James MacDonald has a statement clarifying the purpose of The Elephant Room and walking back his previous defense of the T. D. Jakes invitation. He writes: One of the things I have worked hardest at in my ministry is listening to and benefiting from criticism. The Elephant Room has brought a lot of it, and I have attempted to get to the bottom of what the Lord is saying to me through this criticism . . . I regret pushing back against the harshest of critics, for they were few compared to the many who have come in the best possible way with true intention and helpful correction. Further, I…
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Dallas Pastor Endorses Rick Perry
David Weigel reports at Slate.com that Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress has endorsed Rick Perry at the Values Voter Summit. Jeffress reasons that—all things being equal—Christians should favor Christian political candidates over non-Christian ones. For that reason he supports Perry over Romney. The video of the interview is above. Here’s a little piece of it transcribed: I believe we should always support a Christian over a non-Christian. The value of electing a Christian goes beyond public policies. . . . Christians are uniquely favored by God, [while] Mormons, Hindus and Muslims worship a false god. The eternal consequences outweigh political ones. It is worse to legitimize a faith that would lead…
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There Will Be No Republican Messiah
It is ironic that the same Republican who criticized the Democrats three years ago for having a messianic view of Obama are now casting about in search of a messiah of their own. I like how John Mark Reynolds says it: The quest by some in the Republican Party for a savior is unseemly. We have a choice between the incumbent president and a long list of good men and women with strong backgrounds. This list includes the governor of one of our largest states, a former governor and business leader, a former senator, a successful business leader, the architect of the Republican congressional majority, and a congressional firebrand. Whatever…
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Justin Taylor on T.D. Jakes and The Elephant Room
Justin hits the nail on the head: The most controversial part of the Elephant Room inviting T.D. Jakes to participate is not whether or not it’s permissible or advisable to have a conversation with someone who cannot affirm Trinitarian orthodoxy and who preaches a prosperity gospel. Rather, the bigger problem (as I see it) is that James MacDonald defended the decision under the idea that the Elephant Room is all about “Getting brothers together who believe in salvation by grace alone through faith alone but normally don’t interact.” Further, their site explains that the motivation behind the Elephant Room is “a dual desire to challenge and unite this generation’s pastors.”…
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180 Movie
Last night I took the opportunity to watch Ray Comfort’s viral movie “180.” It is a 33-minute tour de force of pro-life argument and evangelism. In the movie, Ray Comfort quizzes people on the street about the Holocaust and about abortion. He sets his trap skillfully to convince people that if they oppose the Holocaust, they ought to oppose abortion as well. By the end of the movie, many of the interviewees make a 180 on their views about abortion. At the end of the movie, Comfort turns these conversations about abortion into conversations about the gospel. I don’t know that any of these folks actually became disciples of Jesus,…
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Does Romney’s Mormonism Matter?
Does Mitt Romney’s Mormonism matter in his quest for the GOP nomination? Michael Gerson says no: Romney’s faith should not matter. Presidents are elected for their policy views, leadership skills and character, not their soteriology. Such theological convictions about salvation may be infinitely important, but they are politically irrelevant. The whole “no religious test for office” idea remains a good one. I think there is a little bit of overstatement here. It is not difficult to imagine a scenario in which theological convictions might impact our evaluation of a person’s fitness for office. If a candidate’s religion teaches that killing infidels is a sure path to eternal life, then I…
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Would Augustine Invite Muhammad to Speak at His Conference?
Thabiti Anyabwile has written a hard-hitting piece titled, “Collateral Damage in the Invitation of T.D. Jakes to the Elephant Room.” You need to read the whole thing, but here’s a little taste: It’s difficult to see larger-than-life heretics given a platform in circles of pastors and leaders we respect and we regard as co-laborers in defense and confirmation of the truth…
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Full Video of John Piper’s “Bloodlines” Documentary
We have been waiting for this, and here it is. Previously I posted the teaser, but this is the full video. It’s a short documentary about John Piper’s growing up as a racist and about the power of the gospel to obliterate racism. (HT: Justin Taylor)
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Some Thoughts on The Elephant Room Flap
Tim Challies has weighed-in on The Elephant Room flap. He writes: As I think about round 2 of the Elephant Room, here is what I want to know: Will T.D. Jakes be challenged very specifically on what he believes about the Trinity? Will this be the elephant in the room when he sits there with MacDonald and whoever else? Will these men be willing to ask him very difficult, very nuanced, very penetrating questions? And if he finally says, “Yes, I am a modalist” will they then be willing to tell him, “You are a heretic; you are not a Christian”? If he proves himself to be a modalist, will…
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Rob Bell To Produce TV Show Based on His Own Life
When Rob Bell left Mars Hill Bible Church, he said that he was leaving because he felt a “calling to share God’s love” in new ways. Sarah Pulliam Bailey reports that one of those “new ways” is to produce a television drama about his own life. Bell has joined-up with Carlton Cuse—one of the creators of the TV series Lost—to produce a television pilot, and ABC has already bought the rights to it. New York Magazine has a brief report on how Cuse and Bell got together and what the show will be like: