As an observer of the wild world of Christendom such as it is in North America, it is all too easy to be outraged. Many things done and said in the name of Christ are outright travesties. It is easy to be outraged about them.
As a blogger, outrage is a constant temptation.
Online discussion has been an interest of mine almost from the day I got my first computer. It was Compuserve back then, and somewhere soon along the way I found SBCNet, an online discussion board in Compuserve where I found myself amazed, dismayed, chagrined and unable to keep silence at some of the foolishness I read there.
The same sense of dismay and outrage continued as various online forums opened up along the way. The foolish statements of some so-called fundamentalists launched my most recent efforts in the online world. And of course, the foolishness of the evangelical world is enough to keep one in a state of constant outrage (see my most recent post for an example).
It really would be easy to simply fill our pages here with articles exposing the outrageousness that goes on in the Christian world every day. Outrage seems to be the driving force behind many ‘old media’ fundamentalist scandal sheets. By that I mean the old newsletters various men in fundamentalism published over the years. Do I need to give you names? Some of them were published by very good and godly men. I believe that they served some purpose. Every one of us who are fundamentalist bloggers could continue the same tradition, and some are, at least to some extent.
It seems to me, however, that we can’t build or sustain a movement on outrage alone. Outrage is too easy. Discipleship is hard. Discipleship takes time and commitment, both on the part of the trainer and the trainee. Perhaps one of the great weaknesses of our movement is that we have spent a good deal of time in building programs while relying on outrage to keep our alliance strong. Outrage is too easy, and it isn’t enough.
What we need is line upon line, precept upon precept, building loyalty to God and His Word, first, foremost, and always.
I get your point, Don. I do believe that we must be more than outrage. I’m sure there are many to your left that are glad to hear you say this, although they’ll probably keep sliding left anyway.
A few years ago, William Bennett wrote the book, The Death of Outrage. Perhaps it isn’t so much that outrage doesn’t exist, but that people tend to become outraged at the temporal and shallow with ambivalence toward the eternal.
Hi Kent
Stayed tuned… more on outrage coming. I think those on my left will not like what comes next.
Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
I am sure that we differ in many ways, that are significant some that will never be remembered when we are with Him…but I wanted to applaud you sense of humor and courage. We can’t take ourselves to seriously…
fundamentalism by bluntforce…love it. Love the name…oxgoad. You have to be quick to get it.