The “Discernment” Blogosphere’s Celebration of Boz Tchividjian’s Hollywood Gospel
The Boz continues to be a hero among those trying to save the institutional church from the destructive behavior of pedophilia. Notice where I have come down on this: the goal is to save the institutional church, not to prevent future abuse by getting justice for the known victims. Where is the beef justice? Why is a former prosecutor so toothless in getting anything done about this problem?
The Boz is lifted up as a contemporary heroine for the spiritually abused while those who support the pedophilia enabler CJ Mahaney occupy positions on the board of his organization, G.R.A.C.E. And unless anything has changed, this ministry struggles to find the word, “justice” in any of GRACE’s literature. “Prevention” is discussed, but far, far from the conversation is the biblical demand that Christians who behave badly suffer as wrongdoers so that other Christians will fear. For the Boz, the plain sense of Scripture does not compute. Why not?
Also, obviously, Bob Jones University played him in the exact same way that ABWE did. Who didn’t see that coming? G.R.A.C.E is a mediator for hire that represents predatory institutions by enabling the following motif: “See, we are doing something about the problem, keep the money rolling in for the sake of the gospel.” When the ledgers are back to normal and stay level for a time, G.R.A.C.E. is fired, followed by a heroic rant by the Boz. This immortalization and good pay for failure is only rivaled by American politics.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas Catholicism. Why does this surprise us? The ideology of salvation by institution is exactly the same. The major players in the present-day Neo-Calvinist revival proudly claim the Doctor of the Catholic Church as their primary philosopher: St. Augustine. On the one hand, the likes of John Piper, John MacArthur, and RC Sproul cite Augustine as a great theologian while at the same time claim that Catholicism is a false gospel, and the herd doesn’t even blink. It’s ridiculous, and even more ridiculous is the disconnect between logic and behavior. Luther and Calvin were avid followers of Augustine who solidified Catholic doctrine in the 4th century, and followed his dogma of salvation only by the universal church to a “T.” Clearly, Luther and Calvin both held to absolution—the same absolution claimed by the Neo-Calvinist power of the keys.
Shall we hurt the institution of salvation for the sake of a few raped children? Perish the thought! Better that a few are destroyed for the sake of the elect! We see the exact same mentality in the recent revelations about Hollywood as child actors are filing lawsuits and writing tell-all memoirs. Hollywood is being exposed for its secret pedophilia culture. One former child star, perhaps the most successful ever, has stated that even though there are “good people” in Hollywood, the problem of pedophilia is rampant. “Oh, does this mean Roman Polanski and Woody Allen are not isolated incidents?” Right.
And that is the crux for the church as well—the whole misguided idea that people who remain silent are “good” because they only look the other way for the sake of the Hollywood institution. Somehow, the enablers are guiltless, and what would the world do without Hollywood, or the church? (Uh, I guess what they did for almost 400 years before the institutional church existed). Reality check: ABWE did not lose the support of even one church because of the Missionary Kids scandal in which one victim was confiscated from her family for purposes of information management. Regardless of this and other sickening revelations, the Boz only whimpered when he was fired only days before the final report. Taking into consideration his significant level of respect in evangelical circles, he could have made ABWE pay big time in numerous ways. So, why didn’t he? Because the breeding ground is the source of his income, and ABWE was well aware of that—they knew they could play him.
You might notice if you are paying attention that the Boz focuses a lot on the church “coming clean” or owning up to the problem. In true Reformed fashion, justice is only “cutting off the tops of daisies” and not dealing with the “heart” or “root” of the matter. The Boz sees non-repentance as striping the church of transformative gospel power that will supposedly cure the church of the problem. In addition, he sees the demand for justice on the part of the victims as replacing grace with law.
I believe the Boz deemphasizes justice in hopes that the victims will recognize that they are “sinners” just like the perpetrators. His organization does not stand for Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment for no good reason. In Reformed thought, the concept of “justice” presumes some people are better than others; in contrast, when the definition of justice is the fact that everyone deserves hell, gospel transformation takes place. G.R.A.CE. functions on the principle of the collective psyche of “deep repentance.” I believe the focus on REPORTING is designed to bring about the deep repentance that he believes will be followed by gospel transformation. How is it working so far? In other words, the Boz sees no healing benefit from obtaining justice for the victims—regardless of the fact that this is the biblical prescription if people will not repent. Justice is redefined as only one thing: what everybody deserves, rather than God’s mandate for the oppressed.
Hence, according to the Boz, “justice” must be defined in its gospel context. This is Martin Luther’s mystical and extreme view of reality in which common sense is beneath the Christian faith and cause/effect vanquished by God’s predeterminism. Once again, the church chants, “In mysticism we trust.” Doing anything practical is “trying to be the gospel rather than showing forth the gospel.” Justice is not even on the radar screen or in any of their literature (if it is, it is far from a reoccurring theme). The goal is for the victims and the perps to be sitting around a campfire singing Kumbaya to the glory of the gospel until the next opportunity to “forgive the way we have been forgiven.”
