The American Spectator

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Letters For Larry

2.16.09 @ 6:01AM

(Page 3 of 4)

Mr. Tooley also confirms my suspicions of ungodliness about the so-called "emergent" fad in general and Brian McLaren in particular.

Mr. Tooley's evidence shows that McLaren preaches yet 'another gospel' retread -- same old, tired, 'progressive' good works shtick. Ever since the Garden the wicked (whether pseudo-Christian or secular) have substituted man's works for Christ's, man's 'laws' for God's.

Mr. McLaren, as quoted by Mr. Tooley, in purporting to describe 'christian' understanding of life makes NO:

1) confession that Jesus is Lord and God come in the flesh (Romans 10:9; I John 4:2-3, 15);
2) submission to God's holy Law as the norm for man's behavior (I John 5:2-3; John 15:10-14);
3) admission that natural man stands at enmity against God due to sin ("the transgression of the Law", I John 3:4) both original and personal, in which man is "dead" (Genesis 2:16-17; Ephesians 2:1-3);
4) recognition that God must and freely does pardon a man's sin in order to effect reconciliation between God and that man (Psalm 51; II Corinthians 5:18)
5) confession that only by His sovereign and free grace does God pardon any man's sin, and only through His only begotten Son Christ Jesus and His blood (John 6:44, 65; 10:1-10; 14:6; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 2:4-10; I John 1:7);
6) apology for effectively adding to God's Word humanistic Leftist junk that's not God's Word -- for which addition God rebukes a man, calls him a liar, and visits upon him apocalyptic damnation (Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 22:18).

1-5 above are the Good News, the "gospel" of Christ, of His Person and work -- i.e., "the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Item 6 demonstrates a basic human habit -- adding an 'extra,' human gloss to God's commands (cf. Genesis 3:3) -- and the terrible danger that habit poses. Anathema to the so-called 'emergent church' and its 'other gospel.' As they point to the Obamassiah as if he were a christ, they vindicate the truth of our Lord's warning (Matthew 24:23-26).

God bless you Mr. Tooley; thanks for your 'ministry of information' for us all.
-- Dave Hanson
Fayette, Iowa

FAILURE IS YOUR BEST OPTION
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s Wall Street Imbecility:

When the illusion of rock-solid-guarantee exists, i.e, Fannie, Freddie, everyone knows it's a guarantee of something much better than solvency. It's a guarantee of a bailout when things go wrong. No surprise that standards slide under increasing corporate welfare. The financial sector was bound to be covered no matter what, like the airlines and Amtrak. "Too big to fail" means if you're gonna go into debt, go BIG, baby. Small-fry-failures are nobodys.

It's in media, culture. Acting career on the fizz? Get hooked on drugs, make a public ass of yourself, and get your toxic asset bailed out on Oprah, where emotional indulgence testifies in cultural bankruptcy court.
-- Scott Horn
Akron, Ohio

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL
Re: Peter Ferrara's Obama's Failed and Tired Ideas From the Past:

Yes we need a new president but I am afraid we are stuck with the one we have; we will suffer at his hand tremendously and it will take 20 or 30 years to undo what he has already done in less then one month to our economy. They have an agenda and that is to make government more powerful to intrude into our daily lives. It is not about making the economy good -- it is about doing what is needed to get us all in a position where we don't have any recourse but to submit. We are doomed to fight this for the next 30 years -- it will take 8 years just get rid of some of the communist policies that will be ingrained with this administration.
-- Ken Roberts

Too bad Obama can’t revert to his old habits and merely vote "present" instead of signing this quagmire of an unbridled spending bill. I hope this partisan mistake becomes an albatross around the necks of everyone who supported it, and I hope the productive elements of our country band together to revive our economy in spite of this $878 billion albatross.
-- Bill Attinger
Carlsbad, California

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