I want to welcome you to this week’s day late “special Saturday edition” of The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly. I want to take a quick moment to invite audience participation before I get started. I am happy to scrounge the internet for content, but I am only one person and can read only so much content while producing my own. If you come across osomething that you think should be included, feel free to send it my way via social media or email.
The Good
1. It isn’t every week you see me mentioning a Neo-Calvinist leader in “The Good”. But, if I can critique a person, I must also be able to commend them when they do something right.
This week saw a very interesting conversation between RC Sproul, Jr. and I. While the initial conversation between us was not very fruitful, many others chose to follow me in questioning him. He eventually apologized for his words and, at my request, removed the offensive tweet.
Sproul and I disagree strongly on a number of things, and while he has shown lapse in judgment in the past, in this instance he showed integrity. I hope that he will be more considerate with his words in the future.
Screen caps of the conversation are below.
2. My friend Michael Stark has written a very courageous, and very profound, post for his blog project Inviting Liberation. Mike has perfectly tackled the dialectic of faith and doubt that is often a taboo topic in many Christian circles. This post is guaranteed to leave you thinking.
The Bad
3. This week Dr. Ruth Tucker took to Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed blog to respond to Tim Challies’ critique of her new book, Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife. In my strong opinion Challies’ review was belittling and deeply misogynist. Ruth, on the other hand, was very gracious in completely dismantling Challies’ insulting, gender based remarks.
Ruth Tucker Responds to Tim Challies
4. Blogger GovPappy, a friend of mine, and his sister have decided to tell their story of growing up in a Christian cult. There is a lot to the story covering multiple posts, but it is worth investing the time.
Sheltered Life
The Ugly
5. Denny Burk recently wrote a post describing his experience of attending a Donald Trump rally. While the description of events is disturbing, I am forced to wonder if those within the Neo-Calvinist camp realize Trump is a monster of their own creation.
Burk and company have built an empire on a theology of fear and antagonism. It is absolutely no surprise that the very people they have endeavored to control with fear now choose support a presidential candidate who amplifies the tactics of their own pastors/leaders.
I Spent Super Tuesday with Donald Trump
6. The Wartburg Watch put out a post last week regarding a very disturbing incident that took place at Lakeside Baptist Church in Montgomery, Texas. The pastor of LBC, Ken Ramey – a former protege of John MacArthur whose sermons are still featured on GCC’s website – is accused of placing a teenage boy who, was violently raped by another teen boy, and his mother under church discipline. Ramey actively worked to silence the victim and spread rumors that the act was consensual. The email from Ramey at the end of the post sends chills down my spine and hot lava through my veins.
**Trigger Warning**
Ken Ramey and Lakeside Baptist Church…
7. For those unaware, David Bonner has gone public. Formerly known only as “The Wondering Eagle,” he has decided to make his identity known as he undertakes a series of posts on abuse within the Evangelical Free Church of America. David has been a supportive friend since my very early days as a blogger and his tireless work to expose abuse in the Church is inspiring. Below is the link to his post on an incident of marital rape and church discipline in the EFCA. This story is heartbreaking. I pray for a day when such systemic injustice is no longer a common occurence in the church.
**Trigger Warning**
Steve Estes and Community Evangelical Free Church…
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Grace and Peace to you,
Nate Sparks
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others. Thanks.
Sparking Conversation 
So you think Hillary is more moral and ethical than Trump? Trump was right that she is an enabler. And she was quite effective at dealing with the bimbo eruptions and dismissing
Broderick, Bill Clinton’s rape victim in his years as Atty Gen of Ark. If you are going to support victims you might rethink Hillary’s history of enabling to stay married to that man.
The Neo Cals hate Trump but loved Driscoll. Go figure.
The Neo Cals did not create the Trump effect. Eight years of the socialistic big government of Obama did that. You can thank him.
When you bring in politics there is always another side conveniently left out. There are no decent candidates. So vote for the one who will be most likely be most likely to allow you to keep more of your hard earned money. Then you can make your own decisions instead of big government making them for you.
LikeLike
I don’t remember saying I endorsed Hillary. In fact, I have openly and repeatedly criticized her on a number of fronts.
What I said was precisely two things:
Trump is a hate-monger who promotes a racist agenda.
Neo Calvinism is the breeding ground in which men like Trump come to power.
I will say this, voting for the candidate that lets me keep my money is an assumption that wealth and individualism are the highest good. I believe neither and don’t as preserving my own privilege as a reason to vote for a candidate.
Thanks for your concern.
LikeLike
Challies’ words to Tucker, so far as they are repeated in her response, amount to a No True Scotsman fallacy. “What you had wasn’t a true complementarian marriage.” Sorry, but it was. Just because some complementarian marriages are non-abusive, doesn’t mean the ones that are, are not really complementarian. If they believe the husband is in authority and the wife is to submit to that, they are complementarian. That’s the definition.
LikeLike