John Piper has a way of thinking that, in my humble opinion, both stimulates thought and provokes joy. He has done so again with this blog entry. For those too lazy to follow the above link to the original, here it is...enjoy! For the record, #1 isn't as true in my experience as his, but I'll grant that many do "fit." I especially appreciate #16 and #20!
20 Reasons Why I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists
1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met).
2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.
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2 comments:
I wasn't that thrilled with his list. Oh well.
I read your comments at your blog, and understand some of your reactions. I write as one who has spent a good deal of time helping fundamentalists come to grips with some needed changes, and while they aren't always ready, many are more ready than you might think. Blessings to you.
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