Apologetics – Page 4

Baptist & Amillennial Blunders

“While it is true that the gospel does have ripple effects on society, it is wrong to equate the kingdom with those ripple effects.”

-Sam Waldron
Baptist Amillennialist

Waldron, along with Baptist Amillennialist Tom Hicks has written a book inveighing against Theonomy and postmillennialism. One position they take as Amillennialists is that the Kingdom of God is only identified with the visible church. Now, keep in mind that if it is true that there is no such thing as neutrality this Amillennial position means that all other Institutions of men that are not the visible church are, by necessity, outposts of the Kingdom of Satan. That which cannot be part of the Kingdom of God is always a part of the Kingdom of Satan and is always opposed to the Kingdom of God. This means, families, education, arts, politics, courts, medicine, and all the institutions that wherein these are contained all belong to Satan’s rule because according the Waldron, Hicks and countless number of Amillennialists the Kingdom of God is only identified with the visible church.

This is despite the fact that we are taught to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. This position is held despite the fact that we are to pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This position is held despite the fact that all authority in heaven and on earth was given to Christ who then instructed us to disciple the nations. This stupid Amillennial position is held despite the fact that the gates of hell would not prevail in the Church’s work of extending the Kingdom.

The Amillennialist position is fine with Jesus being King over the Church. They are fine with Jesus being King over our individual personal lives. However, these poor chaps get stuck on the idea that the Lordship of Jesus Christ over the Church and personal individual lives, as that is multiplied by God’s faithfulness to build his Church, will necessarily mean that all the various institutions that are built up by converted men and women will thus become expressions of the Kingdom of God.

Waldron, instead wants to refer to all that as “ripple effects on society.” Apparently “Kingdom ripples,” are acceptable but actually being part of the Kingdom of God is verboten. One wonders where an acceptable Kingdom ripple ends and where an unacceptable Kingdom identity begins. Maybe we should begin a “Kingdom ripple police.” These Kingdom ripple police would make sure that ripples never became more than ripples.

Waldron needs to be reminded that Jesus was crucified for being the kind of King that the Romans found threatening. Rome would not have found Jesus being King to be threatening to their rule if they had believed that the Kingship that Jesus brought was only to be over a private religious organization (Church) or over people’s “hearts.” Pilate would never of hoisted Jesus up on the Cross if Jesus had been only some kind of private sphere King.

“If these arguments that I am making are correct then Christian Nationalism is actually Satanic. It is, in truth, Satanic Nationalism because it is a usurpation of Christ’s authority… The book of Revelation teaches that their is an unholy alliance between state religion and and overpowered civil government. Any government that claims authority over the Church’s orthodoxy and fills the church with reprobates is under the influence of the dragon and is speaking with the voice of the dragon.”

Tom Hicks
Anabaptist Amillennialist

1.) Hicks great presupposition here is that a nation’s government should allow for all the gods into the public square. Being Baptist, Hicks, by definition, believes in pluralism, which means he believes in polytheistic Nationalism. Since religion is an inescapable category all nations practice a nationalism as animated by some religion.

2.) Notice when one gives up Biblical Christianity the categories of good and evil end up being inverted. Once Hicks calls genuine Christian Nationalism, “Satanic Nationalism,” he now has embraced “Satanic Nationalism” as being Christian.

3.) Hicks is correct about the book of Revelation but all because a godless union of church and state persecuted the Church in the book of Revelation (something we would expect) that doesn’t mean all cooperative work between a Christian church and Christian State is evil.

4.) A Christian government correcting a Christian church that is giving up doctrines of the true Christian faith is a blessing. Obviously a government filling up the Church with reprobates would not be a Christian government and would, as such, have to be resisted. Hicks makes no sense.

5.) Hicks is speaking with the voice of the Dragon.

Hicks is speaking with the voice of the radical reformation (AnaBaptists). Below is a Puritan voice of the second Reformation – John Owen. It provides a correction to Hicks Baptist ramblings.

“Protestants teach unanimously that is it incumbent on kings to find out, receive, embrace, and promote the truth of the gospel, and the worship of God appointed therein, confirming, protecting, and defending of it by their regal power and authority; as also, that in their so doing they are to use the liberty of their own judgments, informed by the ways that God hat appointed for that end, independently of the dictates, determinations, and orders of any other person or persons in the world, unto whose authority they should be obnoxious.”

John Owen
Puritan

Hicks and Waldron are classic examples of problems one finds with amillennial, baptist, theology. These guys think they are claimants to the doctrines of the Reformation and claimants of covenant theology. However, when it comes down to it, all you are left with when one embraces Baptist Amillennialism is discontinuity, dualism, and dispensationalism.

