The title is
a reminder of a movie I loved when I was 10 years old. It is from a Catholic
novel about the Christians during Nero’s rule. The words Quo Vadis are supposed
to be Christ’s words to Peter as he leaves Rome. Jesus is calling him back to
Rome to be with the Christians who will die in the arena. But I thought of
those words as a question to those who in the midst of this pandemic are constantly
turning to conspiracy theories to explain what is happening.
Not everyone is into conspiracies, not
everyone believes the Democrats started the virus, not everyone believes that
Bill Gates is a monster leading to the anti-Christ, but I am seeing far too
many, friends, Christians, stating such things as facts. And where this all
leads is terrifying.
I saw on
Twitter a lady harassing Jonah Goldberg of The
Dispatch because of something he wrote. I wasn’t familiar with her until
others put up information about her so readers could understand where her
ideology is moored. Michelle Malkin, once an acceptable conservative speaker writes
“I will not take the Gates Vaccine. I will not bow down to jack-booted
globalists. I will question the corrupted public health industrial complex
& its financial conflicts of interest. I will use my platforms to share
silenced views of whistleblowers & dissidents.” That rant isn’t a lot
different than some I have seen on Facebook.
But there is
more. Malkin also claims to be the mother of the “groypers.” As columnist Mona Charen puts it in her article in The Bulwark, they are “a group … led by a
21-year-old YouTube host named Nick Fuentes. To get a sense of just how
loathsome this figure is, have a look at this video in
which he wonders, grinning, about whether 6 million “cookies” could really be
baked in ovens and how the “math doesn’t add up.”
Charen goes on to note that Fuentes was one of the marchers in the “the
2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.” Malkin has linked herself with a
group of anti-Semitic and racist fanatics. Using conspiracy theories as a
filter to explain events is how many get pulled into places they never intended
to go.
There are conspiracies in the Bible. Jezebel conspires with the elders
and nobles in Naboth’s city. They accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king.
Naboth is put to death so that King Ahab might possess his vineyard (1 Kings
21).
Judas conspires with the Chief Priests and officers to betray Jesus to
death.
But these conspirators are named and their exact sin pointed out. There
is greed, egotism, envy, malice, pride and deception. Not an elusive attempt to
take over the world. There is the possibility of repentance, forgiveness and
redemption because the people are known and confronted personally. There is
also God’s judgment on those who do not repent. Redemptive history is very
personal; there is no place for conspiracy theories.
Dabbling in such slanderous understandings of other’s intents is sinful
and leads to further sin. And this is the path that Malkin and others like her
have taken. They have compromised their ability to speak truth to power and to
offer good news to broken people. They
can only bless in a manner that pulls the needy into a deeper darkness.
Revival and tragedy, within the Christian faith, have
something in common. They both tend to produce heretical movements and bizarre
ways of embracing reality and the future. I am troubled by what I see rising
out of this pandemic not only on the edges but even in the midst of the church.
I still remember, almost forty years ago, standing in
line for the Saturday night concerts at Warehouse Ministries in Sacramento. It
was during the Jesus Movement, a time of revival. Hippies, drug dealers, sophisticated
cynics and others were coming to Christ. And yet some used the concerts to
persuade others to come with them and find truth elsewhere. In some cases the
Children of God sect or Free Love Ministries, a cultic group which later
renamed themselves Aggressive Christianity. The Children of God practiced
something called flirty fishing gaining converts using sex. Aggressive
Christianity majored in demon possession enticing the youth of other churches
to move into their commune and denounce friends and family. Both groups were
spin offs from the Jesus movement.
In an earlier time, the New York area, referred to by
religious historians as the burned over area, because so many Christian
awakenings occurred there, was also a place where many unorthodox movements
began. Some were radical and extreme in nature some simply unorthodox.
In this century when tragedy occurred in the same
area, 9/11, a few (a very few) progressive Christians, believing that the
United States government conspired to destroy the World Trade Center, added to
a growing conspiratorial movement which on its very fringes embraced
anti-Semitism. And conspiracies are part of the falseness coming out of this
pandemic.