The Boz is a well-paid mystic fraud propagating false hope for the victims. Bloggers who write on this issue, but do not understand the Boz’s Reformed ideology are a party to his charlatanism. Meanwhile, ministries who deal swiftly and resolutely with such issues get little press and are deemed as simply being “Improved Pharisees.” Better for the rape to continue lest we “only cut off the tops of daisies.”
Come now, you know grade-A-well that the terms and examples I am using here are ringing familiar bells right and left. Until bloggers really understand the Boz’s ideology, they should not be singing his accolades. Again, only in the American political realm is this kind of failure so richly rewarded.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Reblogged this on Clearcreek Chapel Watch.
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“The Boz is lifted up as a contemporary heroine for the spiritually abused while those who support the pedophilia enabler CJ Mahaney occupy positions on the board of his organization, G.R.A.C.E.”
OH WOW! I forgot about that.
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“Hence, according to the Boz, “justice” must be defined in its gospel context. This is Martin Luther’s mystical and extreme view of reality in which common sense is beneath the Christian faith and cause/effect vanquished by God’s predeterminism. Once again, the church chants, “In mysticism we trust.” Doing anything practical is “trying to be the gospel rather than showing forth the gospel.” Justice is not even on the radar screen or in any of their literature (if it is, it is far from a reoccurring theme). The goal is for the victims and the perps to be sitting around a campfire singing Kumbaya to the glory of the gospel until the next opportunity to “forgive the way we have been forgiven.””
This is what I have thought for a long time. And wondered why he would want to save an institution that propagated evil. It made no sense to me. I want them to fail.
The poor victims are only revictimized again. But I bet most are thrilled anyone even wants to hear their story. It really is sad.
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Great article! I would have liked to have read direct quotes from ‘the Boz’ where he actually states that victims who desire justice are substituting grace for the law. That might be the implication of his actions, but did he actually say it? Otherwise, a moot point considering all the GRACE smoke and mirrors has, through ‘survivors who victimize’ have practically destroyed the unity that once united survivors less than 3 years ago. And you know what this brings to mind? The ironic posts of Jocelyn Zictherman who wrote ‘divide and conquer! That’s the IFB way!” You can argue the stopped clock is always right twice a day, but I’ll give her props for that comment.
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In light of all the ABWE facts, if you have a soul at all and you are the Boz, you release the report anyway and let the chips fall where they may. You just don’t let ABWE pull a stunt like that. It’s just all too outrageous–you draw the line and go down in flames if you have to. You say, “I am publishing the report, come and get me.”
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…if he does that–he’s my hero, but that ain’t the Boz. Still waiting for the Boz to get something done. Where’s the beef?
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Surely it is for such a time as this that the Church has been empowered to boldly and bravely embody the Good News to accusers and accused alike, and to forsake our own comfort and position to love the hurting with an illogical extravagance (http://netgrace.org/a-public-statement-concerning-sexual-abuse-in-the-church-of-jesus-christ/ [Posted on July 17, 2013 by Multi-Authors]).
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OH MY WORD. That is the sicko moral chaos of what passes for Christianity today.
the abuse was done by those (accused) who not only profess knowing the Good News but take it to others. Thye did their abuse the Name of a Holy God. So what on earth is he talking about but cheap grace? I find the whole thing blasphemous.
yep, that is lying about God. Moral chaos.
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“Otherwise, a moot point considering all the GRACE smoke and mirrors has, through ‘survivors who victimize’ have practically destroyed the unity that once united survivors less than 3 years ago. And you know what this brings to mind? The ironic posts of Jocelyn Zictherman who wrote ‘divide and conquer! That’s the IFB way!” You can argue the stopped clock is always right twice a day, but I’ll give her props for that comment.”
dwalker, The biggest problem that is usually used against victims of these cults when they come forward is taht the victims are very damaged people. Seriously damaged. It is too much to get into here but people also expect more from them that is there. It is the way we see how damaging such heinous sin really is. I don’t think people stop to think how a life of that sort of abuse from those you should be able to trust in your developing years is a life long quest to just be somewhat normal. Jocelyn’s brother is the Sharper Iron guy:? The one that molested her growing up? Anything can trigger the trauma of what they lived through that they were taught is Christianity.
I can most defintely see how Boz’ approach disunifies victims. I can imagine some see his approach as sweeping it under the rug and others are so glad to have someone say it was wrong. Not sure people understand what that means to a victim. They rarely hear it from Christians who tend to love their institutions and gurus.
Those institutions deserve to fail big time. Not be saved. I am not so sure Boz is not causing even worse damage in the long run. He should be trying to prosecute them or change laws so they can be prosecuted. These people deserve jail time.
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The Boz has the star-power to start a boycott network. He could put a hurtin’ on them if he wanted to–he doesn’t want to. This isn’t about the victims at all.
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Paul,
The more I read up on BJU behavior over the years and then it’s power in politics (money) the more I believe the only way forward is for it to fail totally. Behind the scenes I have been privvy to some of the victims stories. Victims that put their complete trust in Boz. These stories should be public but the victims are extremely damaged from being used as sort of sex slaves (to some famous names) from a young age. It reminds me of that IFB home for girls which I cannot remember the name now. I even think some of the damaged victims see Boz as some sort of savior.
