10/07/13

Pyromaniacs: A Lot More Bible to Cover

10 J ULY 2013

A Lot More Bible to Cover

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by Frank Turk

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Y esterday I posted part 1 of 3 regarding the organization "Abolish Human Abortion," a group of fellows who are v ery proud of what they hav e set out to do -- which is the right-minded objectiv e of abolishing human abortion. Y esterday I made one statement that ought not to be ignored, so I'll repeat it here. Let me make sure I say this as clearly as possible:

All murder is wrong

That's the moral premise which under-girds any work to limit or abolish abortion. Any one commenting or responding after this series of posts goes liv e who ignores this essential fact of Christian ethics in my position is selling something unsav ory .

Y esterday we cov ered the interesting idea that these fellows are the only ones doing any thing not-ev il in the fight against abortion. Today we are going to cov er some of their theological reasoning. The fiv e major tenets of this organization are as follows:

1. Biblical
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Pyromaniacs: A Lot More Bible to Cover

Usually , when an organization say s it is "Biblical," it means that it reasons biblically to its objectiv es and to its means. The tenet of "biblicism" is therefore usually a foundational objectiv e -- not a list of Bible v erses. It usually outlines the method or approach the group takes toward the Bible -- it establishes a hermeneutical standard, or a tradition in which it stands. The list of Bible v erses usually comes later. In this case, they present the Bible v erses right here, and the list is simple: Micah 6:8 Isaiah 1 :1 6-1 7 Eph 5:1 1 James 1 :27 Luke 4:1 8-1 9 That is: the tenet here is not that they will use the Bible as a sufficient and infallible authority . If they did, may be they would hav e a local church which was ov erseeing them to make sure they weren't doing things they ought not to be doing, for ex ample. The tenet, rather, is a list of Bible truths which they demand to be taken at face v alue without further comment: do justice, lov e mercy , and walk humbly with our God make the church holy , reprov e the ruthless, and defend widows and orphans ex pose all ev il be holy and "v isit" widows and orphans in need Keep the two great commandments Human beings are in the image of God Jesus became a man to sav e men from "sin, self-destruction, death, and eternal separation from God." JUSTIN PETERS PHIL JOHNSON SCOTT BROWN DON CURRIN FRANK TURK click here for details

A CALL TO DISCERNMENT TULSA 2013

This is interesting because at first glance, the list is actually a random list of true statements from Scripture. All of the statements are true. The question we hav e to ask is why these in particular hav e any priority ov er any other statements of truth -for ex ample, the commission of the church to make disciples of all men (Mat 28); the demand of Christ to lov e one another (John 1 3); requirement of Husbands to lov e
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their Wiv es (Eph 5); the demand that there be no div isions in the local church (1 Cor 1 -3). And just to keep things testimentally balanced, how about the idea that God hates div orce (Malachi 2); or that God hates all ev ildoers (Ps 5:5); or that God hates the double-minded and liars (Ps 1 1 9); or that God hates Robbery (Is 61 )? Superficially , there is no question: they hav e sev en true statements from Scripture. Whether these statements are necessarily the most important statements of Scripture regarding the ex istence of the church or the purpose of men (with or without faith) is simply undemonstrated. What's the cause from the tex t or from good reasoning which causes these v erses to be so true that they cause us to create a new #1 priority for the church? In that: I think the idea that these fellows are "Biblical" remains to be seen. They hav e Bibles; they can ex tract true statements from the Bible. Whether they use the Bible for its necessary purpose, to say what it means to say , remains to be seen.
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2. Providential
The nex t part is worth transcripting fully :

We rely on the Providence of God, not the pragmatism of man. Abolitionists do not trust in warhorses or chariots. We trust in the spiritual means and methods God has given to us in His Word. Abolitionists have always cried, duty is ours, the results are Gods! We look to the Spirit of God to lead us, believing He is our ever present guide and that He is not silent. We depend upon the Providence and Sovereignty of God. He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. (Acts 17:25) It is the power of God working through His Holy Spirit that changes hearts. Yet we acknowledge that God has deemed men active participants in this drama. He gives us choices, and these choices have consequences. (Matt. 9:38, Acts 27:22,31) We are called to be faithful to walk in righteousness to speak the truth in love. We leave the results in His hands.