Recently a woman who is a member of a respected
renewal group, on Facebook, put out a bizarre call to prayer against a streaming
program titled “One
World: Together at Home.” It was a six hour streaming of music, spoken word
and requests for money and signatures. Supposedly the group was laying the
foundation for the coming of the anti-Christ. The lady wrote, “The spiritual
battle in the heavenlies has landed mightily with an event set to play over the
globe in the next few hours.” Then she included a “key” article written by
another person.
The article stated, “… The front runner organizations
that were assigned by satan to lay the groundwork for the global single ruler
order (which will be government of the anti-Christ very soon) are the WHO
(World Health Organization, and UN, Major businesses that have been empowered
by the dark side to facilitate the agenda are such as Bill and Melinda Gates
Institutes, Facebook, Amazon, Disney, CNN, Google, etc.”
The author of this article goes on attempting to prove
her point by pointing out all of the 6s involved in “this pandemic.” For
instance, “Keep ‘6 feet’ away social distancing.” And, “CDC unveils ‘6-phase’
pandemic response blueprint.” Also, “The word Corona has ‘6 letter’, simple
gematria = 66.”
While
many, including myself, would not agree with many of these celebrities or
organizations’ religious and philosophical views this kind of call to prayer is
senseless. It is belittling people who are attempting to help in the middle of
a pandemic. And it is asking Christians to use their precious God given time to
pray against nonsense when God has called us to compassionate care, prayer for
those affected by the pandemic, prayer for the Church and prayer for those who
disagree with our faith. It is giving the Church a strange view of God’s
providential care and promises in the midst of evil.
Another
Christian pointed her readers to a video which is filled with half-truths, lies
and manipulative garbage. Rev.
Danny Jones of Northlake Baptist Church covers every pandemic event with
the shadow of the coming anti-Christ and his promoters. He sees the Corona
virus 19 as a planned event and begins his speech describing the pandemic as “a
drill. It’s a drill it’s a simulation it’s a dress rehearsal if you will to
work out the bugs and get all the nations prepared for this world government.”
He believes in a global plot to bring the world into a
one world government. In his story Rockefeller was a leader but died, Soros is too old, and
Henry Kissinger is also too old. Bill Gates is of course the chosen one.
Here
are some of the half-truths and lies:
“On
Jan 24 the Unites States House of Representatives drafting a corona stimulus bill
called the Cares act.” The implication is that some insiders knew about the devastation
of the economy before the American people did. But it wasn’t a corona stimulus
bill at first, it was what is called a shell bill meant to be filled out later.
In Jan. it was called the (Middle
Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019.) In March it was passed as
the Cares Act.
“So
March 14th AP announced that the volunteers of Seattle were given
the covid vaccine. Wait a minute it was made by Moderna … and it was approved
by Dr. Facui’s National Institutes of Health.” Jones goes on to insinuate that
since Dr. Facui had stated that it would take 12 to 18 months for a vaccine and
this was only at the beginning of the pandemic something was shady. But a
vaccine experiment begins, as in Seattle, and then continues on for many
months. This early event has not contradicted Dr. Facui’s words.
Another:
“Chinese leaders are saying that American military that attended the world
games in Wuhan released it as a bioweapon against China. American leaders are
calling it the Wuhan virus and saying that the Chinese released it out of their
virology lab in Wuhan in order to affect the world. The truth is probably up in
there somewhere.” The problem here is first the idea that Americans might have
been involved in creating the virus. Jones' words should trouble a lot of patriotic
Americans listening to him. And on the other hand even if American leaders
believe that the virus came from a lab in Wuhan they believe it was an accident
not a bioweapon. Jones is unable to let go of the idea that the virus was meant
to be a drill or dress rehearsal for a one world government and anti-Christ..
There
is more in the video that is untruthful but the bigger problem is Jones’
attempt to take the biblical idea of anti-Christ and place that scenario over this
medical crisis.
There
are too many Christians eagerly pushing conspiracy theories in the midst of
this pandemic. Facebook and Twitter are full of them. This isn’t
about whether one needs to stay sheltered or quarantined; it is about the sin
of telling stories that have nothing to do with biblical precepts. Too
often the stories are woven together with warnings about the anti-Christ and a
one world government. They are stories told by those who admonish us to not
fear death or sickness while at the same time telling us to fear being
entrapped by the anti-Christ and his lackeys. This is not the biblical viewpoint.
