Where’s CJ? Is T4G in a Steubenville State of Mind?
Two high school football players in Steubenville, Ohio were convicted of raping a sixteen year old at a party. The case received national attention and invoked comments from the most famous among us in the sports world. This article gives ground level insight into the case and some of its unsung heroes. It will also gag you as much as the amended lawsuit against SGM did.
But it’s not over yet:
COLUMBUS —
An eastern Ohio grand jury is ready to renew its investigation into whether other laws were broken in the rape of a 16-year-old girl.
One of the key issues before the panel set to meet Monday in Steubenville is whether adults who are required to report crimes knew early on of the rape last August but didn’t say anything.
The panel last met May 24, then adjourned to give investigators overseen by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine time to gather more evidence.
A judge in March convicted two high school football players of raping the West Virginia girl after an alcohol-fueled party last summer.
At the next Together for the Gospel conference (T4G: 4/8/2014), one of the original core four, CJ Mahaney, for the first time, will not be speaking. He is one of the primary defendants in the SGM class action lawsuit. The 2014 website is scrubbed of anything CJ except a small red link that you would miss if you were not searching for it. Clicking on the link takes you to the following page:
July 1, 2013
After much prayer, reflection and counsel I have decided to withdraw from participation in the 2014 Together for the Gospel conference. My reason for doing so is simple: I love these men and this conference and I desire to do all I possibly can to serve the ongoing fruitfulness of T4G.
Unfortunately, the civil lawsuit filed against Sovereign Grace Ministries, two former SGM churches and pastors (including myself), continues to generate the type of attention that could subject my friends to unfair and unwarranted criticism. Though dismissed in May (and now on appeal), the lawsuit could prove a distraction from the purpose of this important conference. My withdrawal is not intended to communicate anything about the merits of the suit. My decision simply reflects the reality that my participation could create a hindrance to this conference and its distinct purpose of serving so many pastors. My strong desire is to make sure this doesn’t happen. I believe the most effective way I can serve my friends who have supported me, and continue to support me, is by not participating in the 2014 conference.
My enthusiasm for this conference is undiminished and I believe it will continue to be a powerful context for encouraging and equipping pastors in their efforts to serve their churches and proclaim the gospel. I am immensely grateful for the undeserved privilege to have been involved in previous conferences, and, most importantly, my ongoing friendship with these men I love and respect.
C.J. Mahaney
Sovereign Grace Church | Louisville, KY
Then if you go to CJ’s website at SGC, there is no mention of T4G or any references to the 2014 speakers at all. Other sources inform me that there are not ANY recent posts from Mahaney showing up at any of the usual haunts like the Gospel Coalition blog.
My, my, do you feel the same cold chill that I do? I am reminiscing of when my sports hero, Bo Jackson blew out his knee. Hero one day—gone the next. It was like he never existed! Seriously, where’s CJ? Even more shocking is the sudden 180 from the statement of support that the T4G crowd posted, what? Two or three weeks ago?
Is this a Steubenville thing? Fact is, knowing of a sex crime and not reporting it is a serious crime. If it has been established that CJ knew and didn’t report it, he could be in deep doo-doo.
This would explain the new normal that posits the idea that they never even knew C J Mahaney. It would seem that the T4G crowd has spent as much political capital on CJ as they can. They also know that Christians have short memories. The goal seems to be to create as much space/time as they can between themselves and CJ before it’s too late.
And the effort seems mutual. Only time will tell if CJ is falling on his sword .
paul
The Jared Mellinger Tweet: I Don’t Think We Get It Yet; They Think All Healing is Christocentric
Rush Limbaugh says he knows liberals like every inch of his glorious naked body. I am not ready to claim such in regard to Calvinists, but there are some things that have become evident to me.
First, as we have learned from John Immel here at TANC, all behavior is driven by logic.
All people act logically from their assumptions. It does not matter how inconsistent the idea is or insane the rationale. They will act until that logic is fulfilled. Therefore, when you see masses of people taking the same destructive actions, find the assumptions and you will find the cause. We’re here in this specific session discussing – we are going to ultimately discuss the issue of Calvinism, New Calvinism, and the question is why within this emergent movement do we see such consistent actions, such consistent outcomes, such consistent stories of oppression and domination and coercion? Why from one congregation to the next do you see the exact same outcomes? This is it. But first to find the assumptions, we’re going to have to do this: We’re going to have to take on our ideas. Ideas, it takes enormous effort to dissect one’s thinking (John Immel: TANC 2012; session one, lines 180-195).
