When I hear someone make a statement, I think that I analyze the statement based on my understanding of the topic, the evidence relating to the topic, and hopefully the merits or the lack thereof of their arguments. I know that is not always the case; someone I may not care for may offer a valid idea and I likely will not properly consider it. I get frustrated when I hear individuals get quoted and misquoted out of context or their entire persons being equated with one of their perhaps less than sound ideas. I guess that I am beating around the bush, but I do not want to do what I am complaining about people doing.
I will use Tony Campolo for an example. Tony Campolo is an amazing man who has been a prophet in the modern Christian community. His preaching and writings have influenced me so greatly that I know that I live my life differently than I would otherwise. There are those as of late in the evangelical Christian community who have criticized him and have discounted all of his ideas because of his concern and consideration of the homosexual community and his criticism of the blind allegiance of evangelical Christians to the Republican party. I have heard individuals criticize and summarize his beliefs in ways that reveal either that they have never read his books or are blatant misrepresentations of his writings.
While not everything that he says or writes is correct, it is not more wrong than the stuff I hear coming out of the mouths of more "orthodox" preachers. I wish that those "orthodox" preachers would honestly respond to Tony's statements and agrue points of theology and not attack his character as if all he had to say had no value.
I find this to be true of all theological persuasions. We like to attack the person rather than to tag team wrestle along side them to understand the world together through the eyes of faith.
2 Corinthians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Quoting Jack MacGorman quoting a preacher-"If it has skin on it, it is not the enemy."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-campolo/
http://www.tonycampolo.org/
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=59604
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2 comments:
I really wonder what inspired this post.
I happen to like "Tony Campolo" as well as Tony Campolo.
But sometimes you just can't convince some people that maybe they have the wrong idea about something based on something they've heard 3rd hand around the water-cooler.
Ha ha- If it has skin on it. I like that.
I do try to give people the benefit of the doubt before judging their theology. ANd even after I judge their theology I try to see them as a person and not the ENEMY which must be quickly annihilated.
I do struggle to view LEft Behind authors, Tim and Jerry, as people. But that's just my own confession against psuedo-writers making wages off of pseudo theology. *shrug*
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