Comments on: Internet Monk Radio Podcast #101

By: Jon Spadino

Jon Spadino — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:24:31 +0000

I was listening to this post. I really liked the idea that many Christians have reduced everything to two categories.

If you listen to Tim Keller he uses the idea of three categories as he avanglizes. 1) is the religious category 2) is the irrleigious category, and 3) is the Gospel or you would say Jesus shaped category.

I like this approach because you can tell many people turned of but Christian attitudes that hey, we all have different idols and things we believe, and the Gospel is category is different. It kinds says we are the same but also different so the defense medhanisms break down. It tells the irreligious that the problem is not less Christianity but deeper Christianity!

Now, hopefully, you have traction in talking about Jesus Christ.

By: Mark Nikirk

Mark Nikirk — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:56:22 +0000

Michael,

I’m really enjoying your sabbatical podcasts. I liked what you ahd to say about the Only child syndrome of Evangelicals. I’ve been kicking around something similar in my head for some time about this very thing. Like you say, we really do come out on the better end on the important stuff, but we really need to do a better job on listening to people who reject faith in Jesus with at least a modicum of courtesy.

I’m putting together some of my thoughts and I’ll post them over at BHT.

By: Mich

Mich — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:44:16 +0000

Good points and well said!

Mich

By: Jesse

Jesse — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:00:24 +0000

This is a particular frustration of mine — I am a member of a “start-up” church. We met in a school for the first four years until we finished construction on a new building in the spring. We were first attracted to the church because our pastor was very bible based — he did a year long series on the O.T. names of God. I have notice though in the last 18 months that he has started introducing other texts as the PRIMARY source for his sermons. Nothing wrong with reading The Shack, or other books, but to do a series on Blue Like Jazz where Jesus is not mentioned one time…

Lately, he has reverted back to the Bible, but he leaves verses out. He’ll take a passage but skip controversial parts in the middle — for instance, he ignored Jesus’ command to the disciples that they shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against those that would not receive the Gospel. He sent out an email before the series started saying that “We can disagree about what is written in black in our Bible, but we all agree about what is written in red.”

Can’t wait for us to discuss Matt. 10:34 — “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” I won’t be holding my breath. We are starting a series in the fall using the Celebrate Recovery Bible — cause my lust and envy is merely an addiction not a sin.

By: A. R. Pritchett

A. R. Pritchett — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:46:31 +0000

I’d rather listen to the Hippy Dippy Weatherman than another politically charged “sermon” where Jesus is a footnote.

I think a lot of the critiques we’re hearing from atheists are a lot more legitimate than any of us want to admit.

By: Chris E

Chris E — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:45:36 +0000

It was interesting to read William Murray’s biography a few years ago (Madelyn Murray’s son) – the bullying he received as the ’son of a self proclaimed atheist’ growing up in the 50s was generally an order of magnitude less than the sort Christians complain about in this era. Though it was very similar in character (dominant culture expressed unthinkingly by children).

By: dumb ox

dumb ox — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:20:12 +0000

Isn’t the Christ-less preaching among evangelicals a gateway to atheism? Are the likes of Dawkins getting credit for what evangelicals are doing to themselves? This fighting to keep God’s name on our currency and in our pledge seems a little odd, when we act like we don’t want God in our churches.