Charismatic Fag Enablers
Of all the subjects to draw angry feedback it's been the discussion of the Irreverent Ted Haggard that has brought the most animosity. The hits just keep coming! The latest diatribe is by a charismatic pastor who faulted my posts concerning Haggard as lumping all Charismatics as homosexuals:
He's accusing me of being ignorant because he thinks I'm suggesting Charismatics have a special inroad to homosexuality. He also claims that Christians have fallen into immorality for thousands of years! I assume he means 2,000 years since nobody was claiming Christ before then. But again, I'm the one who's ignorant so we'll give the pastor the benefit of the doubt as to the thousands of years assertion.
I never claimed Charismatics were predominantly gay. I simply stated that Haggard's engaging in the grotesque sin of homosexuality was not unique, and I highlighted three other examples of prominent Charismatic leaders guilty of homosexuality -- hence the title "Charismatic Fags." Were they all Mormons, I would've used an alternate title. The pastor continues:
Well, pastor, it's Biblical to judge Haggard in this instance. In fact, the greater crime against God is your silence. The Apostle Paul, in the passage most relevant to the Haggard situation, encourages judgment within the church community:
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was a rebuke to the leaders as well as the corporate body. Therefore, Hayford, Barnett, the New Life Church pastors, and the congregation should follow Biblical instruction and cast him out. If they deem my words too harsh it only means they do NOT understand the nature of sin and its offense to God. The immoral man of 1 Corinthians 5 was having an affair with his father's wife (stepmother?). Haggard was indulging in rampant gay sex with a male prostitute and lied about it to the last minute. And when he did finally confess -- in a letter -- his admission was vague and ill defined. He's right. Even until now he is a "deceiver and a liar."
If I'm a Pharisee, then so is Paul. If Paul is in the wrong, then pastors like this are greater than he. I am incessantly amazed at the audacity of these pious, Biblically-illiterate church leaders. They are fag enablers. And since they are Charismatic, they are Charismatic fag enablers.
My friend sent me your link to Haggard and the title of your article 'Restoration or Excommunication' triggered in my mind that you are of the same critical spirit. After having read Charismatic Fags' you established my thoughts of you. Just to let you in on something, charismatics don't have some special inroad into homosexuality -- nothing could be more ignorant! Men who claim Christ have fallen into the sins of fornication, adultery, homosexuality etc for thousands of years!For those of you unfamiliar with Charismatic jargon the accusation of my having a "critical spirit" is not a compliment. My 17 year-old son recently took his SAT in which he scored very high in his "critical reading." Now that is a good thing. But a critical spirit means that my tendency is to unjustly criticize otherwise innocent Christians. By "spirit" the term means "attitude" although he may also be referring to an actual demonic spirit of criticism. You never can tell with these types.
He's accusing me of being ignorant because he thinks I'm suggesting Charismatics have a special inroad to homosexuality. He also claims that Christians have fallen into immorality for thousands of years! I assume he means 2,000 years since nobody was claiming Christ before then. But again, I'm the one who's ignorant so we'll give the pastor the benefit of the doubt as to the thousands of years assertion.
I never claimed Charismatics were predominantly gay. I simply stated that Haggard's engaging in the grotesque sin of homosexuality was not unique, and I highlighted three other examples of prominent Charismatic leaders guilty of homosexuality -- hence the title "Charismatic Fags." Were they all Mormons, I would've used an alternate title. The pastor continues:
[I]t is men like you, who call themselves apologists, who feel compelled to dump everbody (sic) into one big hat and make them look like fools! You are no different then the ignorant soul who lumps all car dealers in the hat as crooks! I have found that most the call themselves apologists are no more than mere contemporary Pharisees--those who inspect others for faults. What kind of Christianity is that? I certainly can't answer that question and don't want to. In conclustion (sic), I'm sure you'll be sorry to hear this, but we have four pastors at our Charismatic church and none of us are indulging in secret sins!Well, I never called myself an apologist, but I am defending the faith. He's now referred to me as ignorant a second time and added the old "Pharisee" label to compound his outrage. He defines a Pharisee as "those who inspect others faults." Hmm. I guess that's a bad thing. You have to wonder how we could possibly judge any matter were we not permitted to inspect another's faults. He then asks, "what kind of Christianity is that?"
Well, pastor, it's Biblical to judge Haggard in this instance. In fact, the greater crime against God is your silence. The Apostle Paul, in the passage most relevant to the Haggard situation, encourages judgment within the church community:
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 1 Cor. 5:12It is incumbent upon God's people to judge those within the Body of Christ. That's why I have no judgment for Mike Jones, the gay prostitute who both exposed Haggard and was his primary partner for sodomy. God will judge him. To add insult to injury, most of the outrage regarding the Haggard issue has been directed at Mike Jones by the church members. So, they'll judge Jones, but they won't touch Haggard. Haggard is our responsibility and the Biblical recommendation is that his wickedness be removed by putting him away:
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from yourselves that wicked person. 1 Cor. 5:13If we do not judge Haggard, we risk leavening the Body of Christ with his wicked perversions:
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. 1 Cor. 5:7This pastor claims that he and his associates have never participated in the sin of homosexuality. I have no reason to disbelieve him. However, the approach that a good many Charismatic leaders are taking to the Haggard issue is atrocious. At present, Jack Hayford and Tommy Barnett are supposed to oversee Haggard's extensive "restoration" process. This is unbiblical and sinful. They are leavening the church with Haggard's sin. His homosexuality is a leaven that must be removed from the lump. If these Charismatic leaders cannot decipher the plain meaning of 1 Corinthians 5 then, not only do they have no business overseeing Haggard, they are undermining their own qualifications for leadership. They are opening the church to the most heinous of sinful viruses.
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was a rebuke to the leaders as well as the corporate body. Therefore, Hayford, Barnett, the New Life Church pastors, and the congregation should follow Biblical instruction and cast him out. If they deem my words too harsh it only means they do NOT understand the nature of sin and its offense to God. The immoral man of 1 Corinthians 5 was having an affair with his father's wife (stepmother?). Haggard was indulging in rampant gay sex with a male prostitute and lied about it to the last minute. And when he did finally confess -- in a letter -- his admission was vague and ill defined. He's right. Even until now he is a "deceiver and a liar."
"Deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (I Cor. 5:5).You see, this is restoration. The only type of restoration for such extreme criminality.
If I'm a Pharisee, then so is Paul. If Paul is in the wrong, then pastors like this are greater than he. I am incessantly amazed at the audacity of these pious, Biblically-illiterate church leaders. They are fag enablers. And since they are Charismatic, they are Charismatic fag enablers.