Jesus
told us to fear someone, God in reverence. “Do not fear
those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him
who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” There are two important
areas to remember when thinking of our Christian walk and our understanding of
the last defeated and perhaps most powerful anti-Christ. The first is our
position in the Lord and His life in us, the second is the true evil of the
anti-Christ. These are both very simple and have nothing to do with conspiracies.
There
are many adjectives: “shrewd as serpents,”“innocent as doves.”“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not
be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and
that day will not come upon you suddenly like a trap.” (Luke 21: 34) Be
alert, praying … As I read on in the scriptures I could fill in this description
with page after page. The point is the Christian’s life in Christ is a holy
calling of walking in love and righteousness not always looking into secret treacheries,
trying to decide what system, or person is the final evil.
And
the anti-Christ, the Scriptures are far more concerned with his evil, his
opposition to Jesus Christ rather than his system or secret meanderings. Probably
the greatest evil of all anti-Christs, as 1 John puts it, is denying that Jesus
is the Christ. That includes those who see Christ as separate from Jesus. In
other words according to anti-Christ Jesus is simply a human who has the Christ
spirit. See 1 John 2:22-23.
Paul
in 2Thessalonians speaks of anti-Christ as the man of lawlessness. He is the
one “who opposes and exalts himself above
every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the
temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” Paul says his coming will
be with “the activity of Satan with all
power and signs and false wonders.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9) Even Revelation, describing
the anti-Christ as beast, dwells on his evil in denying God, His kingdom and His
people:
“And he opened his
mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle that
is those who dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the saints and
to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and
nation was given to him.” (Rev. 13: 6-7)
As
for the saints Revelation says “Here is
the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith
in Jesus.” (14: 12)
In 1992,
after an article I wrote, about a
very far right, anti-Semitic and racist movement, was published in the
Christian Research Journal, I found I had angered a member of the John Birch
Society. Part of the article was concerned with conspiracy theories and
although I did not call the society racist I did use them as an example writing
“And while the John Birch Society changed most of the leading players in their
conspiracy theory to what they call the “insiders” rather than Jews, many
others still see the Jew as the monster controlling world events.” I was
obliged to write a letter explaining my reasoning.
A bit earlier after having read a book by a
supposed Christian apologist I was alarmed by his slander of the Jewish people and
his use of conspiracies in an attempt to disparage them.
I had
ordered the book at his recommendation. (We both worked in ministry with those
involved in new religions and religious movements.) Because of my order the
lady who managed our bookstore, at Warehouse Ministries[1],
ordered ten more for the store. After I read the book I realized that the books
needed to be returned to the publisher. I sent them back with a letter
explaining why I was returning them. I did not receive a letter back from the
publisher but one from the John Birch Society.I had supposedly insulted Robert Welch the founder of the Society by writing
that he was a Unitarian. That was my mistake I had quoted from a book written
by two university professors who stated that he was Unitarian. So much for not
using a primary source. But I was to find in reading Welch’s Blue Book that he might as well have
called himself a Unitarian/Universalist.
Welch
thought of God in terms of an evolutionary force such as the Transcendentalist
held. He believed that the poets revealed for twentieth century humanity what
the writers of the Bible wrote for earlier humanity. On page 116 of Blue Book of the John Birch Society, He
wrote that the poet equates God with nature, emotion and evolution. An upward
reach in humanity was, for Welch, the basis for morality.
Once again I
notice how damaging conspiracy theories can be and this in the context of
writing about some very devout Christians. An article in The New American about the Southern Baptist denomination and the
possibility of progressives taking over its churches is slanderous to say the
least. The article, LiberalsMay Win Control of
Largest U.S. Protestant Denomination, was published in 2018, but posted on Facebook in
2020. The New American is an affiliate
of the John Birch Society. The main
person and groups slandered are Dr Russell Moore, TheSouthern Baptist’s Ethics
and Religious Liberty Commission, and The
Gospel Coalition. Moore is accused of, among other things, promoting
“social justice within the SBC,” and being anti-Trump.
