Did Al Mohler verbally slap James White and Tom Ascol?
Without mentioning their names, did Dr. Al Mohler verbally slap "Dr." James White and Dr. Tom Ascol at the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention?On June 12, Al Mohler told Southern Baptist Convention attendees at a breakout session, “It is not healthy to have a person who will drive across the state to debate Calvinism but won't even drive across the street to share the Gospel.”
At the time of Mohler’s statement, a debate at Liberty University in Virginia had been announced between the Caner brothers on one side and James White and Tom Ascol on the other.
Ascol lives in Florida. For him to travel to Virginia is not only traveling “across the state” but across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia as well!
White lives in Arizona. His love for debating is so blatant that he even discusses his debates as a Sunday school lesson! For White to travel "as the crow flies" to Lynchburg, Virginia, he would have to cross New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia!
Only Dr. Mohler knows what he was referring to when he said, “It is not healthy to have a person who will drive across the state to debate Calvinism,” but surely he knew about the Lynchburg debate, which at the time he spoke had been publicized and discussed all over the Reformed Calvinist blogosphere.
Did Mohler give White and Ascol a verbal backhand? Was Mohler hinting that these men would rather debate Calvinism than share the gospel? Who knows? But if not, what else was on his mind?
posted by Charles @ 11:11 AM
4 Comments:
MOHLER'S COMMENT
charles said . . .
On June 12, Al Mohler told Southern Baptist Convention attendees at a breakout session, “It is not healthy to have a person who will drive across the state to debate Calvinism but won't even drive across the street to share the Gospel.”
I have come, Charles, to see Dr. Mohler as a pragmatist, and I think this statement fits into that category.
On one hand, he is associated as a Board member with Arminian Nazarene James Dobson's "Focus on the Family" and on other hand he embellishes the Hybrid Calvinist Presbyterian "baby regenerationists." Also, he is in close relationship with the Founders and their interests, yet he had Frank Page, whom the Founders have critiqued, speak at the Seminary.
He is straddling all fences. He reminds me a lot of the Duke McCall regime at the Seminary in the 1950s.
For once I'll agree with Bob.
Mohler's pragmatism is frustrating at times.
I figure, if mohler plays nice and keeps the "good 'ol boys" happy. He can keep crankin' our reformed preachers by the hundreds for decades.
Have you seen the house that Dr. Mohler lives in? You'd be a pragmatist too! He's not going to take a chance on getting fired.
Dr. Mohler invites people with different viewpoints to the seminary but it's clear that his heart lies with Reformed pastors such as Dr. Mark Dever and others. Bob and Charles, as you guys have pointed out, this places Dr. Mohler on the other side of what most churches in our convention believe.
Despite where his heart is, Dr. Mohler is not going to go so far on a limb as to jeopardize his place.
Bob and Charles, keep up the good work.
SBTS Student
gravitas, Hello!
You said, I figure, if mohler plays nice and keeps the "good 'ol boys" happy. He can keep crankin' our reformed preachers by the hundreds for decades.
Too late. Pastors are catching on to him. Did you see the Christianity Today article?
Charles
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