This & That — Boomers, Scientism, Church Courts

On The Boomers

I am not a Boomer, though I fall in the rough age bracket. Actually, I fall kind of in-between Boomers and Gen. X, but sociologically speaking as Boomer and Gen. X are described I am definitely Gen. X. My parents were more characteristically Boomers.

Having a foot in both worlds though maybe I can make some comments on some of the things of which the Boomers are accused by subsequent generations.

First, subsequent generations need to be careful about the broadly placed accusations made against Boomers. Not all of them grew up with a silver spoon in their mouths. Not all of them think that other generations are whiny and shiftless. Some of the Boomers understand that subsequent generations got a raw deal and have a right to be angry. Finally, on this score, there are Boomers who agree with much of the younger generations analysis and so are not your enemies.

Second, because the above is true subsequent generations should make alliances with Boomers where they can. Some of those Boomers have been fighting about many of the very things about which subsequent generations are incensed, and they were fighting when the subsequent generations were yet in diapers. In other words, my counsel to the younger generations is don’t make enemies where you don’t need to make enemies. Every generation has a remnant. Find the remnant and learn from them.

Third, don’t dismiss Boomers just because they say you’re wrong on this or that particular issue. For example, I know a number of Boomers who hate centralized Government. This means they are not going to agree with many in the younger generation who think that if we just had a Christian prince centralized government would be positive. They will disagree with younger chaps who want to insist, as I read this morning for example, that Christian Nationalism cannot live with paleoconservatism. Boomers can disagree with y’all on this or that plank of the agenda without being total enemies.

On Scientism

Shifting gears, I wanted to note for readers here (and this in light of some recent comments) that we don’t do Scientism here. Scientism is the idea that Science is some holy grail of truth by which all should abide. Scientism is a religion wherein it is claimed that the postulates of “science” with its native empiricism is the only source of knowledge. We don’t believe that science is the Queen of the Sciences and we believe that any science is only as good as the theology that drives the science in question. I find it my delight, for example, in mocking science as displayed by the Lysenkoism that resulted in countless numbers of death due to starvation — all because they were “following the science.”

The Liberal Atlantic Monthly draws the wrong conclusions but the substance of what they write about in terms of Scientism is spot on;

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/12/trofim-lysenko-soviet-union-russia/548786/

All of this translates into skepticism regarding what is called “the cult of the experts.” Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn about what “the experts say.” Sure, I’ll quote folks and studies here but only as those folks or studies are doing what I understand to be credible science. No Trofim Lysenko science need apply. This means, if you post a study on this or that subject you should not expect me to say, “well, that’s the end of the conversation, I guess.” So, for example, you are not going to want to come around here telling me who “science proves anthropogenic climate change and that means the end of the world.” Sorry, that’s all bollix driven by Lysenko like science. The same thing is true regarding what science says regarding the merits of vaccines. Sorry…. I just don’t believe your science and no study is going to change my mind because you’re beginning with presuppositions about the nature of reality that I do not share and the true science is on my side. I mean… any time the poseurs have on their side Anthony Fauci saying, “I am the science,” you know that they have a weak hand.

So, by all means, “science” but “scientism” need not apply. The fantasy world of Charles Darwin and evolution should really be the end of appealing to Science as some kind of conversation stopper.

On “Conservative” “Reformed” “Church” “Courts”

It is my conviction that the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination dealing with Rev. Michael Hunter and the Presbyterian Church of America dealing with Rev. Zach Garris are now boxed into a situation where they have to discipline Rev. Hunter and Garris since the outcome of those denominations not doing so would mean they would be labeled “racist” denominations, and since avoiding the label of “racist denomination” is something to be avoided more than going to hell Hunter and Garris will be railroaded. The denominations have no choice since they themselves have in the past, by implementing WOKE polity and by the personnel they’ve allowed into their denomination adopted the Cultural Marxist / WOKE world and life view. These denomination cannot let Rev. Hunter and Rev. Garris go without discipline in some form since to do so would be to let loose all the demons in their denominations that they have allowed in over the prior years.

I know what they are going through now and will go through, having gone through it myself and as such I have large amounts of compassion for these men who have now joined guys like myself and Michael Spangler to be canaries in the coal mine of these compromised and Christ hating denominations, but this continued persecution of all orthodox Reformed and Protestant clergy should be a warning to all Christians in these “Reformed” and “Presbyterian” denominations. The modern church in the West — Reformed and otherwise — worships egalitarianism, especially in racial matters, and will not allow this idol to be touched by anybody who commits the sin of noticing on issues like race, feminism, the history of Christianity and the Bagels, and Cultural Marxism in general.

