relationship between God and the world (including, of course, human beings). Surely God is much bigger than your my ideas or your ideas, therefore the glass must be more empty than full. We must both have more questions than answers. Can it be appropriate to assume our own ideas ‘are right’ and that the other for sure is doing ‘bad theology’? None of us have God in our back pockets and I’m sure none of us would be so arrogant as to assume that we did
Thanks for reading
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I hear ya. I’m a big fan of humility when it comes to theology, but there are some instances when someone has completely missed the point. I don’t feel bad calling this a case of bad theology, though I don’t toss around such a statement often or lightly.
Having said that, I agree with you that I, not anyone else for that matter, could ever paint a completely accurate picture of God. God’s ways and thoughts are not our own, which is why the best response to God is often worship. Thanks for dropping by!
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Hi, Ed,
This is a theme that needs attention…how to respond to what we think is ‘bad theology.’ I’ve been noticing recently how what others call ‘harm’ I might not. What others call ‘bad theology’ I might not…but in this case, I agree with you. How can we say exactly what God is doing at any given time? The mother of the two disciples thought he was setting up heavenly privileges.
Keep up the good work, writing, and links.
Will you write for the next OQ?
Jean
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