These fellows escape being true hy percalv inists or fatalists by admitting they are, at least, called to do something -- and good on them for that. They say they hav e a moral obligation to participate in the drama -- which is a fascinating turn of phrase. But it's funny that they demand that they do not trust in chariots and warhorses -- because they do rely on graphic posters and
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Pyromaniacs: A Lot More Bible to Cover

sandwich boards. (see some ex amples here, but click at y our own risk as they are ex plicit regarding the cost of abortion in human terms) That is: they do rely on shock and awe to deliv er a message. And at the end of it, they do want the laws to change -they want the horses and chariots of the Gov ernment to protect unborn liv es, y es? Moreov er, they also are not merely content protesting abortion at local clinics: they hav e an ex plicit mission to "ex hort" local churches (again:ex plicit warning) who do not meet AHA's definition of being sufficiently -militant towards abortion. It seems, at least, odd that they are worried about rely ing on means when, frankly , they hav e such ex plicit means and militant means - and demand the same from others. Let's be clear about the reasoning here: they can't accept an incremental change in the law of a local state or a nation because that's complicity with ev il, but they can protest ex hort one church at a time to change that church's ministry objectiv es (changing one church, not all churches) to suit the objectiv es of AHA. And they don't trust in horses and chariots, but they do demand these churches change their behav ior right now. We'll hav e to wait for tomorrow for the comments to be open to see what sort of response AHA can muster toward the charge that while they are not politically incremental, they are unquestionably spiritually incremental -- ev en if it is because they hav e limited resources.

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Apparently justice is no longer a political objective j.mp/185Kvxo Farewell, Western Civilization

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3. Gospel-Centered
Y ou know: someplace in this neighborhood of the internet, the phrase was coined, "The Gospel is the Solution to Culture." I hav e made the T-Shirts. It's my attempt to doff my hat the best-in-class in post-millennial theology to see the Gospel not as some weak tea which causes us to lose a lot of battles so that Christ can just win in the end, but rather as our v ision of what's the right priority in this world. It's the way Paul saw the world -- that all suffering is worth enduring if we can only tell people the truth about themselv es and about God. We would to God that all who hear us at any time might become such as we amex cept for the chains, as the Apostle so bly thely said. (Act 26) And to their credit: the AHA team say s this:

There's prosperity gospel here j.mp/184BfJI see if you don't find something helpful here about discontentment Show Media Frank Turk @Frank_Turk
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The value equation for men in society j.mp/158ddY5 Helen Smith (InstaWife) spells it out for you #tcot #tgdn Show Media

We are committed to an uncompromising adherence to the good news that God stepped down into human history as Jesus Christ. He was conceived in the womb of a young
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Pyromaniacs: A Lot More Bible to Cover

unmarried woman who did not choose to be with child. He lived a sinless life, and by His death redeemed a lost, wandering and wicked people from sin, punishment and eternal separation from God.

But then they spoil it by say ing this:

The fullness of the Gospel of God is supreme above all philosophies and ideologies and without the Gospel there would be no call or means of Abolition.
G O D' S W I S DO M I N P R O V ER B S

Well, no. First off, the Gospel is not an "ideology ." It's a declaration of fact. It's not a sy stem of political thought, or a religious scheme. It's a declaration that God has done something which spares sinful man from judgment. The Gospel is a message, a word of Good News. Y ou'd think biblical fellows would know this, but like all people ov erwhelmed by an agenda of social justice, they hav e simply forgotten it. But second, the reason that we abhor murder is not that Christ was murdered: the reason we abhor murder is that the Law teaches us that Murder is wrong. In fact, the idea that murder is wrong is so obv ious, Paul tells the Romans that such a thing is written into the v ery fabric of the univ erse and the v ery conscience of man (purists: Rom 1 -2). The call to "abolition" comes from the fact that murder is wrong -- not from that fact that sov ereign God has made a way to forgiv e men for sin. And this, frankly , also goes back to whether or not these fellows are actually "Biblical." They are unable to distinguish the Glory of God in Creation from the Glory of God in Christ -- they cannot, in fact, distinguish between rev elation in creation and the special rev elation in Scripture which Christ fulfills. That's troubling. And it's not the only place these guy s could do with a second or third reading of the whole Bible for the sake of actually being a little more Biblical. Amazon also has it, av ailable for immediate download on Kindle V iew readers' fav orite Kindle ex cerpts Av ailable discounted at Amazon
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Pyromaniacs: A Lot More Bible to Cover