My word of advice to those in the large box store “Conservative” denominations (as well as many smaller Reformed denominations), for whatever it is worth, is “get out while you can. Why should you be supporting denominations that are aiding and abetting the destruction of the White Christian race?”

1964 Rushdoony Nails The Purpose Of The Hart-Cellar Act — McAtee Expands

“The purpose of the Hart-Cellar immigration law of 1965 was threefold.

First, it was described by NY Republican Senator Javitz as ‘the civil rights legislation for the world.’ Now, had we so described the bill, we would have been accused of misrepresentation, but we have the authority of Senator Javits that this bill is ‘the civil rights legislation of the world.’ In other words, it will establish, as a civil right of any person, anywhere in the world that they have a right to come to the United States, that immigration is no longer a privilege, a right which we hold and which we extend as a privilege to whomever we choose, but a civil right of anyone in the world. This then is the first function of the Hart-Cellar 1964 Immigration Act.

Its second function is to transfer immigration control from the legislative branch to the executive, so that the control of immigration, which has historically been in the hands of congress will be transferred to the administration.

Third, the law would be basically secondary to the president’s wishes, so that the basic law would be the will of the president, and it really would be a blank check. There would be no effective prohibition of anyone, whether subversive, mentally defective, a prostitute, a pervert, anyone would have the right to come into the country. There would be no effective bar.

This then, is the nature of the Kennedy-Johnson bill (Hart-Cellar Act). The likelihood of passage is very, very great unless a storm of protest overwhelms congress and compels them to surrender their present inclination to accept the bill. The purpose of this immigration policy then is to unify man, to bring about the unity of the godhead. Its purpose, and its premise, is not economic but religious. It is theologically rooted in this religious dream, the United Nations.

R. J. Rushdoony
Pocket College Lecture — 1964 Lecture

If ever the title of “Prophet” should be laid on someone that someone should be Rushdoony.

If we fill in the blanks just a wee bit more we would say now;

1.) The unification of man, as desired by the Globalists in these uS – a unification that RJR insists was inspired by the desire to have a unified manhood (world population) serving as god — was to be achieved by massive emigration patterns from the third world to the first world.

2.) Think of the purposeful change in immigration patterns as the pursuit of the lowest common denominator in order to level the nations. This is immigrational socialism.

3.) This vision of the Globalists that RJR exposed in 1964 could only be brought about by both the re-configuration of global populations via emigration AND massive propaganda agenda to push miscegenation once those populations have been re-arranged. As such, miscegenation, serves alongside the purposeful emigration agenda. Man will be melded, via marriage and breeding, into a singular non-distinguishable interchangeable cog. Once achieved it is a small step to Global citizenship in a New World Order.

4.) Because all of this is, as RJR writes above, was a part of the dream of the Globalists this means, by necessity, the homogenization process cannot be restricted to racial homogenization via miscegenation, and cultural homogenization via the same process, but also what also must be pursued in religious homogenization. A globalist New World Order requires not only a homogenization of race and culture but also requires a homogenization of all religions into one. Of course, this means the overthrow of distinctive Christianity which is being accomplished via the “Christian” churches refusal to speak out against Globalism (Babelism). As sure as night follows day you can count on the fact that Christianity will increasingly be less and less distinctive (than it already is) from other religions.

5.) If immigration is a civil right of anyone in the world then by necessity America cannot be anything but a propositional nation. If immigration to America is a civil right of anyone in the world then America cannot be a place defined by a people sharing a common ancestry and heritage, a common history, a common Anglo culture or even a common language.

6.) The ultimate purpose for all this was to destroy Christianity and this remains the ultimate purpose for all this. Those in the Church who cannot see this are co-conspirators in the silly attempt of rolling Christ off His throne.

DEI And WOKE In the PCA’s MNA II

The fact that the PCA is now a creature of the Left is seen by statements made by one of its trophy Blacks. This man is Irwyn Ince who serves as the coordinator of the MNA to the tune of 300K a year. A denomination can go a long way proving it’s not racist by paying a black man 300K a year to head one of its central organizations. This is one way how organization secure their “get out of accusations of racist jail free cards.”

The PCA has been tripping all over itself praising this chap. The problem is Mr. Irwyn Ince seems to be infected likewise with the WOKE bug as seen by both some statements made and in statements made by his son in defending Dad.

