Evangelical Manifesto Released
Today at the National Press Club, a group of 80 Christian leaders signed on and released An Evangelical Manifesto: A Declaration of Evangelical Identity and Public Commitment. Justin Taylor wrote a summary, and Joe at EO also commented. I agree with Joe on this point:
It is not the term "evangelical" that the world despises but the beliefs behind the word. Call yourself whatever you want--'post-evangelical' is my favorite--but the minute you tell the world that homosexual behavior is sinful, that killing infants in the womb is wrong, and that man has an inherent dignity because we are made in the image of God then you can expect to have that label spat upon too.
How many labels are will willing to abandon before we finally realize it is our identity that we are shirking?
Me for one, I'm proud to wear the label.

The reason the world despises you is because you come off as self-righteous, smug, judgemental, rigid, hypocritical, theocratic Pharisees. And, yes, you're proud of it, forgetting that pride goeth before a fall.
Posted by: Louis | 09 May 2008 at 12:12 PM
The reason the world despises you is because you come off as self-righteous, smug, judgmental, rigid, hypocritical, theocratic Pharisees. And, yes, you're proud of it, forgetting that pride goeth before a fall.
Louis not all evangelicals are like that. However, many (including a couple that I know personally) are indeed like that. So sure of themselves, unable to take advice from others, always right.
So when they fall and make huge mistakes it is so glaring to those that watch to see it knowing it could have been avoided by being more open, more loving, and yes more willing to listen to others advice...occasionally take it too.
People are not infallible, all knowing, and always right. Those that live that way in their lives are setting themselves for a huge fall regardless of religious beliefs.
I have see it happen so many times.
- S
Posted by: Silver Hallide | 09 May 2008 at 01:14 PM
Some people may be hated for that. Of course, I don't expect worldly people, especially gays, to have any idea of what hate really is, since, like many knee-jerk liberals, they think that anyone who disagrees with them is hateful.
And believe it or not, there are legitimate reasons to be hated, and the simple biblical answer is, those in the world love sin (esp. if they 'don't believe in it,' a classic evidence that they are entirely deceived by sin, Hebrews 3:13), and hate you if you condemn it:
Posted by: seeker | 11 May 2008 at 01:21 AM
Yeah, right, we gays have no idea what hate really is. Not!
The world doesn't despise you because you follow Jesus, but because you are a bunch of smug, self-righteous, bigoted, *ssholes (see above for more qualities).
Posted by: Louis | 11 May 2008 at 01:33 AM
Yeah, you said that.
Posted by: seeker | 11 May 2008 at 01:41 AM