Nine Really Good Arguments to Use When Defending a Guy You Think Is Pretty Cool
May 5th, 2009
Ever fumble for a convincing explanation for the questionable teachings of your favorite hip and trendy religious speaker/author? Ever get frustrated trying to support his shaky positions to people who insist on making sound biblical arguments? Ever find yourself defending the indefensible? Well, no more. Greg Gilbert of the 9Marks Blog has come up with nine things you can say in defense of a guy you think is pretty cool even when you don’t have a biblical leg to stand on:
1. You can’t say anything about this guy unless you’ve read everything he’s written and spent a good deal of time in his church.
2. You can’t say anything about what this guy said (in public!!) unless you’ve gone to him personally and showed him his fault.
3. God’s doing good things with this guy [Read, "This guy has a big church."]. Therefore, we should give him the benefit of the doubt on everything he says or writes.
4. He claims the name of Christ. Therefore to criticize him is to rend the seamless robe of Christ. You should be building up a brother, not tearing him down.
5. You don’t understand. He’s talking to Christians, so he doesn’t need to present the whole gospel. And furthermore, you don’t understand! He’s talking to non-Christians, so he doesn’t need to present the whole gospel.
6. I’m totally sure he didn’t mean it that way.
7. If you squint really hard, the gospel is implied.
8. Look! He uses a common Christian term right there. See it? Clearly he’s perfectly orthodox.
And my personal favorite:
9. You’re just jealous.