Lexington Man's Goal Is to Get Clergy Behind the Democrats

Lexington, KY, Herald-Leader ^ | 12-26-03 | Lockwood, Frank E.

[SquirrelKing]

Kind of an Ann Coulterish approach from a half century ago.

Woops. More like almost a century ago.

I, know, I know, an obligatory pic:

[RobbyS]

Want to stumo a liberal who think of fundamentalists as airheads?
Send them anything by Machen.

[siunevada]

a new organization that hopes to mobilize thousands of moderate and liberal religious leaders

Golly, there's a real uphill battle. Convince Democrats to vote Democrat.

Sounds like the Democrat party is only a waystation to Mr. Pennybacker's true goal.

defending China's religious policies when the Communist government was arresting evangelicals and persecuting Catholic bishops.

He's not exactly subtle about declaring which side he is on.

[SquirrelKing]

Want to stumo a liberal who think of fundamentalists as airheads?

Send them anything by Machen.

Yeah. Their eyes kind of glaze over and smoke starts coming out of their ears.

[swilhelm73]

A "Christian religious leader" who has no problem with infanticide or the murder and oppression of Christians.

Only in America...

I guess the only question here is, does he explicitly know he is using a religion he does not believe in to advance evil, or is he just another self absorbed leftist who has no understanding of what Christianity is?

[KittyKares]

Before I got your response, I found this about the book "Christianity and Liberalism":

Few books have had as pivotal a role in the battle of ideas as J. Gresham Machen's Christianity and Liberalism. Machen's classic was written in the height of the battle for control over the Presbyterian Church USA (the most prominent of the "mainline denominations"), and defines with brilliance the battle lines between liberal (so-called) Christianity and the orthodox faith. Moreover, it points out exactly what is at stake: the true faith, a opposed to a perverse shadow of that faith, a shadow based on subjectivism which elevates man's sovereignty over God's and ends in believing nothing at all.

It is important to understand that the liberalism Machen castigates is not political but theological (although many if not most of the liberals of the latter camp fell also in the former, numerous prominent political liberals -- such as three-time Democrat Presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan -- fought alongside Machen). This theological liberalism manifests itself in many ways, but is chiefly characterized by a rejection of Scripture as infallibly inspired, a denial of the doctrines of the Fall and of Hell, and a belief in man's evolutionary self-perfection (process theology, with progress guided by an "enlightened" elite). Machen correctly asserts that this is not merely a different approach to the Gospel, but is in fact a different gospel: an exchange of God's sovereignty for man's, God's law-word for man's, God's eternal, unchanging standards for man's evolving, situation ethics. For this reason, Machen contends that liberalism and Christianity are separate things: rival religions, permanently at war.

The one problem with this book (a fault which made good rhetorical sense at the time, but which is somewhat misleading concerning the true nature of the struggle) is Machen's choice of categories. Machen deals with theological conservatives and liberals (legitimate in terms of the Bible's own dichotomy between saved and lost), but misses the inescapable fact that there was a third faction at work in the church (a fact which eventually resulted in his defrocking). That third faction was the great mushy evanjellyfish middle, a pietistic/mystical majority which was neither willing to accept the liberal position nor fight for the conservative cause. As Machen had rightly pointed out two years earlier in his address to incoming students at Princeton (and again, much later, in the last two years of the struggle), these were the Christians who said "'Peace, peace', when there was no peace", and elevated that "peace" over truth. As in all other endeavors, "peace at any price" resulted in defeat, and in the end, it was that great mushy middle which delivered the PCUSA to the left (and over the cliff).

Even so, it is important to note when examining this struggle that the conservatives largely threw the game away. I strongly recommend North's Crossed Fingers, the only definitive history of this fight and a masterful analysis of the tactics and mistakes of both sides.

Yet at the end of the day, you must read Machen. This book is vital for Christians defending their churches and denominations against increasing liberal encroachment, and indeed more so by the day. It is as groundbreaking as it is timeless.

[mel]

Exactly. Look at the Episcopalians. The liberals had to have the homosexual Bishop, they didn't care about the people who did not want it or that people would leave the church. Perhaps the pro and con homosexual Bishop people could have existed without the consecreation of the homosexual. But in the long run it is good that they got their boy in because it will tell who is the real believers

[mel]

SquirrelKing, I like that name I don't know if it has anything to do with squirrels. But I have a squirrel story off the subject of clergy and democrats. I found an orphaned squirrel, two weeks old. I took care of him and found it to be such a wonderful experience that I wanted to get wildlife rehab permit so that I could help more squirrels. Well, I called state about it and man started yelling at me about how it was illegal to have the squirrel, then a friend who knew I wanted the permit, called the same man, he started saying what is her name, i remember her calling like he was going to arrest me. Well, I am keeping a low profile now, I guess I will never get a permit. If I am turned down I am going to write newspaper and say that in the state of ....I am a licensed pharmacist dispensing controlled substances, medications to premature babies and trauma patients. However, the state of ....does not think I am responsible enough to take care of orphaned squirrels. However, I can easily get a hunting permit and blow his brains out.

[Theodore R.]

He supported Elian Gonzalez' return to Cuba -- and was a guest with Fidel Castro at the child's seventh birthday party. (Elian, Pennybacker says, is mischievous, funny and rambunctious. "He's a great kid.")

Isn't it nice to know that little Elian is doing so well in a communist state? I wonder why the liberal Pennybacker does not move to Havana and join Fidel in the "workers' paradise" that he is seeking for us.

[SquirrelKing]

You're a credit to us all, mel. Bless your heart.

[skinkinthegrass]

Clear, compelling evidence...visualize the worms and maggots emanating from this corrupted vessel (Pennybacker).

..The only people, this guy worships is Karl Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Kim Sung, Honecker, Tito, Castro, Ortegra, Bubba/Shrillary, Chavez, Luala.

[skinkinthegrass]

I wonder why the liberal Pennybacker does not move to Havana and join Fidel in the "workers' paradise" that he is seeking for us.

..I'll help pay for a one-wat ticket, proved he stays for @ least 25 yrs....sentence 58.

[skinkinthegrass]

...wat = way...typing w/ thumbs :/

[skinkinthegrass]

I, know, I know, an obligatory pic: Thanks :)

[LiteKeeper]

This is one clergyman who is rock solid behind President Bush, and is a life-long Republican. The Democrats have absolutely nothing to offer me that would intice me to change my values and ethics to vote for any of their candidates.