Anatomy of a rumble

A few days ago I asked Ryan McReynolds to a link a movie review of his to Triablogue. Ryan is the founder of Triablogue, as well as a long-time employee of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Ryan had reviewed Brokeback Mountain. Many Christians have condemned the movie unseen because of its liberal agenda. Likewise, many liberals have praised the movie unseen because of its liberal agenda.

Ryan is a Christian who’s actually seen the movie. And the point of his review is that, whatever its agenda, the movie unwittingly deconstructs its own message.

Now, I figured that if anyone would be offended by the review, it might be Christians who missed the point of what Ryan was saying.

The film doesn’t intentionally present a Christian worldview. Rather, it ends up presenting a Christian worldview in spite of itself.

And, as a matter of fact, his review did trigger a very negative reaction. Mind you, Triablogue is no stranger to controversy, so that’s fine with me.

As it turns out, though, all the hue and cry came, not from the Evangelical community, but from a weblog linked to The Secular Outpost, which is an arm of The Secular Web.

And it’s very instructive to see how unbelievers behave when their back is to the wall. They began by attacking Ryan’s review. Then they turned to something I had written.

I had written something on abortion. As my point of a reference, I commented on the case for abortion made by NARAL.

Sean and his cobelligerents didn’t like that one bit. But unable to mount a rational argument for their position, they resorted to a couple of very revealing tactics.

When they can’t talk reason, they swear at you. They use the sort of language one ordinarily associates with the Boar’s Head Tavern.

Clearly we need to form a “Huggies for Humanists” or “Pampers for Apostates” diaper service.

But their next move was even more telling. In a completely gratuitous move, they resorted to gay-baiting.

They made a number of actionable accusations against one of my team-members. This was entirely unprovoked since he was never party to this thread.

It’s always fascinating to see the Far Left abandon its stated principles and indulge in defamatory hate-speech whenever it serves its purpose. This is what happens when unbelievers have no objective standards.

They also attacked another team member because of his former life as a gang-banger and drug-user.

Well, my friends, they have laid out the alternatives in the starkest possible terms. On the one hand, Christianity is a redemptive religion. The church has been entrusted with a dual mission and message: to preach against sin, and to offer a way out.

A church that becomes too liberal to preach against sin ceases to be a true church, while a church which becomes too snobbish to extend the invitation of the gospel to one and all also ceases to be a true church. The church is a company of penitent sinners redeemed by a common Lord.

Bring us you junkies. Bring us your gang-bangers. Bring us your hookers. Bring us your sodomites. All who come in faith and repentance are welcome. We believe in the power of spiritual restoration.

On the other hand, you have the Secular Humanist club. No former junkies need apply. No one-time gang bangers need apply. No one with AIDS need apply.

You’re not good enough for us! You’re not our kind of people!

Groucho Marx once said he’d never join any club having the bad taste to accept him as a member.

Christianity is the only voluntary association where a condition of membership is that you’re not good enough to belong.

This is what Nietzsche hated about the Christian faith. Not coincidentally, Nietzsche was an apostate.

So it comes down to a choice between the Christians and the Nietzscheans.

If you used to be a drug addict, or if you’re struggling to break the habit, we’ll take you in, but the Nietzscheans will turn you down and spit you out.

If you used to be a gang-banger, we’ll take you in, but the Nietzscheans will reject your application.

If you’re HIV-positive, but seeking a better life, we’ll take you in, but the Nietzscheans will evict you.

Come, sinners, to the gospel feast;
Let everyone be Jesus’ guest;
Ye need not one be left behind,
For God hath bidden all mankind.

Sent by my Lord, on you I call;
The invitation is to all;
Come, all the world! Come, sinner, thou!
All things in Christ are ready now.

Come, all ye souls by sin oppressed,
Ye restless wanderers after rest;
Ye poor, and maimed, and halt, and blind,
In Christ a hearty welcome find.