Pepperland

At the risk of dating myself, I’m old enough to remember The Yellow Submarine when it first came out.

This is a classic period piece of psychedelic nostalgia. The animated feature is set in the utopian world Pepperland, which is menaced by the Blue Meanies. The Fab Four ride to the rescue in their yellow sub, and save the world by the power of luv, rock-and-roll, and day-glo colors.

I say that to say this: there are Godblogs that share the worldview of the Yellow Submarine. By some strange logic, they imagine that they ought to be held to a lower standard because they are Christian—as if they inhabited some Pepperland fantasy where the ordinary rules of reason and evidence don’t apply.

They act as if being a Christian gives them a right to be incompetent or irresponsible. They act as if being a Christian was a license for mediocrity.

When you answer them on their own grounds, they repeat the same old allegations as if nothing was ever said by way of reply.

When you call them to account for their hit-and-run tactics, they accuse you of being Blue Meanies.

Personally, I’ve always thought that we, as Christians, should hold each other to a higher standard—that to whom much is given, much is required (Lk 12:48). I’ve never supposed that being a believer gave me a free pass to be a professional ignoramus.

As such, I cut the average unbeliever more slack than I do a fellow believer—especially a blogger.