As far as the SGM sex scandal and SGM in general, are any bells ringing? Once again, Christians are scratching their heads in regard to the cold blooded statements made New Calvinists regarding the SGM victims. Julie Anne Smith, the blogosphere diva who continually makes the lives of New Calvinists miserable, has once again called out a Calvinist Brown Shirt for some outrageous statement that demeans the victims of SGM’s house of horrors. You can read the post here. Smith’s new target, Jared Mellinger, is just another little snot-nosed mindless follower of the New Calvinist philosopher kings. This is a cult following that rivals none.
But what is the logic that drives the tweet? What is the logic that drives the insanity seeking a vindicating result? Pure and simple: Calvinism. The logic doesn’t produce a massive group that is equally evil from the leaders to the hanger-on; it doesn’t exclude followers who misunderstand the logic and function on the soundbites, but the basic logic drives the movement and its direction.
Calvinism gets a pass because it has followers who disagree with people ovens; by the same logic, we should allow the marketing of Pepsi-Cola with just a pinch of arsenic. The product will be defended because only some die, and there are some nice people who work at the Pepsi plant. It’s the same sublogic that drives the cozy relationship between the Wartburg Watch and Wade Burleson. The Pepsi doesn’t kill everybody, and it tastes really, really good. But our calling is to rage against those who are indifferent to the victims of Pepsi. For those who take their Bible seriously: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
Why is the little Brown Shirt’s tweet pure Calvinism? Let’s discuss that. Calvin got his theology from Augustine, Gregory, and Luther. However, Luther best defines Calvin’s philosophy. Luther interpreted all reality through the gospel. Every event in human history is preordained to show forth the cross story. Reality is divided into two categories: our evil and God’s holiness. Historic events preordained by God help us to see both, and a deeper and deeper understanding of our evil and a deeper and deeper understanding of God’s holiness results in the cross being uplifted before the world.
Misery and deprivation only serves to reveal our true standing before God. Comfort and happiness only serves to jade the true reality of the vast gulf (reality) between our depravity and God’s holiness. Self must be emptied and eradicated; anything associated with an inward consideration is the glory story. Happiness is a gift from God as we partake in meditating on, “our sinfulness as set against God’s holiness” (the theological term is: mortification and vivification).
Therefore, according to Luther, people only live by the cross story or the glory story, and each yields its own results. Hence, John Piper’s commentary on the Oklahoma tornadoes should not perplex anybody, but unfortunately such is not the case. He meant well, he only wanted the victims to see the tragedy through the cross. He is sincere—so was Hitler.
So, justice isn’t the answer for victims, but only the seeking of a Christocentric contemplation that heals. A meditation on our deserved misery lifts up the cross of Christ and shows forth His holiness as opposed to our wretched existence. Those who seek justice are destructive to the cross’ glory because it presupposes that man deserves justice instead of eternity in hell. Justice implies that man’s life has merit. Hence, the tweet:
Wisdom discerns between the cries of the innocent victim seeking help and hope and the cries of the vindictive spirit seeking destruction.
You can replace “help and hope” with the cross story and anything else but that is “destruction.”
It’s high time that Christians stop focusing on the metaphysical disconnects and focus instead on the logic that drives the behavior. Immel is right; these people will never deal with their ideology in the face of results while insisting that the ideology has never been done right by the right people. It is my understanding, if I was properly informed, that Wartburg Watch stated this same idea, in essence; Calvinism in and of itself is not all bad, it’s those damn Calvinists that are to blame. But the dirty little secret is that these people have been running the show in the American church for the past twenty years.
Are we better off?
paul
Calvinist T4G Orthodoxy: Library Size Matters
What do you think of the T4G gang and their “Study Tour”? This is where the key speakers associated with T4G conferences past and present show off their vast libraries. I have posted the video links at the end of this article.
Think about what this is saying. It clearly emanates the idea that vast para-biblical knowledge is needed to understand God’s word. It is also saying that unless you have the money to purchase such a library, you aren’t qualified. These guys are to be revered, respected, and obeyed because they have the knowledge. It’s spiritual caste on steroids.
This is clearly a power play to control people through intimidation—if you’re not a thinker. Basically, if you have a Bible and the internet, your access to information and the efficiency thereof makes their libraries look like an outhouse. But again, the most egregious idea that stems from this is that the Bible doesn’t contain adequate information in and of itself for life and godliness. In order to really grasp the Bible, you need all of that information from guys who lived in medieval times and had the compassion of alligators.