What is even weirder is that there are victim factions coming out of the IFB. The Hyles/Anderson faction and the BJU faction and they compete with one another. That whole denomination (if you can call it that) is evil to tthe core. The damage done to people is impossible to measure both from victim standpoint and predator standpoint. It literally trains young men to be predators and blames women.
If what I am hearing is even 10% true, BJU is saturated in evil and should fail completely and utterly. At the very least make their accredidation status fully understood. It is a waste of time to go there.
There is nothing worth saving at BJU. Boz does not agree with this? I find that incomprehensable.
BJU is a fraud all the way around. It is a cult that gives lots of money to candidates.
And I am seeing the SBC take on more and more IFB qualties. And people are not aware that Piper comes from BJU background. He was raised in that thinking. We are seeing the lines blurred more and more.
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Right. What we are seeing points to the fact that the institutional church did not come about till the fourth century. I have come to believe that church as institution is the issue. This comes forth as a burst of light in regard to the “Anchored” conference in June featuring the official selling out of Mike Fabarez and the official recoronation of CJ Mahaney. Notice the complete indifference to the FACT the CJ has never repented of abject criminal acts. It simply doesn’t matter, this is in-your-face divine rights of kings that an institutional form of Christianity will always breed if given enough time. Non-organic Christianity will always end up where we see it going.
We must come out from among them and be separate–that is the solution. All discernment bloggers should unite and form a massive home fellowship network with our own conferences. The only answer to tyranny in the church is to draw a line in the sand and say, “You are either with us or the tyrants.”
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“We must come out from among them and be separate–that is the solution. All discernment bloggers should unite and form a massive home fellowship network with our own conferences. The only answer to tyranny in the church is to draw a line in the sand and say, “You are either with us or the tyrants.”
And that movement will have to fight hard not to become “institutionalized” with its own gurus. I cannot remember the guys name now but he started a house church movement and mentored Frank Viola, I think. He wrote some books and he became a tyrant. Frank went for the money.
I wish I could remember the guys name. Viola pretends he never existed.
The key factors tend to be money. Government can steal it from you and the pastors guilt it out of people with promises of peity. My personal favorite lately was the World Vision CEO. Here is a guy saying mean nasty fundies withdrew funds to feed starving children. Ok. I will buy that. However, then we find out he makes 370K per year. These guys are pure hypocrites.
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http://www.geneedwards.com/
I remembered his name
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I thought you might get a kick out of this.It amazes me to what lengths they go to take away man’s ability. Below is From Scot McKnights Jesus Creed blog with Scot McKnight writing and responding to something Kevin DeYoung and Gilbert were teaching:
One should not confuse the gospel and the response. If we do, we run into a logical problem, which could either be called a “vicious circle” or an “infinite regression” (depending on how you frame the problem). Let me illustrate.
Greg Gilbert and Kevin DeYoung, in What is the Mission of the Church? make this critical mistake. When discussing Mark 1:15, they write,
“It is wrong to say that the gospel is the declaration that the kingdom of God has come. The gospel of the kingdom is the declaration of the kingdom of God together with the means of entering it. Remember, Jesus did not preach ‘the kingdom of God is at hand.’ He preached, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand; therefore repent and believe!’ ” (110–11).
They misquote the end of the verse. It should say, “. . . repent and believe the gospel.”
Why does their misquote matter?
In short, they would have disproven their own point if they had quoted the passage correctly. Observe how the grammar proves the distinction between the gospel and our response.
In other words, the content of the gospel and the response to the gospel are separate ideas and should not be collapsed into one.
Gilbert and DeYoung assert the gospel itself includes the way we are saved, i.e. if we respond with faith and repentance, we are saved. However, if this is Jesus’ meaning, what actually is Jesus saying? We can do some simple substitution of terms.
“believe the gospel = believe [that by repenting & believing the gospel, we are saved].“
But now we run into a problem. The thing we are supposed to believe (i.e. the gospel), includes the need to believe the gospel! Accordingly, if Gilbert and DeYoung are correct, then Jesus commands something like this:
“. . . repent and believe that you can repent and believe the truth that you can repent and believe . . . .” (and so the cycle goes on).
I know that last sentence makes little to no sense. That’s the point.
(I tried to make clear what I think their misquote makes unclear by italicizing the word “that” in the quotation. I do this to signify the content that one is supposed to believe. In Mark 1:15, Jesus inserts “the gospel.” However, if the gospel is a “how-to” message, then I could simply plug in a conditional if-then statement in its place.)
What results? If we must believe the gospel is a conditional statement wherein we are saved if we believe the gospel, then we end up with a vicious cycle. We wind up with an infinite loop.
The “gospel” (as the Bible uses the word) is not a “how-to” concept expressed in the form of a conditional sentence (i.e. “If . . . then . . .”).
Instead, it is a declaration that implies a command.
The gospel is a declaration of Jesus’ kingship, implying a summons to allegiance.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2014/05/10/weekly-meanderings-10-may-2014/
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Do you have the specific link?
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