(A Facebook response)

Recently, I responded to a friend’s lament about John MacArthur’s statement about Alienating Gay Children. It seemed potentially revenant so I thought I’d share.

NOTE: To Michelle’s point, I’m am suspicious when I hear the term Hate attributed to someone. I think it is used far too often and easily, in many cases to shut down an opposing view rather than truly understand where someone is coming from.

On to MacArthur…

1.) As a Christian, I continue to see this kind of statement, and it makes me sad.

2.) Once such a statement is passed around, we are given one of two simplistic camps to join. (the fallacy of False dilemma) in this case, John MacArthur’s camp of “Assholery” or the camp of Tolerance. These two choices are not the only option.

The Good Samaritan is a great example of how we are not only to Love someone but help them out of damage.

3.) The story of Jesus, and what he taught was all about Transformation through Love. You have the woman at the well, being told to Sin no More, Zacchaeus the Tax Collector turning from greed to giving everyone their money back. One of my favorite red letter verses is where Jesus tells James and John to put down their nets and He will make them fishers of men. This is Transformative, becoming something new, something different. This is what “Born Again” really means.

4.) Transformation is impossible to avoid. While we don’t always see it, everything around us pushing for us to change (or comply) in how we think, behave, and what we believe. This is why we want our kids to have quality friends. Or we don’t let our daughter date nefarious old guys. We know that we all “rise to a level of boldness as our peers”. If your son, hangs with shoplifters and skateboarders he is likely he will acquire a taste for those things.

5.) Paul’s shun list, is one part protective, one part team building.
a). If you are building a Triathlon team you aren’t going to want a bunch of video game playing couch potatoes on your team, nor will you want to train with them. (They will make you slower)
b). If you are building a charity, you don’t want a greedy, deceitful CFO. This is common sense.

6.) MacArthur is a Calvinist. This is problematic on a few counts.

a.) In Calvinism, God only loves the ones He pre chooses, leaving Christianity more akin to an exclusive Private Club. So it is easy for MacArthur to toss the “unchosen” people away, or selectively Love the Lovable because of what he thinks God does.

b). In Calvinism, there is no real transformation, at least not one that matters, because everything is predetermined.

NOTE: It is true, Jesus met with sinners. It is true that he irritated the established religious and political folks. It is true Jesus met with the sick and hungry. In all cases, Jesus left none of them the way He found them. Jesus actually Loved people enough not to merely tolerant them, like the “World” says we should.

Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
THE POINT: –> This is because the Rich man is least likely to allow himself to be changed. The Rich man champions and loves the life he has. I’ll let you translate Rich to other vices. 🙂

Those who say things like MacArthur and the converse who preach Tolerance, find themselves creating an unintended and similar outcome. An outcome that leaves people exactly they way they find them.

Tolerance and Hate leave one stagnate.Love transforms.