In September 2022, the popular Christian X account “Woke Preacher Clips” unearthed a talk Ince gave in 2019, during which he claimed black people can become “black and tired” and experience “minority fatigue” around white people.

“So you’ve got to experience some spaces and times where you just don’t have to work so hard,” he said. “There is a grounding and a positive sense of belonging that can come from an ethnic affinity in a world of dizzying diversity.”

Now again, personally I get this and have no problem with this as long as sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. A white person ought to be able to say something like this quite without raising the hackles of the WOKE police.

Claiming black people are potentially subject to “trauma” being in a majority-white situation, Ince argued for the necessity of “some places of affinity space.”

“The likelihood is if you’re an all-white staff, you ain’t gonna be enough. Your church ain’t gonna be enough. They gonna wear out.”

It is exactly for this reason I would argue that the MNA should be working on planting Reformed churches for black folks with the goal of eventually spinning successful black Reformed congregations into their own denominations. Why should black folk have to put up with us boring white people?

Honestly, I think that could be a successful policy for church planting. After all as Dr. John Frame informed us;

“Scripture, as I read it, does not require societies, or even churches, to be integrated racially. Jews and Gentiles were brought together by God’s grace into one body. They were expected to love one another and to accept one another as brothers in the faith. But the Jewish Christians continued to maintain a distinct culture, and house churches were not required to include members of both groups.”

John Frame,
“Racism, Sexism, Marxism”

But the fat was not yet fully in the fire as the saying goes. In the midst of this brouhaha Irwyn Ince’s son stepped up to the plate to provide some excitement for the PCA mudville nine.

After journalist Meg Basham stirred the pot a wee bit noticing what she believed to be inconsistencies, Irwyn’s son Jelani dropped some WOKE bombs, making at least this blogger wonder if the acorn had dropped very far from the tree.

Dr. Jelani vented on TwitteX excoriating “white evangelical culture” as “unequivocally toxic and irredeemable.” Jeepers, you’d think that Jelani would have some nice things to say about white evangelical culture given that white evangelical culture is paying his father 300K a year to inject subtle WOKEism into white evangelical culture. I mean what does “white evangelical culture” have to do to get some street cred with Dr. Jelani? The chap even complained about the noticing going on around his Father as; “absolutely [sic] buffoonery.”

Dr. Jelani is a sociologist who apparently has not yet reinterpreted his sociology through a Christian grid. However he has provided his pronouns in his University bio which is something that I, as a Christian, always look for. Dr. Jelani went on to write on TwitteX;

“The worst of its (white evangelical culture) defenders work from the same playbook as segregationists and xenophobes. You think your culture is under attack, but to be honest: it lacks the imagination that would warrant copying.”

“For more years than I would like to admit, I have sat in your pews, read your books, listened to your sermons, [and] forced myself to enjoy those mid post-service potlucks and small group meetings.”

Besides that how did you like the play Mrs. Lincoln?

Honestly, I’d love to meet Dr. Jelani’s often met segregationists and xenophobes. I just find it hard to believe that they really exist in the PCA. Most of what I see in the PCA is Marxist dupes and egalitarians. I am sure though that a sociologist professor at the University of Washington would likely thinks he sees segregationists and xenophobes when the ELCA and the Congregationalists meet in their annual meetings.

There was a good deal more of the same type of Cultural Marxist tripe that fell from Dr. Jelani’s pen on TwitteX. One wonders what dear old Dad thinks of Dr. Jelani’s defense? I suppose Dr. Jelani’s heart was in the right place, bless his heart.

Maybe this is all a negotiating ploy in hopes that Dr. Irwyn Ince will be able make a decent wage?

All the best to him on that score. Goodness knows that the WOKE workman is worth is wages.

DEI And WOKE In the PCA’s MNA — I

Recently the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) has been letting its true WOKE colors be seen. As often happens this WOKEism comes from the apparatchik, bureaucratic, and administrative bowels of the denomination.

First a bureaucratic arm of the denomination (Mission To The World [MNA] – A denominational agency that allegedly helps the denomination with Church plants and philanthropy) decided it was appropriate to put up a website instructing illegal aliens on how to evade being bagged, flagged, and tagged by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for return to country of origin. In other words a PCA bureaucratic agency served as an ally in order to aid and abet criminals. Now, the website was met with a storm of protest and was eventually taken down but it is clear that within the bowels of the PCA bureaucracy a criminal loving anti-Christian element exists and saying “I’m sorry,” and pulling down the website (repenting) doesn’t change the fact that there is a mindset that exists within the PCA that is not only errant but is criminal. How can one note conclude that the PCA is, in its bureaucratic entrails, a creature of the Left?

