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It's Saturday, August 31, 2024.

Today’s edition covers a controversy over how Christians should view the Crusades, how Donald Trump will vote on Florida’s proposed abortion amendment, the Bible’s teaching on the relationship between humans and animals, and much more.

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:4-5) — Important principles to remember in our social media age of trolling and rage-baiting!

Of Christian Concern + Church History Tidibit

(two in one this week—you’ll see why!)

ONLINE DEBATE RAGES OVER HOW CHRISTIANS SHOULD VIEW THE CRUSADES

Dr. James White and Pastor Joseph Spurgeon clash in an adventure of historical interpretation.

Pastor-theologian and apologist Dr. James White was at the center of a social media dust-up this week after he leveled criticisms against what he identifies as a growing trend of Reformed men defending the Medieval Crusades and desiring to emulate them.

The Beginning

The controversy began when minister Tanner Cartwright of Reformation Church in Shelbyville, KY, posted a hot take: “The Crusades were necessary to stop the evil of Islam and didn’t go far enough.” Pastor Joseph Spurgeon of Sovereign King Church in Jeffersonville, IN, agreed: “Thank God for the crusaders.  Yes there were atrocities- it was war after all.  But I’m thankful I don’t have to speak Arabic and pay a tax for being a Christian.”

That’s when White weighed in with a longer post, partly arguing that “The Crusades did not stop the expansion of Islam,” but more importantly emphasizing, “The Crusades were definitionally religious in nature” and “The entire foundation was a fundamental and outright denial of the nature, efficacy, and truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ” because the Roman Catholic Church “promised eternal life to those who died fighting the infidel!” White expressed incredulity that Reformed people could be in favor of the Crusades.

But the fact is these folks are saying the Crusades did not go ‘far enough.’  Far enough in what? Blaspheming Christ?  Disparaging the gospel? Promoting hatred?  What would you like to see more of, exactly? What would be ‘far enough’?

A back-and-forth ensued. Spurgeon wrote that White had “lost his mind” and accused White of being driven by ideology rather than truth. White wondered why Spurgeon and others were ignoring his concern about the corruption of the gospel.

Tuesday’s Show

On Tuesday’s episode of White’s show The Dividing Line, he took up the issue again, re-explaining his position and rehashing some of his engagement with Spurgeon.  

Spurgeon responded in the comments, apologizing for the offense of his “out of your mind” comment but taking issue with how White had represented their interaction, adding that White “made insinuations about me that are not true.” Spurgeon claimed,

The Crusades, for all their flaws, played a significant role in stalling the Muslim onslaught. It wasn’t the sole factor, but it did have a major impact. When Reformed men honor those who fought, we are not endorsing their vices but celebrating their virtues—their courage and willingness to sacrifice. Of course, it’s a mixed legacy.

Spurgeon also suggested that White’s

tone toward younger men in the faith has at times shifted to a ‘get off my lawn’ attitude. You often seem more frustrated and disgusted with younger brothers than with the wicked themselves, and that has been discouraging to witness.

Spurgeon is far from the only person White interacted with on social media about this issue this week. Another notable but briefer interaction was with Andrew Torba, CEO of the social media site Gab, whose response White said he would “review with [his] audience” to expose its errors as a “manifesto on how to twist Scripture.” Other commenters suggested that this controversy revealed White’s usefulness as a teacher has run dry and it’s time to “move on” from him.

Thursday’s Show

White addressed the issue again in his Thursday episode. He emphasized that his concern is primarily for “Reformed men who are lionizing the Crusaders as embodying the kind of masculine bravery and…Christ-centeredness…that we should be seeking to emulate and create amongst our people.” He suggested this phenomenon is an overreaction to feminism.

What seemed to him to begin about a year and a half ago as “a phase”—a trend of AI-generated images of “big buff” Crusaders—he now found to be an actual defense of the Crusades and a desire to emulate them. In White’s view, the Crusades “were an offensive Roman Catholic military excursion…which involved invasion of non-Roman Catholic lands,” which stemmed from Roman Catholic theology of the Pope’s authority and a false gospel.

“[T]he real issue is that there was a massive amount of nominalism,” that is, that many “Christians” during the time of the Crusades were Christians in name only. In contrast to the “biblical teaching of the once-for-allness, the finished work of Christ” and “the existence of the elect,” the Crusades were predicated on:

a concept of merit before God. And that's the only way you can sell people on leaving family and lands and traveling across Europe—walking, riding, whatever—to a foreign land because the pope has promised that if you die in battle against the infidel, you will have eternal life. It's a false gospel. We all used to agree with that.

White clarified that he believes some of the Crusaders were Christians, but the vast majority weren’t. Then, he bemoaned many of the online comments he saw this week: “There was really no concern whatsoever about reaching the Muslim people with the gospel.” He continued:

A horrible, heartbreaking—heartbreaking…. just examples over and over again over the past few days that I've seen of people demonstrating they have no desire at all to be used of Christ to bring Muslims to the truth. None. None! They just look at the Muslims as a whole group to be hated. I saw it over and over again. And that's what you ended up with in the Crusades. They're just the infidel. You hack them to pieces. You burn their cities. You kill their women. …And actually the church has the one power [i.e., the gospel], but you see, that takes patience. That takes discipline. That takes time.

White also caveated that he is not a pacifist and supports both the death penalty and lethal self-defense. He expressed concern that this fascination with sacralism (blending of church and state) may lead people to Catholicism: “And I've been watching Roman Catholics who are watching this going, ‘Come on home. Come on home.’”

