Today I was sent a link by a Facebook friend about a minister who was in some sort of deep hallucination...um, prayer time, who reading I Chronicles 2:22-29 decided that $229 was the price you should pay for your “complete breakthrough” in dealing with evil and darkness. It costs around $10 to produce the DVD or less if it is CD she would send you that would help you on your way. Poppycock. I was also informed this morning that I am persona non grata when I asked to join a ‘secret’ Facebook community of which I had been a part and for whom I had done several podcasts and of which many of my Facebook friends are members. I was quite surprised when upon asking to (re)join I was asked a series of questions about my intentions in re-joining the group (I had been a member of this and several other groups but left all groups in February). The two administrators of the group, both former pastors, apparently felt that, even though my podcasts are popular with their audience, my voice as a contributor to their community would be disruptive. I am too “didactic” in my communication skills. This ‘blackballing’ saddens me. Apparently it pays to either be a huckster or to be equivocating. I chose to be neither. It’s funny but the very same ‘community’ that prides itself on having well known theologians as part of its podcast repertoire would not want one of their former theological interviewees as part of their community. I guess it is OK to come on a podcast and be ‘didactic’ but when one is one’s self in the community one cannot be didactic. Everywhere I look in Christianity I see people trying to build their little kingdoms. I see little kingdom’s sprouting like weeds in charismania and I also see it in the ‘emerging’ church. I see it in mainline churches and on denominational levels. Everybody, it seems, has been called by GOD to build a little kingdom. AND IT IS ALL MIMETIC!!! And do you know what all kingdom builders are afraid of? They are afraid of those who would expose their work as nothing more than manipulation and control. Nobody likes a critic; nobody likes those who expose irrational thinking or psychological manipulation. Especially in “God’s” [sic] world. In “God’s” [sic] world, why everybody is an expert. Everybody can say anything they want and claim it comes from God. When someone comes along to challenge their hegemony, they are blackballed. This would not be the first Facebook community I have been blackballed from. When I asked about the translation principles and questioned the veracity of The Mirror Bible I was immediately cut off from an entire part of charismania, deleted and defriended. Now apparently an “emerging” church community does not want anyone who might upset their little flock. Yet this same community valorizes Kierkegaard, who was persona non grata in his day, they hold up Bonhoeffer, who was persona non grata in his day. Those who guild the tombs of the prophets still deny that they are prophet killers. What do they have to be afraid of? I’ll tell you. The quotes are from a true gentleman (and I mean that sincerely): “It seems to me that you are more accustomed to being in a teaching role via your online presence. Almost all of the interactions that I have seen on your own Facebook page and within our previous FB group were in the form of teaching. Your style seems to be more didactic than conversational. I do not mean this to say that you are not approachable or that you do not respond to questions or comments. Not at all! You have been great to interact with people as they question, comment, disagree, etc. But, I am just juxtaposing this against the style of the FB community that we are endeavoring to have.” “…you have a tendency to come off as abrasive at times. I do not say this to judge you or to say that you are wrong. It’s just that in our previous FB group there were times when you made us both shudder in how you would respond to people. We had a number of private messages sent to us that led us to believe that people were intimidated by you and fearful of participating. This fear of participation cannot be completely laid at your door, for I would venture to guess that some of this fear is the result of people’s own insecurities, etc. However, we received enough input from various people and saw several instances ourselves where we believe that you came off as somewhat of a bully, regardless of your intention.” Yet these very same people valorize Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus and Paul not to mention Martin Luther or Martin Luther King Jr who all could be considered ‘didactic’ and ‘abrasive’ and who ‘intimidated others.’ Apparently, being thoughtful and being oneself is still a sin. This is not sour grapes my friends. This is just the way it is. Yes, it can be frustrating. Yes, trying to be a theologian and engaging others theologically on a medium like Facebook is a real challenge. In fact it is damn near impossible, which is why you would be hard pressed to find any real scholar doing it. Blogs are easier, so much easier. Mixing it up in little ‘soundbites’ (for that is what comments are), trying to be concise and to the point, and naming a bad argument or poor use of evidence or questionable exegesis for what it is get you the “Bad Theologian of the Year Award.” As for me and my house, I am going to continue doing what I do. I come to help and believe me when I say that the little ‘kingdom builders’ need help. So do those who bow down before their altars.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 15:02:16 +0000
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