Agreeing with J. D. Hall on Co-Belligerency … with Some Qualifications

Over on X and probably elsewhere J. D. Hall, the self-advertised “chicken-farmer” writes a column justifying Joel Webbon’s ecumenicism. Hall makes some fair points along the way as against those complaining that Webbon has platformed a Trent Affirming English Catholic, named Calvin Robinson.

Decades ago now, Francis Schaeffer encouraged co-belligerency with others who agreed with Biblical Christians on issues like abortion. I can march in protest against a wicked policy with a Mormon or even a Hindu and not lose any sleep over doing so but only if at the same time I am making it known to Mormons and Hindus at various times that out of love for God and for them and for their souls they have need to repent lest the wrath of God remain upon them.

You see, it would be easy when working with folks of other heathen faiths to get all chummy with them because of the shared conviction that was opposing this or that issue. (Those issues could be anything from protesting gun control, tax rates, Queer story reading time, etc.) The sense of comradery that might arise from those shared convictions certainly could blunt any urgency on the Biblical Christian’s part to tell their co-laborer that their soul remains in peril. If I am walking arm in arm with a Roman Catholic like Calvin Robinson on a host of cultural issues, thus building a natural affection for him, will I be willing to tell the man, “Unless you be born again you will not see the Kingdom of heaven, Calvin?”

J. D. Hall, in his piece, mentions that Roman Catholics and Protestants have greater common enemies to fight right now, like the Marxists. J. D. is correct there. However, all because Protestants and Roman Catholics have greater common enemies to fight that does not mean that Protestant cease to view Roman Catholics as enemies of the faith once and forever delivered unto the saints, and vice-versus.

When organizations like Webbon’s (a Protestant) platforms people like Robinson (a Trent affirming English Catholic) and all people see online is the two of them being all chummy because they are resisting the common enemy of Marxism then what is communicated is that there really is not that much difference between Protestants and Roman Catholics. I’ve seen Robinson say Roman Catholic type things on these broadcasts with barely any push back coming from Webbon, like the time when Robinson suggested that Protestantism was inspired by the Jews.

I should probably insert here that J. D. complains about Christians supporting TPUSA but griping about Webbon’s NXR. That is a fair complaint and for whatever it is worth I thought and still think that TPUSA was a disaster in terms of who they allowed into their broad tent. In point of fact, because of that I sincerely doubted that Charlie Kirk should be leading that organization since it wasn’t particularly Christian, though it was selling itself as being Christian. Kirk’s platforming of sodomites was a stain on the cause of Christ.

That being said, I do believe that  J. D. Hall’s overall point is a good one. Protestants and Catholics (and others) can work as co-belligerents with one another on sundry issues but at the end of the day Protestants have to realize that they are working with people who need to hear the bad news that leads to the good news of God in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. The co-belligerents at Webbon’s NXR need to be told that if they refuse the good news of Christ then all their seven sacraments, and all their confessions to Priests, and all their praying to saints, and all their lighting of candles and crossing themselves may only result in an eternity in a deeper hell than those they are protesting since they are sinning against a “better knowledge.”

Love for God and our fellow man requires us to not only protest the Marxists together. Love for God and our fellow man requires us to speak the truth about our undoubted catholic Christian faith to those who remain enemies of the cross … even if their enemy status is not as intense as the Marxists who hate all those who go by the sobriquet “Christian.”

Has Webbon ever told Robinson that he must repent?

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him. View all posts by jetbrane