A Disturbing Trend

13 Comments / January 21, 2019

I have been noticing something recently. It’s quite worrisome and I wanted to bring it to your attention.

The Christian world is currently broken down into three categories of people:

1) Those who believe discernment and speaking anything negative about someone (even if it is true and necessary) is evil.

(I am still unsure of where someone finds this viewpoint in scripture? And, yet, so many Christians believe this. Read more about this here.)

2) Those who try to stay balanced–practicing and encouraging discernment while not making it their life’s mission.

(This is where I try to stay because discernment is truly just one part of a healthy Christian life. Although, I have to admit that this can be a challenge when you recognize all that is going on to draw people away from the only true God.)

3) And those who are extremely passionate about discernment and see it as their ministry.

(This is where people can become a little and sometimes a LOT unbalanced if they aren’t very careful.)

But in this third circle, where we find some really good discernment bloggers, I have been noticing a trend. Not with all of them but with some of them.

And it is this: Their refusal to write about certain leaders and authors.

It has been an interesting thing to watch– to say the least. While they will easily (and rightly) give a biblical critique of someone like Beth Moore, Joel Osteen, or Bill Johnson, they say nothing about what’s going on in the Southern Baptist circles with Al Mohler, Russell Moore, J.D. Greear, and others as they change their views on homosexuality and promote the “woke” movement or any of the many other things going on in that circle. Nothing.

Thankfully, there are still a few brave souls who will speak up. But this group is quickly shrinking.

Now, in some ways I get it. To do so would, in a very real way, be to commit blogging suicide.

Many of these bloggers have the ears of certain popular folk that reside in the reformed and/or Baptist circles. And these certain popular folk not only also refuse to speak up about what’s going on but, in fact, join with these men at conferences, on radio shows, and in many other ways.

So to speak up against them would be to, most likely, lose your {relatively small} bit of fame, your preferred “discernment blogger” status, and the support of those who refuse to break with men who are headed pell-mell in the wrong direction.

While these bloggers refuse to say anything, some of them then proceed to tweet unkind words about those that do, indeed, have the fortitude to stand up and speak out. I have seen it and it is just…so wrong.

I don’t really have an answer. I just wanted to go on record saying that I see this happening and it is beyond disturbing and most disheartening.

And I wanted to make you, my small circle of readers, aware of this, as well, so that you can be on the look-out for this, too. It is amazing what someone can say by silence.

And, once again, I just encourage you to not hold any person up as your idol. No matter how they helped you grow or helped you see, they do not deserve your undying loyalty.

All of us are sinners that are still fighting with the flesh. All of us fight the desire to be popular and liked and praised. And, as bloggers, this desire can and often does drive what we choose to post or to not post. Blogging for the Lord and His glory alone is not as easy as you might think.

So I’d really encourage you to not rely on just one or two people for the whole story these days. Just as we diversify our assets in financial planning, so we should diversify our sources when it comes to this topic of discernment.

I know this is not a biblical post, per se, but I just felt this needed to be said. Hope it helps. I’ll get back to my normal type of post next time. Thanks for reading.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. (I Thessalonians 5:21)

13 thoughts on “A Disturbing Trend”

  2. ponderosapapa

    I choose to create an awareness for my readers on the issues at stake. Rather than calling specific people out, which I will do in person, I try to educate on the biblical teaching vs.the positions being proposed. The part of the trend that is most disturbing is biblical illiteracy and the resulting lack of awareness that issues even exist. We sang a “new song” yesterday in church. The lyrics had very much a man based focus rather than seeing God as our initiator. Still the church dutifully sang on learning this new song. I’m left to wonder if any others walked away uncomfortable with what just took place. I’ll be writing on this soon.

    Good blog, L.

    Reply
    1. Leslie A

      Thank you and I agree! I actually would tend to do the same as you and mention names very infrequently. I do, however, think there is great value in having those who do help bring things to light and show us how someone is leaving biblical truth. (Ephesians 5:11) —as long as it is true and impartial. Which is my point here.

      Reply
  3. Cathy Kaech

    Thank you for posting this well written article…It is disturbing, and destructive. How else will we know? It takes more than a handful of people to be discerning about whether the glass of water has a bit of poison in it or not…A little bit of poison will kill ya.

    Reply
  4. Chris

    Hello, ‘the pulpit and pen’ website exposes the lack of discernment of those names and organization you mentioned above, exposing trends and hypocrisy. JD Hall is the main writer, but has guest writers who expose the hypocrisy and unbiblical trends.

    Reading about the movements creeping into the church through so called pastors IS disturbing. I often question why our church joined the SBC a few short years ago. I hope our leadership is paying attention to the trends.

    We need more men like Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones to call out these trend-setters (wolves in sheeps clothing?)

    Reply
    1. Leslie A

      And J.C. Ryle. I am so grateful for these men of old who stood firm. I do appreciate J.D. Hall’s integrity in reporting although I don’t always appreciate his rather arrogant style…

      Reply
    2. Leslie A

      Mohler kind of talks out of both sides of his mouth on several issues. He is confusing and misleading, in my opinion. Some of his actions and connections also are of great concern.

      Reply

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