This article on Carlos Whittaker, worship pastor at Northpoint in Atlanta (Stanley) shows how little discernment goes in to the online discernment ministries or CRN. All that Ken Silva the editor commented on what the style of Whittaker. Well, since it is sho short, here it is

The emerging church and the new breed new evangelicals are busy lowering the standards of what it is to be Christian. Yeah and the great thing is it means we get uber hip worship leading/producer “pastors” with Ragamuffin Soul like Carlos Whittaker, “a musician, blogger, and pastor living in the ATL, Atlanta, GA.” Party on Garth, oops I mean — Rock on 4 Jesus dude!

Do you see anything in this article that refutes heretical doctrine, incorrect ministry practices or mistreatment of the word of God? Probably now, because there is none. This piece basically says “OOH! You’re really cool! You must be all about being ‘relevant’ and watering down the gospel.” I just don’t get articles like this, that attempt to show if you are a normal person in American culture, you are inherently bad. I don’t want to use “culturally relevant”, because that implies that someone is attempting to catch up trends or society, and being a part of a culture that isn’t their own. But just because you dress in modern fashion, speak in the modern vernacular and use modern technology, does not mean that you are trying to be a “uber hip” pastor. I just means that you are living your life out as a normal person. Why can’t Christians just live in their culture without having to being mocked as trying to be culturally relevant or super cool? i find that it is the people who are out of touch with culture that often accuse people like Whittaker of trying to be hip and relevant. Does that make sense?

Carlos has been doing his worship confessionals online for some time now. His honesty as a minister is so refreshing. He shares openly about what goes well and what bombs. He shares his human frustrations and joys in ministry. He gives us a look at the normal stuff that goes into ministry (like how Sunday mornings are run). I have noticed that CRN has been featuring alot more articles that are just plain hit pieces, with no substance, against people they dislike. Where’s the discernment in that?

btw… CRN is all messed up right now.(literally)

Here

I find it funny that when Barna’s research fits the wathcdoggie’s agenda, he is their best freind.  However, when the research swings the other way, the research organization is no good.  I don’t have alot to say on this article; it fits so well with my last one.  However, there is yet another example of bad logic in the piece

the editor writes

Rick Warren seems to equate the Biblical admonition against homosexuality as crippling: “For some time now, the hands and feet of the body of Christ have been amputated, and we’ve been pretty much reduced to a big mouth,” Warren wrote. “We talk more than we do. It’s time to reattach the limbs and let the church be the church in the 21st century.”

There is no source given for this, so I could not see the context.  Regardless, where did Warren say that biblical admonition against homosexuality was crippling here?  Sounds to me like he is saying our methods used to share with homosexuals has left the church crippled and unable to do anything else.  These guys really need to take a course in research theory and methods.  Come on, this is basic logic.

Let’s say that you are stuck in an apartment with someone for a week.  During that time, the person never engages in conversation or relationship with you, but instead hurls insults towards you on a daily basis.  They get their friends together and berate you behind your back (but you are still within ear’s shot).  Then the person creates impersonal websites and propaganda to pass that explains God hates you and that you are destined for hell.

Let’s say that after all of that, they come up to you and say, “I know the living God, Jesus Christ.  I love you with his love, because His everlasting love lives in me, and I want to share Him with you today.”  No apology, no recognition of what they had done, and definately no relationship.

This has been the relationship with homosexuals over the last year.  This article says alot about how CRN deals with the subject.  I think it speaks for itself.  However, Ken Silva writes

Stanley also errs if indeed he thinks it is the mission of the Body of Christ to “rewrite the script for the reputation of Christianity.” Obviously our glorious and majestic, great and mighty, Christ told us to love God and our fellow man–in that order.

While I believe that the gospel is our ultimate message, we must have a right to share that gosple with people.  We cannot expect someone to listen to us after we have abused them for a few centuries.  It really has nothing to do with being seeker-sensitive or anything else.  It has everything to do with the act that we blew our reputation years ago, and our voice has little to no credibility now.  I am sad that these guys cannot see that.

I’ve blogged about this before but I think it deserves to be brought up again.

It seems that the more “fundamental” some of the ODMs are, the more likely they are to believe in some really strange conspiracy theories. I only found out about the North American Union/Amero from the ODMs. If I follow them right, somehow the Pope, the Jesuits, Billy Graham, the Free Masons, space aliens, Keith Green, the emergent church, and the Illuminati are all involved in bringing about a one world, cashless society.

For a great article on conspiracy theories, check out Wikipedia.

I think we have better things to do with our time then going all Fox Mulder with our eschatology.

One thing I don’t understand, weren’t a lot of the founding fathers also free masons?