Re: RATE Vol. II

On 5/24/06, Janice Matchett <janmatch@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> At 07:08 AM 5/24/2006, Jack Haas wrote:
>
> We might call it /God Did it But When? /to go with the book /God Did It But
> How?
>
> @ That is exactly how the subject should be presented to conservative,
> professing Christians if you want them to be open to hearing what you have
> to say.
>
> But you're dead in the water before you even get out of the box if you
> present it to them with papers written by people who admire, promote, or are
> sympathetic to, any of the radical leftist organizations like Moveon.org or
> people like Jim Wallis.
>
> If you don't believe me, just wait and see.
>

When Cal Thomas interviewed Jim Wallis on his Fox News show, After
Hours, Thomas granted Wallis' point that the evangelicals are too
narrow as what issues are important. Thomas then went on to show that
Wallis was just as narrow in his issues on the left as any on the
so-called Religious Right. Thomas in no way could be characterized as
promoting Wallis' agenda, but he was sympathetic to his argument
seeing that being too narrow in applying Scripture was unbiblical.
The same can be said of Rick Warren who listened to the issue on
climate change knowing that many environmental proponents are New
Agers. Jesse Helms listened to and supported liberal singer Bono's
appeal on AIDS in 2001.

Whether it is the apolitical Warren or the conservative Thomas or
Helms, I am confident of the honest persuit of truth of a great number
of my evangelical brothers and sisters. Like the examples above they
do not immediately discount something merely because it is promoted by
people who are on the left particularly if those people on the left
are also professed believers. Rather, they measure the idea against
Scripture and then make their judgment. To do otherwise is to commit
what is known as the genetic fallacy, herein defined as the irrelevant
appraisal of something based on its origin.

My concern is keep from falling those brothers and sisters who have a
spiritual crisis caused by YEC. This crisis visits those evangelicals
who actually listen to those outside of their insular group. Janice
has good reason for her advise, however. There are evangelicals who do
commit the genetic fallacy. The good news is they probably won't have
a spiritual crisis because they are not considering outside opinions
-- including ours -- which might cause cognitive dissonance. It is
probably good to adopt Janice's suggestion as prudent but it probably
won't make a big difference either way as those evangelicals who will
give outside opinions due consideration won't be as bothered by who
says the truth as long as it is the truth.

Note: if I misinterpreted Janice and she is saying instead do not
promote leftist agendas (or any agenda for that matter) in the
document then that would truly be a deal breaker.
Received on Wed May 24 14:41:28 2006