4. Body Driven
and

Charlie Albright Scott Aniol Thabiti Anyabwile Tom Ascol Derek Ashton (TheoParadox) Zachary Bartels The Bible Christian Nathan W. Bingham Timmy Brister Cameron Buettel Fred Butler The Calvinist Gadfly Bret Capranica Tim ("The World's Most Famous Christian Blogger") Challies Lane Chaplin Lane Chaplin's YouTube Vlog Gene Clyatt (A Squirrel in Babylon) Rhoblogy The Contemporary Calvinist The Cripplegate Vern Crisler Guy Davies (Exiled Preacher) Daniel (Doulogos) Connie Dugas Eddie Eddings' Calvinistic Cartoons Dustin Germain God is My Constant Phil Gons Grace Guy Joel Griffith (Solameanie) J. D. Hatfield Michael Haykin Steve Hays and the amazing "Triablogue" team Patrick Heaviside (Paths of Old) Sean Higgins Lane Keister (Green Baggins) David Kjos Clint Letterman A Little Leaven (Museum of Idolatry) Conrad Mbewe
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5. Immediate and Uncompromising

We should let them, again, speak for themselv es:

We believe that Abolition is an Obligation of the Church. We seek to awaken the Church to fulfill her ordained purpose to be salt and light in this sin spoiled and darkened world. The primary means God has ordained to display his manifold wisdom to the world is through his people, his body and bride. The church must take the gospel to the ends of the earth and bring it into conflict with every dark deed of man.

Read that again, especially the emphasized part (I added the emphasis). Abolition is not the spread of the Gospel: Abolition, by their own definition, is the end of abortion first and with gusto. While they say their primary means for this is the Gospel (to which they do injustice when they ex plain it), think about this: they hav e equated Gospel proclamation with the uncompromising end of one particular form of sinfulness. In that, they hav e redefined the mission of the church not to see to it that we are ambassadors of Christ, pleading from God a message of reconciliation: they hav e made the church's necessary obligation the improv ement of society for one particular moral end. Look: I hav e no problem say ing that, because a church is located in a place where there are lost people, they SHOULD minister to those lost people and not to lost people in theory or in general. A church nex t door to a strip club ought not to cut a deal with its neighbor that it will not preach the Gospel in front of their business because their business will be harmed. A church nex t door to a casino shouldn't turn the other cheek when that parking lot has more people in it than the church lot does on a Sunday morning. And to be as clear as possible, a church in a neighborhood with an abortion clinic ought to be inv olv ed in making sure that this place with those sinners receiv e the word of God so that they will repent. But here these fellows hav e made a statement that places "abolition" on-par with Baptism. They hav e put it on-par with the Lord's table. They hav e put it on-par with weekly worship -- and they do it for all churches. That's what Capital-"C" "Church" means there. All Churches, right now, should drop what they are doing and Abolish Abortion.
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Pyromaniacs: A Lot More Bible to Cover

The incomparable Al Mohler For a group claiming to be, first and foremost, Biblical, I think they hav e a lot more Bible to cov er before they do any thing else. And while that shortcoming is ev ident here, I think it is far more obv ious in what we'll cov er in the last installment, tomorrow. Comments are closed until tomorrow. On The Box feat. Tony Miano, Ray
Comfort and the gang at Living Waters

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Pyromaniacs: A Lot More Bible to Cover

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