Thursday, February 17, 2005
Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa
Powerline posted last night on the evils of Jimmy Carter. As history continues, my opinion of his Presidency continues on an ever downward spiral. Powerline's post certainly increases the speed at which I am descending that slope. Carter is a recent topic for conversation becasue the Bavy is naming a sub for him. A Little About Everything posts on that here.
I was very young, very idealistic, and very stupid -- I voted for him the time he got elected -- I most certainly did not the time Reagan whooped up on him. I voted for him because he was an outspoken Christian. (There's a study in how much the definition of the word 'evangelical' has morphed over the years.) This was before I went to seminary and before I had enough life experience to teach me that there were some awful Christians out there.
I posted last night about 'Why I am not a Pentecostal.' I tied it into a post by Adrian Warnock examining some of the consequences of abandoning the theology of penal substitution. (Adrian keeps hammering on that subject here and here.) My thesis was that some ideas are best judged by their consequences, as opposed to their derivation.
Adrian's post pointed to negative theological consequences of abandoning penal substitution. I think Jimmy Carter's Presidency points to a very practical one. That consequence is a failure to understand and acknowledge real evil. I am not talking about common sin here, I am talking about genuine evil -- life-taking, genocidal, earth-threatening evil. Adrian mentions that abandoning penal substitution destroys the doctrine of original sin, and I think that leads to the failure to understand evil.
The Powerline post is about how Carter approached the Soviet ambassador for help in his run against Reagan. Only Nazism has been a more virulent evil on this planet than communism. (Which is why, by the way, we made a temporary ally of Stalin) Only someone without an understanding of evil could do what Powerline reports on Carter doing.
I ask all who hear to forgive me my youthful bad decision. I thank God for the wisdom of years. I ask God for wisdom in the church to stick to right doctrine and to use that right doctrine rightly in the world.
I was very young, very idealistic, and very stupid -- I voted for him the time he got elected -- I most certainly did not the time Reagan whooped up on him. I voted for him because he was an outspoken Christian. (There's a study in how much the definition of the word 'evangelical' has morphed over the years.) This was before I went to seminary and before I had enough life experience to teach me that there were some awful Christians out there.
I posted last night about 'Why I am not a Pentecostal.' I tied it into a post by Adrian Warnock examining some of the consequences of abandoning the theology of penal substitution. (Adrian keeps hammering on that subject here and here.) My thesis was that some ideas are best judged by their consequences, as opposed to their derivation.
Adrian's post pointed to negative theological consequences of abandoning penal substitution. I think Jimmy Carter's Presidency points to a very practical one. That consequence is a failure to understand and acknowledge real evil. I am not talking about common sin here, I am talking about genuine evil -- life-taking, genocidal, earth-threatening evil. Adrian mentions that abandoning penal substitution destroys the doctrine of original sin, and I think that leads to the failure to understand evil.
The Powerline post is about how Carter approached the Soviet ambassador for help in his run against Reagan. Only Nazism has been a more virulent evil on this planet than communism. (Which is why, by the way, we made a temporary ally of Stalin) Only someone without an understanding of evil could do what Powerline reports on Carter doing.
I ask all who hear to forgive me my youthful bad decision. I thank God for the wisdom of years. I ask God for wisdom in the church to stick to right doctrine and to use that right doctrine rightly in the world.