Can you imagine the Apostles putting on such a display? What are these guys thinking? Do they really want a pastor from Harlem seeing this video? What should he make of it? Good grief! These videos speak for themselves as these men flaunt their resources before the world in arrogance that staggers the imagination.
Al Mohler: http://vimeo.com/groups/27420/videos/8693850
Ligon Duncan: http://vimeo.com/groups/27420/videos/9237570
Mark Dever (This video is particularly disturbing):
CJ Mahaney:
John I used to teach the truth MacArthur:
PPT’s Fourth of July Post: Why Mark Dever Hates America and Old People
“But yet, his ministry confronted me for using a logo similar to his T4G logo. Actually, legal action was implied. He will fight for what his logo represents, but anybody who wants an American flag in the sanctuary is a pathetic person stupid enough to think Christians need a flag to worship. And yet, many are miffed by my utter disgust for these people.”
Well, tomorrow is the Fourth of July and the Calvinist bloggers, per the usual, are typing away about the evils of eclipsing the Son by celebrating America. I was sent one such article by a reader of PPT entitled, “Removing Old Glory for God’s Glory.” Apparently, the all-sovereign God dropped the ball when He made America great and created competition for himself. The metaphysical insanity of Calvinism truly staggers the imagination. The article highlighted heretic Mark Dever who rules his Southern Baptist church in D.C. with an iron fist. Dever, who represents the Neo-Calvinist mentality on this, stated the following:
When I was coming to the church in Washington DC, I requested the flag be left out of the sanctuary. Over a year later, an older member of the church asked me where the flag was. I said, “What flag?” She was asking where the American and Christian flags were because Memorial Day was coming up, and we needed a flag. When we gather in the church we’re more fundamentally Christian than American. We have much more in common with the Nigerian who is in Christ than the non-Christian across the street. She was not happy and it was taken to the church leadership. I told the deacons we could leave the flag but it’s a fairly new custom and in this age things are so politicized that the flag looks like a right wing political statement. We want to reach democrats too with the Gospel. After tearful discussion, we decided to keep them out of the sanctuary.
This statement reflects why I have so much disdain for Calvinists. Aside from their hideous false gospel, they are cold-blooded Stoic control freaks. However, my deepest resentment of them, aside from their false gospel of progressive justification, comes from my experience as a fire inspector. My work involved nursing homes, and the abuse that I saw has really left me with a penchant for despising those who disrespect the elderly and their honorable legacies. For one, never talk to an elderly person like you are talking to a young child due to their declining mental capabilities. This is a real pet peeve of mine. If I see you do it, I will not slap you on your silly face, but only because it would be against the law. Focus on what they do understand and address them as a peer. If you could read their minds, what they think of your stupidity and disrespect might be surprising.
These are people with a story. These are people who have paid the dues of life. God has them here for a reason. In our country, anybody in their 70’s or 80’s could be someone who lost half of their family (or all of it) to WWII so that you can have the freedom to eat what you want, read want you want, work where you want, drive what you want, and think what you want. Show some respect. You can quote me on this: one reason I despise Mark Dever is his pattern of disrespecting the elderly. Frankly, this pattern is also indicative of the Neo-Calvinist movement in general. Notice that he is compelled to refer to one of his victims as, “an older member.” Why is that relevant to the issue in his mind?
The American flag means a lot to our contemporary elder population because of what it represents. It represents a people who saved the world from tyranny. It represents a people who refused to give into their fears in the face of formidable evil beasts never before encountered; an evil that seemed to be otherworldly. They knew for such an evil to prevail would leave an earth unfit for habitation. Courage told them that death or liberty were the only two options. They hold their hand over their heart with streaming tears on their face because that flag waving in the wind represents the termination of killing fields throughout contemporary history. Killing fields that showed no pity for the baby, the child, the fair damsel or the elderly. They paid the price so that Mark Dever has the freedom to look in the mirror and admire his in-vogue unshaven GQ Magazine look; the freedom to stand before thousands of naive youth with hearts muttering, “It’s the voice of a god, and not man.”
And what was his answer to the “older” member?
What flag?
Indeed Mr. Mark Dever.
