Evangelical Scare Tactics?
February 7, 2013
Over at Slacktivist, Fred Clark has a post worth reading about how evangelicals try to use fear mongering and labeling (rather than discussion and debate) to dismiss arguments in the public sphere and more tragically, to dismiss “controversial” professors from their posts. This line in particular struck me as powerful and sadly, very true: “But white evangelicalism isn’t really about reading the Bible. It’s about using the Bible to enforce the boundaries of the tribe and the hierarchies within it.” The post provides some helpful perspectives, especially in light of the different dismissals that have become commonplace in recent years (read: Enns, Waltke, LeDonne, Rollston, Pahl, etc.). Check it out if you get the chance.
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Good post, Chris. I went back and read the primary source and one thing that bothers me as a Christian is finger-pointing. You don’t bring people together by drawing dividing lines. A strong sign of intelligence is being able to defend your position intelligently, without demoralizing a colleague. However, that type of discussion would preclude us from having this type of discussion, which at the end of the day in this digital age is a primary motive for some. Attention.