The Council of Fools

"Our choices are these: Either we can play the game and enjoy the honor that comes from being players in the political arena, or we can become fools for Christ. Either we will ignore the silent screams of the unborn so that we might be heard, or we will identify with the suffering and speak for those who are silenced. In short, either we will speak for the least of these, or we will continue to sell our souls for a mess of political pottage.” R.C. Sproul Jr.

“For the simple are killed by their turning away (from truth), and the complacency of fools destroys them.” Proverbs 1:32.

So, finally, the truth is out, and it's bleak for evangelicalism. Megan Basham has released a startling piece in the Daily Wire this week regarding how the Government in America used evangelicalism as a vehicle to actively promote Covid-related policy in a highly assertive manner.

Just as UK Christians were hounded by the like of Justin Welby to adhere to all the Government requirements, Francis Collins was continually wheeled out in a 'Christian' context as an "authoritative" source in respect to what church-goers needed to heed by various evangelical and reformed leaders as the correct course to take in respect to obeying lockdowns, wearing masks ('life-savers', according to Collins), and readily accepting MRNA treatments as the sound course to recovery.

Churches and individual believers who raised concerns or refused to adhere to such actions for various reasons, many of which were soundly Gospel-driven, were deemed by Collins and others to be conveying the "Ugly" side of Christianity, openly deemed to be promoting a 'conspiratorial' approach that was defined as erroneous.

What is astonishing about this, as Basham shows, is that Collins is no friend of key Gospel truth itself. In his work leading the NIH, he has actively been involved in projects that have engaged in the harvesting of organs from aborted children (one project was funded to the tune of three million dollars) and has vocally applauded the 'celebration' of "Gender Transition" activities, speaking of those engaged in such as to be honoured as brave.

In his numerous appearances within Christian churches and events during the pandemic, he promoted a manner of behaviour and 'restraint' as necessary for the faith which is in clear conflict with the imperative of the Gospel, but the most dreadful aspect of this theological 'leveraging' is the manner that it has been welcomed and transmitted as essential by the mainstream evangelical leadership itself, ostracising many believers who have seen such an approach and behaviour as highly unbiblical.

The reality is that all these manner of restrictions were a process that left the nature of the faith in the mainstream devoid of any Gospel vitality in a day of trouble, when it was vitally needed. 

There can be little doubt that the dreadful consequences of this will be felt for many decades to come.

Postscript.

Dr Tom Godfellow has published a superb piece today on the UK side of this trouble. Also now available is an excellent examination of this issue in the latest Irreverend podcast, which includes a highly insightful interview with Lord Frost.