Parker Williamson of the LayMAN loves to celebrate Holy Week by attacking those who use biblical literacy in their sermons. In so doing he demonstrates his lack of same.
This was his post about me two years ago at Easter.
I am one of the LayMAN's poster children for how bad the PC(USA) has become. I think I am useful for the LayMAN's fundraising appeals. I am also happy to be useful in emptying pews.
This is his most recent, Unbelief Unveiled.
Shuck continues with accolades for the Jesus Seminar, a project by a handful of academics to discredit any passage of Scripture that portrays Jesus as divine. Supporting the seminar’s view of Scripture, Shuck said, “The Bible is not always what it seems. It was created by numerous human authors. Every one of them had an agenda. They created these stories and these images for a variety of reasons. Reasons that we may never know.”
Williamson thinks it is big, heretical news that the authors of the gospels each shaped Jesus. Where would anyone possibly get an idea like that? Perhaps at any one of our Presbyterian seminaries. Scholars carefully conceal this knowledge in books. Maybe Parker will read one someday. It is Easter. Miracles do happen.
One would also think that an editor of a magazine might actually provide a source for documents from which the editor takes quotations. In the digital age it is as easy as a link. What is Parker demonstrating by refusing to engage in this obvious practice? Vote for one:
- Ignorance
- Lack of journalistic integrity
I do look forward to General Assembly!!
Who knows? Maybe I'll even meet Parker!
Oh come on John! It's just so much more fun to make stuff up. Strawmen are much easier to knock down than real men are.
ReplyDeleteHeh. Stealing quotes seems to be their new thing lately. I can tell you from recent experience, the fundies don't know much about intelligence, honesty, courtesy, integrity, etc. I'd fail him for academic dishonesty in not providing a proper citation, but at least he included your name, rather than just stealing a quote with no citation and not even providing your name. (Which is minimally better than uh... *ahem* some people are apparently capable of doing.) ;)
ReplyDeleteMaybe he didn't want to provide a link because he wants to "protect" you. LOL!
I also think it is amusing that people are making a big deal of Rev. Webb-Mitchell's ordination. I've been ordained for well over a decade, was married in a PCUSA church by a PCUSA minister to another PCUSA elder, and announced all that on the floor of GA, for crying out loud, years ago. (And have done so here more times than I can count -- the only place where more fundies hang out on the internet than the LayMAN itself.)
In other words, been there, got the TShirt. None of these busybodies, fusspots, tattletales and scolds including PW -- who *reported about my coming out at GA in his own silly magazine* -- ever bothered to file charges against me!
And I *certainly* have never been protected by anyone in our Presbytery.
I love that they get their knickers in such a twist about such things while simultaneously ignoring their own absolute, total complicity.
It reminds me of what I learned when I was a child (but they evidently did not): whenever you point a finger, there are 3 more pointing back at you.
So, I have to wonder.... If PW is a member of an apostate denomination, the "unfaithfulness" of which is "old news" to him, what, exactly does that make him?
If you're not pissing someone off, then you're not doing things right.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Monkey. And I support emptying pews. Chairs or rocks in a circle being awestruck by the nature of the Universe -- which Jesus had complete confidence in -- is the best worship.
ReplyDeleteThing is, Parker clearly does not himself believe the contrasting beliefs he say he believes.
ReplyDeleteHe shows his beliefs by his words and actions, and they are not the actions of someone who believes false witness is a sin, or that Jesus is actually with him as Matthew says He promised, or that he believes that he can speak to his Lord in prayer and have his prayers answered.
If Parker did, he would go about this thing a whole different way.
At least you are honest about your feelings and thoughts. That takes a lot more faith than Parker has.
If his heart weren't so intentionaly twisted towards doing harm, and if he hadn't been so higly paid to do it, I'd feel sorry for him.
Jodie
Wow, didn't anyone in the Layman orbit attend a modern seminary?
ReplyDeleteIf you see him at GA, buy him a beer and give him a copy of "The Five Gospels". It's never too late for him to learn things.
For those who are searching my blog after reading Parker's editorial (which also made the print edition), here is the March 4th sermon, the February 26th sermon, and the post from 2010 from which Parker mined quotes.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of interesting stuff on this blog which is about at its best being honest about matters of life, faith, religion, and lightening up. Enjoy!