Rachel Held Evans
is an eminent Evangelical blogger. She is a skilled writer, a courageous
thinker, a charitable arguer, and, most importantly, a Christian. Although we
disagree on certain points of exegesis and praxis, she is an individual whose
talents and abilities should be recognized and appreciated.
Of course we know that, often enough, glowing
acknowledgements are connected to some type of “but.”
In this instance, my “but” comes in the form of a request;
namely, that Held Evans would be willing to call out and rebuke her readers and
followers for the comments they make and the attitudes they demonstrate with as
much tenacity as she does to those she disagrees with (and, eventually writes
about).
To be sure, this is an issue on either side of any
exegetical, theological, or cultural argument. However, what is bothersome is
that those who align themselves with conservative exegesis and theology (e.g.,
Calvinists, complementarians, etc.) are often heavily critiqued for their so-called
arrogant and aloof attitudes, whereas those providing the critique (the
self-proclaimed “champions of equality”) are often given a free-pass despite demonstrating
attitudes that are analogous to those they are critiquing.
In part, this request comes from the recent foofaraw
surrounding Jared C. Wilson’s
post
about the modern celebration of perverted sexual authority/submission due to
the recent success of
50 Shades of Grey.
Held Evans
responded,
but it was not her response that left me frustrated, rather it was those
commenting.
Although there were several worthwhile exchanges and
comments, and, again, recognizing that vitriol can come from either side of an
argument, those commenting on her posts (not just this one in particular) often
resort to ad hominem and hasty generalization, which are fallacies no thinker
wants to be guilty of.
So, again, here is my request (and this time it is not just
to Held Evans):
Please check yourself and your readers. If you comment, ask
yourself whether Jesus would submit that ad hominem attack. If you blog, do not
be afraid to call out and rebuke your readers when necessary. Your readers
visit (and read) your blog because they think you have something worthwhile to
say (even if they might not always agree with you); but your allegiance is not
ultimately to your readers, it is to Jesus.
