Open Letter to Pat Robertson
Dear Rev. Robertson:
I am writing to you as a brother in Christ. True, I am out on the left side of the body, but I believe in the basics, I was baptized in a running stream and I'm a member in (reasonably) good standing of a Southern Baptist church. We may not see eye to eye on some social issues (or maybe any), but on the eternals I think we have no quarrel.
In my circles it is sometimes a challenge to explain how I can share any philosophy with someone like you. I'm sure you have the same problem with people wondering what common ground you may have with "liberal" Christians.
My problems arise from your very visibility. There is so much of you around that your acts and your views have a tendency to define "Christian" in the public mind. This leads me to want to caution you where I think you are straying from the text.
For instance, we are cautioned not to "belong to" this world. When you do something like run for President I worry that this is too much like "belonging to this world". Opinions can differ, but to me, looking for the most powerful secular post on Earth seems questionable.
You present campaign around the Supreme Court seems to me to have this same difficulty. A little too directly involved in secular machinations.
And doesn't it occur to you that "praying for vacancies" on the Court comes a little close to praying for "negative outcomes" for some present members of the Court? I don't know anything about the spiritual lives of most justices, but I am assuming many, if not all, are Christians. Are you really comfortable praying for the death or disability of your brothers ? Its the kind of problem that too much "belonging" tends to lead to, I'm afraid.
All of these things have also been accompanied by your amazing certainty about things. You seem absolutely convinced that you know The Father's will about the Court and the beginning of life and same sex marriage. Sometimes I envy that certainty, but mostly I worry that people that are so certain are no longer working out salvation in fear and trembling.
Underneath all this is the fear for you that is also my greatest fear for myself: that when my time comes I will meet Jesus in inexpressible joy only to have him turn me away.. Unimaginable horror. I don't wish it on either of us. I am probably as near to it as you. You're just more visible.
See you in Heaven.
Jared Dreyfus
I am writing to you as a brother in Christ. True, I am out on the left side of the body, but I believe in the basics, I was baptized in a running stream and I'm a member in (reasonably) good standing of a Southern Baptist church. We may not see eye to eye on some social issues (or maybe any), but on the eternals I think we have no quarrel.
In my circles it is sometimes a challenge to explain how I can share any philosophy with someone like you. I'm sure you have the same problem with people wondering what common ground you may have with "liberal" Christians.
My problems arise from your very visibility. There is so much of you around that your acts and your views have a tendency to define "Christian" in the public mind. This leads me to want to caution you where I think you are straying from the text.
For instance, we are cautioned not to "belong to" this world. When you do something like run for President I worry that this is too much like "belonging to this world". Opinions can differ, but to me, looking for the most powerful secular post on Earth seems questionable.
You present campaign around the Supreme Court seems to me to have this same difficulty. A little too directly involved in secular machinations.
And doesn't it occur to you that "praying for vacancies" on the Court comes a little close to praying for "negative outcomes" for some present members of the Court? I don't know anything about the spiritual lives of most justices, but I am assuming many, if not all, are Christians. Are you really comfortable praying for the death or disability of your brothers ? Its the kind of problem that too much "belonging" tends to lead to, I'm afraid.
All of these things have also been accompanied by your amazing certainty about things. You seem absolutely convinced that you know The Father's will about the Court and the beginning of life and same sex marriage. Sometimes I envy that certainty, but mostly I worry that people that are so certain are no longer working out salvation in fear and trembling.
Underneath all this is the fear for you that is also my greatest fear for myself: that when my time comes I will meet Jesus in inexpressible joy only to have him turn me away.. Unimaginable horror. I don't wish it on either of us. I am probably as near to it as you. You're just more visible.
See you in Heaven.
Jared Dreyfus
posted by Unknown at 3:23 PM
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