Top Evangelical Leader: “We’ve Lost Our Credibility to the Outside World” | Amanpour and Company

[dzheremi]

Hi all,

This just popped up in my YouTube feed, and although I am not personally an Evangelical of the type that Mr. Moore is (I'd like to think all Christians are evangelical in the sense of being ready and willing to share the good news, but "Evangelical" here has a different, more denominationally-focused meaning), I think he has some interesting thoughts on the future and present circumstances of Evangelical Christianity in America, so I figured I'd share it here, in hopes of sparking reflection and discussion. I'd love to read what everyone who watches it has to say about the points raised in it by Mr. Moore.

Note: I wasn't sure what board this would best fit on, so if any mod or other person wants it to be moved to somewhere where it might be more fitting, I'd be okay with that. I don't spend time on the Protestant-focused subforums of this website since I'm not a Protestant, so I don't really know where this could fit on them.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

He seems to be the most humble and self aware "Evangelical" I have seen.

I love the idea of extracting the Gospel from our political leanings.
There is not political party, left or right, conservative or liberal, traditional or progressive that fully embraces the Gospel.

Don't let our poor choices when it comes to voting tarnish our vision of the Gospel.

 

[Hammster]

I agree with this critique.

Russell Moore Loses His Religion - TruthScript

Russell Moore, the Editor in Chief of Christianity Today, recently authored a critique of the current state of evangelicalism called Losing Our Religion:

truthscript.com

 

[JM]

Moore no thanks.

He dances too close to the woke like ask Reformed and Baptist folks, he's shady...

 

[JM]

BREAKING: Ronnie Floyd just called Russell Moore a liar - Capstone Report

HUGE: Ronnie Floyd contradicts Russell Moore’s slander of Mike Stone! Russell Moore is a lifelong Democrat. Russell Moore is a liar. Of course, that’s redundant. However, it is important to highlight this as none other than Ronnnie Floyd, CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive...

capstonereport.com

 

[iluvatar5150]

BREAKING: Ronnie Floyd just called Russell Moore a liar - Capstone Report

HUGE: Ronnie Floyd contradicts Russell Moore’s slander of Mike Stone! Russell Moore is a lifelong Democrat. Russell Moore is a liar. Of course, that’s redundant. However, it is important to highlight this as none other than Ronnnie Floyd, CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive...

capstonereport.com

From the article:

Russell Moore is a lifelong Democrat. Russell Moore is a liar. Of course, that’s redundant.

Good way to sell your objectivity.

 

[dzheremi]

So does no one other than Akita Suggagaki have anything to say about what Moore said? Every subsequent reply has been "Russell Moore is bad for reasons XYZ." People who you don't agree with politically or whatever can still have things to say that you can consider, right? I listen to various discussions on right wing, libertarian, and other political-themed YouTube channels, because I find it helps to keep me from getting too much tunnel vision, and also helps me understand how people whose positions I don't agree with can nevertheless arrive at those positions. That's probably why this video on Evangelicalism was recommended to me in the first place, since I certainly don't belong to a denominationally "Evangelical" church, and I don't pay attention to what Evangelical Protestants are doing more generally (since I'm not one).

It is disappointing to see a thoughtful reflection on the future of Evangelicalism in the USA (which is rapidly declining; I assume Evangelicals care about this) dismissed without comment because you don't like the person who said it.

 

[iluvatar5150]

So does no one other than Akita Suggagaki have anything to say about what Moore said? Every subsequent reply has been "Russell Moore is bad for reasons XYZ." People who you don't agree with politically or whatever can still have things to say that you can consider, right? I listen to various discussions on right wing, libertarian, and other political-themed YouTube channels, because I find it helps to keep me from getting too much tunnel vision, and also helps me understand how people whose positions I don't agree with can nevertheless arrive at those positions. That's probably why this video on Evangelicalism was recommended to me in the first place, since I certainly don't belong to a denominationally "Evangelical" church, and I don't pay attention to what Evangelical Protestants are doing more generally (since I'm not one).

It is disappointing to see a thoughtful reflection on the future of Evangelicalism in the USA (which is rapidly declining; I assume Evangelicals care about this) dismissed without comment because you don't like the person who said it.

I listened to the interview, but haven't read the book.

The interview was largely points Moore has made elsewhere on previous interviews regarding the state of American evangelicalism. IIRC, in his writings around the time he left the SBC, he made a much bigger deal about the pushback he witnessed on abuse investigations than he did about the growing idolatry towards Donald Trump, so it might be incorrect to interpret his concerns as being primarily about politics.

I once heard someone cite Bill Bennett (Reagan's Secretary of Education, later political commentator) as saying that, when he was in the WH, the constituency most seduced by proximity to power was evangelicals. I think that still holds true - the fawning over Trump, the derision directed towards anything vaguely “leftist”, and the shielding of abuse can all at least be partly explained by a thirst for power.

 

[JM]

From the article:


Good way to sell your objectivity.

It's objectively true. He is a liar and is interested in furthering his career not the Gospel.

 

[iluvatar5150]

It's objectively true. He is a liar and is interested in furthering his career not the Gospel.

The passage I quoted equates being a Democrat with being a liar.

And what did Moore lie about?