Do As I Say and Not As I Do: The Tragedy of the James White Interfaith Dialogue and the Pragmatic Defense Offered by Phil Johnson

The current firestorm related to James White’s decision to facilitate an interfaith dialogue with Imam Yasir Qahdi is puzzling in the least and has become a stumbling block for many who do not understand how White cannot understand that he is “dancing with the devil” as the saying goes.  Mr. White’s response to those critical of his decision has been the polar opposite of remorse and he has in fact dug his heels in and maintained that his actions were right and consistent with what Christians should be doing. Is that true? What bridges can be built to people who teach that Christians who do not submit or convert to Islam should be murdered? What madness is this that has gripped Christians today such that they believe the lie that building bridges to nowhere constitute evangelism? I won’t rehash all of Mr. White’s actions related to this in detail. You can read about that here – http://www.worldviewweekend.com/news/article/facts-reveal-james-white-islamic-dupe-clueless-evangelicals-are-desperate-save-his

What I wish to address is the support Mr. White has received. Surprisingly a couple of people with very different perspectives, one might say two people with theological beliefs very much at odds with one another, have stepped into the fray to defend Mr. White’s error. I am speaking of Phil Johnson and Michael Brown. This has added a layer of intrigue to the entire situation but has also served to obfuscate the truth of what critics of White’s decision to promote an interfaith dialogue have been saying. By engaging in what appear to be damage control activities on behalf of Mr. White, Johnson seems to have exposed himself as a hypocrite of the highest order. You can be the judge of whether or not that is true based on the information contained in this article. His previous statements seem to be completely contradictory to his stated position concerning James White’s ecumenicalism, or to use the new and improved phrase, interfaith dialogue.

Continue reading

Sowing and Reaping in Modern America

“You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice. You have eaten the fruit of lies.” Hosea 10:13a

America has been on a spiritual slide into darkness for many years. At first barely perceptible, the slide is now apparent to all but the most demonically oppressed and possessed who are blinded to the grievous condition we find ourselves in today. Unfortunately this blindness includes many who consider themselves Christians.

Although I could chronicle myriad examples from decades ago let me start with some of the most recent outrageous and wicked examples of this spiritual slide. Exhibit number one is the Kathy Griffin stunt concerning President Trump that was immediately condemned by most people. The recent apostasy of Hank Hanegraaff into Eastern Orthodoxy and compromise of James White with Islam provide more proof. Next consider the shooting of Congressman Scalise and other staffers in Washington DC. As a last example I offer you a video game that is set to be released soon called Far Cry 5. All of these seemingly disparate examples are tied together by the verse in Hosea cited above.

Continue reading

Southern Baptist ‘Resolution’ A Microcosm of the Problem

(Photo: Screengrab/SBC Annual Meeting)

In what can be described as another wildly misguided missive poorly aimed and good only for virtue signaling to a cadre of reality-oblivious followers, William Dwight McKissic, an African-American Texas pastor, drafted a resolution that was considered at the annual Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix this week. What was misguided about his resolution? Simply this – McKissic sees in the so-called Alt Right, a source of unparalleled evil and hatred such that any rational individual would condemn it.

The Christian Post writer Michael Gryboski states in his write-up about the Resolution that, “The Alt Right is a political movement generally associated with white nationalism and known for launching intense attacks on ideological enemies on social media.” Oh the evil of such individuals who would oppose other people’s viewpoints along ideological lines! Note to Gryboski – this IS political discourse in America today. Social Media IS a political battlefield occupied by people of all ideologies including black supremacists, Hispanic and Latino supremacists, and every other ethnicity who has a grievance to advance.

Continue reading

Mastering Flexibility And Adaptation – The Amateur Society with Steven Menking

Following up on last week’s discussion of change and growth, we now turn to the related concepts of flexibility and adaptation. Change and growth are certainly necessary ideas for us to grapple with, but in order to understand this dynamic we must also understand our threshold for change. From a worldview perspective, flexibility and adaptation match this concept nicely.

What do flexibility and adaptation mean in this context? Where are the lines for ‘not flexible enough’ and ‘too flexible’ in the process of change? How are those lines determined? What do differing worldviews have to say about this concept? Why should we care?

https://youtu.be/HWDMJ8xzzS4

WordPress: https://amateursociety.wordpress.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYWArNcoTCBRxeoTJWvcc9Q
Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/theamateursociety
Steemit: https://steemit.com/@amateursociety
Gab: https://gab.ai/AmateurSociety
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amateursociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ontheobjective

Reflections on Hear The Watchmen Conference – Dallas

Hi friends. Kathy and I made it home Monday afternoon after spending Thursday evening through Monday morning at the Hear The Watchmen (HTW) Conference in Dallas. I’m still not caught up on everything that needs to be addressed but I simply must take some time to share with you some thoughts about this past weekend.

Kathy and I have been to many conferences over the years. We were both saved in 1983 and since that time have attended too many conferences to begin to count. Most of them were worthwhile, a few were not, but only a handful standout. At the top of the list of these outstanding conferences is this recent HTW Dallas Conference.

What made it so very special was the clear presence of the Holy Spirit. Evident to both of us from the moment we arrived and gathered with the other speakers for a meal prior to the official start of the conference on Friday, was the singular purpose and goal. We were there to encourage and equip the remnant body of Christ and one another.

Continue reading