There is also a Christian
organization, Revoice conference,
mentioned. Revoice Conference is a
ministry to LGBT Christians. The ministry calls them to live celibate although
they do not necessarily insist they can change their sexual orientation. They
do believe homosexuality was caused by the fall writing,“…we believe that same-sex sexual desire experienced
by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other same-sex-attracted people is a product of
the Fall; that same-sex sexual desire was not a pre-Fall reality; and that
same-sex sexual desire will not exist in the new creation, after the return of
Christ.” Here is their statement of
faith on sexuality. Statement
on Sexual Ethics and Christian Obedience. The New American article makes a point of linking Revoice to the Gospel Coalition.
Using Reverend Thomas
Littleton and his quote they suggest that these evangelical groups which they
call “Evangelical deep state” are “working at queering the Christian faith,”
which is a lie.
We, as Christians, are
living in a time when it is easy to align ourselves with organizations,
movements or charismatic persons who do not truthfully promote the Christian
faith. And that non-promotion can simply be that a group or person uses
conspiracy, slander and innuendo as a means of turning readers against brothers
and sisters in Christ. And they do this simply because they disagree with a
person’s political or cultural views. Rather than saying I disagree with the
view, and this is why, they attempt to make the person who holds the view seem evil.
And worse, far worse, they tell lies about the actions and intentions of the
individuals.
The ease of our alliances
happens because we do care about morality and about faithfulness to Christ. But
part of the answer is not to agree with every article or idea that any
particular organization or person promotes. We are called to discernment even
when reading those whose faith seems outstanding. Of all the people and
organizations mentioned in the New
American article you will not find any who states that same sex marriage or
abortion is biblical. You will not find heretical ideas such as Jesus not being
God or the Scripture not being inspired. But you will find a love for all
ethnic groups and a desire for them to know Jesus. You will find a love for the
LGBT community and a desire that they know the love of Jesus.
And it is Jesus, our Lord,
who sets the standard of our commitments to others. It is faithfulness to Him
that points us toward faithfulness to truth since he is Truth.
I found this video after writing this. It fits:
[1]
Warehouse Ministries is a church in Sacramento California that my family
attended for 15 years. I have now attended Fremont Presbyterian Church in
Sacramento for almost 30 years. Both great Churches.
He, Jesus, is the King of the Jews, the King
of all peoples, the King above all kings, His kingdom above every kingdom. And
everyone shall bow to Him either as the redeemed or the terrified.
He, Jesus,
is the Second coming of God. Jesus the Christ, the only Messiah, will return.
He does and will reign righteously, justly and gloriously. No one else not even
the president of the United States can claim those titles.
When Wayne
Allyn Root stated that the Jews thought of President Trump as the “King of the
Jews” and the “Second coming of God,” Trump should have renounced that claim
not only for its ignorance and foolishness but because it is blasphemous. Only
the antichrists agree to such malarkey. Only the antichrists praise such
heresy. When Paul and Barnabas discovered that the people of Lystra thought the
two apostles were gods they tore their own cloths and rebuked the people giving
them a clear account of who God is. (Acts 14:8-18)
Speaking God’s
word Isaiah states:
Turn to Me and be saved all the ends
of the earth; for I am God and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the
word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that
to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of
me ‘Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’ Isaiah 45:22-24a)
I have seen
several well-known orthodox Christians, those who adhere to the orthodox
doctrines of the Church, both Catholic and Protestant, stand against such arrogance,
I pray many more will. If you are
Presbyterian and have ever stood with the renewal groups in the PC (USA),
surely these words tweeted by President Trump will remind you of heresies you
have stood against. He needs to hear your faith.
Friday, May 12, 2017
There are now 4 postings at Tacos With Grace: http://tacoswithgrace.blogspot.com/ I have not ended Naming His Grace. I will be posting here again.
The title is
a reminder of a movie I loved when I was 10 years old. It is from a Catholic
novel about the Christians during Nero’s rule. The words Quo Vadis are supposed
to be Christ’s words to Peter as he leaves Rome. Jesus is calling him back to
Rome to be with the Christians who will die in the arena. But I thought of
those words as a question to those who in the midst of this pandemic are constantly
turning to conspiracy theories to explain what is happening.
