Jeff Maples does Orthodoxy

I know almost nothing about this kerfuffle.  A well known conservative evangelical apologist has joined the Orthodox Christian tradition.  That sent off a series of responses from his evangelical brethren.

The strangest I’ve seen was one penned by a Jeff Maples.  Essentially, a man says he is going to a movie by a director he hates, starring an actor he hates, only pays half attention to the film while he is there, then leaves before it is over.  That’s about the quality of review we’re dealing with.  Others have stepped in to correct Mr. Maples.

It’s not only clear he is ignorant on several points of Eastern Orthodoxy, but it’s clear he had no intention of learning.  He reminded me of an old Charlie Brown cartoon strip.  Charlie and Schroeder are looking at a newspaper and laughing.  One of the girls walks up and asks what it’s about.  They don’t know, they say.  They can’t understand it, which is why they’re making fun of it.

This is the sort of thing that gives Christian apologetics a bad name.  I have no beef with people rejecting or criticizing other Christian traditions.  How else will non-Christian movements succeed without us hamstringing each other?  But at least get it right.

Not only did he post a string of ill informed zingers (without the possibility of comments I might ad – a pet peeve of mine), but he has encouraged some pretty stupid comments from his fan base.  The most hilarious being:

Yeah, that New Age Orthodoxy with its New Age incense.  I know plenty of atheists who will hang their heads on that one.  We don’t have to be experts, and I know we have our own bases of departure when we evaluate things, especially in the realm of religious expression.  Nonetheless, put some time into it.  And try – try – to give it the courtesy I’m sure we would want from anyone critiquing our own traditions.  A little ‘Do unto others’ principle when looking at things with which we may not agree.