Please Don’t Gag Me!

I think I need to explain something. I quite often get the accusation that I’m slamming another servant of the Lord or ministry when I’m found critiquing them on my blog. Look at yesterday’s fairly innocent (I thought) post HERE, read some of the comments, and you’ll see what I mean. I want to clarify something: I, for one, do not think that critiquing, challenging, questioning, or analyzing is unscriptural, un-Christian, or not Christ-like. In fact, I think the opposite is true. So, while I have serious issues with Bishop Eddie Long’s ideas on, say, his “Seven Reasons Why I Love A Big Church”, it doesn’t mean that I think he’s any less a person or Christian than I am. I’m sure he’s a better Christian and pastor. But he’s my brother, and I am his. I’m sure, if he looked through my website, that he would find some things that he could challenge me on.

If you look through my blog, you will find some posts that received some pretty heated debate. For instance, take a look at AN ANTI-RESPONSE TO AN ATHEIST, where I received 129 comments. I invite such challenges from my atheist friends because I honestly and humbly believe that they have provided valuable correction to my ideas that easily and often slip into religious presumptions I’ve inherited from years in the church surrounded by Christians. Or, take a look at the post on LEADERS, ELDERS, CONTEST & FREE STUFF for which I received 154 comments! All the comments are valued and appreciated because they come from all different denominational and non-denominational perspectives. I strongly agree with many of them, but that doesn’t mean I’m condemning, judging or slandering the person or their communities.

There are many people in the Christian fold who I strongly disagree with. I still consider them brothers or sisters and hope they would do the same for me. But please don’t ask me to be quiet about their ideas, because frankly, I think there are a mega-ton of “Christian” ideas out there that are actually harmful, damaging, abusive, and even cruel to the human being and to community. In fact, I think they predominate the religious landscape. I feel I must defy these, just like a shepherd would defy wild animals surrounding his flock. The principalities and the powers find their vessels of use just like the Spirit does, and we are those! Criticize my ideas! Tell me I’m wrong! Let’s reason together!

The fine art photograph is the creation of my friend Mark Hemmings, and is from his marvelously mysterious mannequin series.