Following that imbroglio the PCA drew attention again for the action of a church (Resurrection Oakland Church — Oakland Ca.) that was prejudiced against white people. Let’s be clear here. I don’t really view it as being prejudiced in any kind of negative way but certainly we would have to say that in light of the current bogus standards of what constitutes “racism” a PCA Church with the black head of the MNA as a speaker had a luncheon wherein only black folk were invited has to be considered by WOKE standards as “racist.” Now, once again, I want to be clear here. I have not a scintilla of problem with this gathering except that it is the case that if white people were to legitimately want to have a fellowship meal and session exclusively with a prominent white speaker the black community in the Reformed church would go grape ape crazy. So, my problem is not with Dr. Ince having a fellowship meal with black people only. My problem is that sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander. Further, my problem is all the ridiculous justifications that I have read for why it is acceptable for black folk to occasionally cordone (segregate?) themselves off from white folks but it is not ok for white folks to occasionally cordone themselves off from black folks.

The MNA, trying to thread the needle of repenting of its DEI visage by giving criminal aid to illegal immigrants while explaining why DEI is acceptable when applied to the acceptable practice of segregation for minorities said;

“fellowship gatherings or events that center on the shared cultural experiences of ethnic minority brothers and sisters (are acceptable).”

The MNA went out of its way to also say that the organizers of ResOak’s Black Fellowship Dinner, which requested attendees to register, “did not prohibit or turn away anyone from attending.” Now if this doesn’t give you a good belly laugh nothing will. Of course they did not prohibit or turn away anyone from attending since after the announcement that “no white people were wanted” doubtless no white person wanted to attend. I mean why would any White person want to attend a “blacks only” gathering after they had been told explicitly, “Whitey stay home?”

Next the PCA tries to go all “marketing” in their messaging;

“Affinity ministries equip and encourage minority members who worship in so many of our churches. These ministries support shared cultural experiences for the edification of the whole body,” the committee said, going on to list some of the minority ethnic groups that make up “the dynamic diversity of the PCA.”

“We affirm affinity gatherings as a part of rejoicing in our unity and diversity,” the committee said, citing I Cor. 12 and Rev. 7.

Again, I don’t have any problems with a ecclesia within the ecclesia. What I have a problem with is daring to suggest that if White people desire to have an affinity ministry together in order to equip and encourage non-minority members who worship in many of our churches would somehow be an example of evil segregation and/or “racism.”

In a separate statement, PCA Stated Clerk Bryan Chapell suggested that media covering the dissension within the denomination over such issues have shown an “‘inability or unwillingness to understand PCA leaders’ explanations’ of the difference between groups segregated by prejudice on the one hand, and affinity groups gathered to advance gospel witness on the other hand.”

This statement from Dr. Chapell is also rich with belly laugh material. If white people segregate than it is evil prejudice but if minority folk self-segregate then it is “affinity groups gathered to advance the gospel witness.” It is amazing that these people can’t see how transparently ridiculous these “distinctions” are.

All of this demonstrates the Church’s subtle and not so subtle contribution to the replacement agenda.

Next we are told;

“MNA offers specific ministries for several ethnic minorities, including one for Hispanics that claims the recent demographic change in the U.S. amid “loosened” immigration policies was “orchestrated by God Himself” to provide “an unprecedented opportunity” to fulfill the Great Commission.”

On this point I would love to know how the PCA knows that God has orchestrated the loosened immigration policies in order to provide an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill the great commission?

Did somebody in the PCA bureaucracy get a “word from the Lord?” I mean couldn’t it also be the case that God has orchestrated the loosened immigration policies in order to fulfill His promise to curse people who abandon Him per Deut. 28 where He promises those who disobey Him will become the tail and not the head?

Next, if the MNA were honest, they would see that it is the pagan immigrants who are converting American Christians to their third world ways and not American Christians who are seeing vast numbers of third worlders converted. Even this language italicized most immediately above is evidence of a leftist brain worm in the apparatchiks of the PCA. Loosened immigration policies certainly are the result of God will of decree but they are exactly contrary to God’s will of precept. Has God ever revealed, by way of precept, that a people as a people should break the 6th commandment and annihilate themselves by welcoming in the stranger and the alien so has to eat out the native born’s substance and steal the native born’s children’s inheritance?