He then couches his indifference to this parishioner’s perspective by implementing the “tearful” resolution. What is more despicable than the cold indifference of a Calvinist? Perhaps the disingenuous sympathy that insults the intelligence of a child. Dever, while calling himself a pastor, has no ability to possess empathy for those who disagree with him. His social instincts are those of a predatory animal. Notice his further demeaning of the “older” person by suggesting that said person posited the idea that Christians “needed” the flag. Dever makes no distinction between the parishioner’s concern for what the flag represents and a supposed “need.” But yet, his ministry confronted me for using a logo similar to his T4G logo. Actually, legal action was implied. He will fight for what his logo represents, but anybody who wants an American flag in the sanctuary is a pathetic person stupid enough to think Christians need a flag to worship. His minion that contacted me complained about what it costed them to design the logo, but what of the price paid in order for the American flag to stand? And yet, many are miffed by my utter disgust for these people. Much more could be discussed here in regard to Dever’s reality disconnect and incompetence; for example, his suggestion that the American flag is only loved by conservative Republicans.
But where does this mentality come from? It comes from Dever’s Calvinistic philosophy. Augustine, Luther, and Calvin predicated their theology on Platonism. Susan Dohse presented the irrefutable evidence for this at TANC 2013 using the words from Augustine’s own mouth. It’s an ideology that despises life in general. It’s an ideology that seeks to separate itself from life as much as possible and only regard an ambiguous eternity in the Spirit realm. Good works of men are completely irrelevant because they are of this life. The story of the Boy Scout who throws himself in front of a car to save the elderly pedestrian is a gospel of death unless mixed with fear that one would believe that this is a good deed, for only God is good and to believe the deed is good is a mortal sin. To shrink back in terror that the deed is perceived as good is only a venial sin.
This philosophy is the foundation of the Reformation as represented in Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation to the Augustinian Order. Calvin then took Luther’s dualist construct and applied it to a full-orbed worldview via the Calvin Institutes. The construct ONLY sees reality from TWO perspectives: the glory story (any perspective of human existence good or bad) or the cross story. America is the glory story. There are only two realities in the Calvinist worldview. It’s either the glory story or the cross story. And each focus yields a certain result. Dever wanted the flag out because it hinders the cross story. That’s it in a nutshell. His other stated reasons are lies. There is a method to his mystic despotism.
Plato disdained those who insisted on interpreting reality through the five senses. He perceived them as ignorant morons who didn’t know the difference between the true forms and the shadows of the forms. He believed the true forms were accessed through ideas and thinking. Those who are born as philosophers should therefore rule over the unenlightened who insist on being enslaved to the material world. The Reformers merely made Christ and His works the true forms. The glory story is the material; the cross story is Spirit. Likewise, Dever has no patience for stupid old fogies who insist on living in the shadows. No patience for those who take away from the cross story for some other glory. Hence, the title of said post:
Removing Old Glory for God’s Glory.
In the world of the Reformers, there is no room for both. And each focus yields a certain result. Actually, this philosophy has ruled the Western world for centuries in either Platonic secular mode (communism etc.) or integrated religions. The purveyors of each have a common bind: the enlightened must rule the world for this is humanities only hope. In the minds of the Reformed, the only thing worse than a Marxist is one who interprets life by the shadows. Therefore, the Reformer sees the Marxist as a cut above the common man which does not bode well for anything Americana.
The framers of our constitution were the first in history to say “no” to European determinism whether secular or religious. As John Immel pointed out in this year’s conference, their minds were endowed with knowledge concerning the results of “truth” by force or utopia by force. I think the reader who sent me the link added apt thoughts to the reality of that pushback:
The apostle Paul was probably the biggest patriot in the NT. He was very proud of his nationality and grieved for his people, the Jews! You can easily make a case for that.
Oh yeah, it’s easy to see that their same disdain for the freedom represented by the flag is the same disdain for freedom of the laity.
It represents freedom of the individual, which is the last thing a tyrant wants, spiritual or otherwise, free-thinking individuals.
Luther and Calvin disdained free thought. Read Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation for yourself. And that’s Dever’s problem with the flag; what it represents. The T4G logo is not a problem because it represents the control he thinks he should have over those who live in the shadows exemplified by unbiblicaly excommunicating 256 church members for non-attendance. Think about this: couple that with Calvin’s power of the keys which his elders have often written about; the idea that elders have the power to bind and loose salvation on earth. He thought he was condemning 256 people to hell that day.
And that is the difference between Mark Dever and every bloodthirsty tyrant that ever walked the earth, the representation of the flag, but a difference in character as razor thin as a playing card. His associates dream of launching people into the air with catapults and running them over with gospel buses, they even plainly say so in public. The flag represents a restraint that deprives them of their psychotic visions of grandeur.
So tomorrow, on July 4th, eat lots of hotdogs, and say a prayer for freedom. And pray that God would continue to save America from Calvin’s legacy of bloodshed in the name of Christianity.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
5 comments