The Final Word?

Spurgeon posted a “follow up” in which he called for respect towards White as an “officer in the Church” but maintained that White’s “behavior towards young men has been sinful.” Nevertheless, he writes, “if we are going to have Christian Nationalism, Christianity teaches that we turn the cheek to petty insults and show mercy to personal enemies.   No more brother wars on the internet.”

Also Noteworthy

Trump answers a question about Florida’s Amendment 4. (Screenshot: Fox News)

→ Donald Trump seemed to suggest on Thursday that he would vote “yes” on Florida’s proposed Amendment 4, which would enshrine abortion into the state constitution. After pressure from pro-lifers, he more definitively stated on Friday that he will vote “no” while still maintaining his position that abortion should be allowed beyond Florida’s current six-week limit. (In fact, abortion remains legal for the mother until birth in every state, including those with “bans.”)

• For a concise explanation of how Amendment 4 would “codify a right to abortion UNTIL BIRTH” in Florida’s constitution, see conservative podcaster Matt Walsh’s thread on the question.

→ Amid ongoing debate about whether it’s morally acceptable for Christians to vote for Trump given his views on abortion, there have been some extensions of olive branches between factions.

• Journalist Ben Zeisloft, who firmly maintains that Christians must refuse to vote for Trump unless he changes his abortion stance, posted a list of “Christians who disagree with me on the issue of whether to vote for Trump, but who I would commend on many other issues.”

• On the other side, Pastor Joel Webbon wrote that he is “grateful for the abolitionists’ zeal” and “tired of the division,” and encouraged abolitionists to “keep pushing Trump” though Webbon still “will be voting for Trump.” He added, “And I sincerely pray that enough Christians are willing to join me to stop America from becoming fully Communist.” Abolitionists, including Zeisloft, responded with appreciation for these comments.

→ New Saint Andrews College, a Christian college founded by the ever-controversial Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho (the church of Pastor Doug Wilson), sparked debate this week with the release of an advertisement that many found offensive. The narrator in the ad says the college is seeking young men who are “willing to hoist the Jolly Roger and Johnny Cash’s favorite finger whenever faced with idolatry.” The iconic image of the famed country singer Johnny Cash flipping off the camera appears as the line is spoken. Canon Press, the publishing house associated with Christ Church, reposted the ad. A flood of outraged responses followed, many of which can be found on Canon Press’s feed, since they reposted both detractors and defenders without comment.

Content Catch-Up

Recent, notable content of Christian interest.*

Thumbnail of Whaddo You Meme’s video on Candace Owens. (Screenshot: Whaddo You Meme / YouTube)

→ Creationism vs. Simulation Theory: Popular political and cultural commentator Tim Pool hosts a discussion between Pastor Brian Sauvé and Dr. Roman Yampolskiy on Creationism vs. Simulation Theory. Pool wrote it is “Possibly my favorite episode yet” of his show The Culture War. (Episode)

→ The Fall of Candace Owens: Christian influencer Jon McCray of Whaddo You Meme describes and discusses political and cultural commentator Candace Owens’s recent turn into defending disreputable figures and promoting antisemitic perspectives. (Video)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

The Bible, Briefly

Humans Are Animals?

Photo: Moroznaya_Photo

A 2021 New York Times headline declares, “Humans Are Animals. Let’s Get Over It.”* Philosophy professor Crispin Sartwell writes with a seemingly annoyed tone that humans would consider themselves “so much better than all the other animals.” While Sartwell may express the sentiment more breathlessly than most, it is in fact the orthodox view of our present secular culture that humans are animals. What does God’s Word say?

Distinguished From Other Creatures

In Genesis 1:26-28, when God creates humans, He specifically distinguishes them from “fish,” “birds,” “livestock,” “the earth,” and “every creeping thing.” The most emphatic difference is that humans are created “in his own image.” By definition, then, we humans are more valuable than other creatures since we alone reflect the image of the infinitely valuable God.

Dominion Over Other Creatures

God declares that He will “let [humans] have dominion over” all these other creatures (cf. Psalm 8:6), and He soon after guides the first man, Adam, to exercise that dominion by naming each of them (Genesis 2:19-20). So, in addition to humans’ higher intrinsic value, God has given us authority over all other earthly creatures.

The Bible shows repeatedly that God Himself loves and cares for animals (Genesis 9:8-15; Psalm 50:10-11), as He does “every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-17). This implies a responsibility of humans as His image-bearers to likewise care for the creatures under our dominion. However, the Scriptures are also emphatic that there is a hierarchy of value.

Animals For Food

Regarding animals, God said to Noah, “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything” (Genesis 9:3). But regarding humans, God said, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6). So, animals can be killed for food, but humans cannot be killed except as punishment for a heinous crime. Why not? Because we are made in God’s image.

More Value Than Many Sparrows

Finally, Jesus said it plainly: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. . . . Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6–7). We are fundamentally different from animals, and fundamentally more valuable.

Sartwell may be right when he suggests, “The separation of people from, and the superiority of people to, members of other species is a good candidate for the originating idea of Western thought.” But he’s oh so wrong to buck against the idea. After all, where did that idea come from? From the lips of God Himself at the moment He created us.

________________

*https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/opinion/humans-animals-philosophy.html

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Why "18:15"? The name Project 18:15 is based on Proverbs 18:15: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” The aim is for this weekly email—a Christian news briefing, a Bible study, and a Church history lesson rolled into one—to be one way you keep abreast of current events and acquire knowledge you might not acquire elsewhere.

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