Here are John Piper’s 20 reasons for not taking “potshots” at the fundamentalists.
1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I’ve met).
2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their “social action” is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn’t usually get written up in the newspaper.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don’t have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.
The more I’ve maintained my ex-fundamentalist blog, the more I’ve learned how much I really owe fundamentalism and how much we can commend it. Sure it has problems, but so does evangelicalism at large. Praise God for those determined to preserve the Truth at all costs. I pray we evangelicals can aim to get along with the fundamentalists, rather than focusing on how we can woo the Catholics and others. It would do us all some good!
Amen!
An interesting list. Thanks!
What is so amazing is that nearly everyday, some fundamentalist is taking potshots at John Piper! This is truly an example of love.
Yes, I’m thankful for John Piper’s influence. His humility is an example of what we should desire in ourselves.
You came from a fundamentalist background; I came from a Primitive Baptist background. They are very similar in some respects. We both probably owe more to those backgrounds than we realize. Of course, we owe all to the grace of God. I’m as thankful that He brought me out as I am that I was ever there.
All religion is ridiculous. I can’t believe in this day and age there are still people who believe this garbage. I just can’t understand it.. how can it be?
Yes, the further and further evangelicalism falls away from the truth of the gospel, the more attractive fundamentalism is. Their example of faithfulness to the fundamentals of the faith are a constant reminder to the rest of us that interdenominational unity should never come at the expense of the truth.
Another benefit of fundamentalism is that their theological world isn’t often complicated with debates like open theism, covenantal nomism, or postmodernism. Although some of them do compromise with commercialized (read, “worldly” ) worship music. Boy, those were the days . . . !
Daniel,
For many science is a religion, so is humanism. I’m sad to hear you reject religion out of hand.
Perhaps the global reality of religion says something. There is a spiritual element in man. And I believe Christianity is the one religion which is both historically and experientially true.
May you find joy in the cross of Christ, one day….
Bob
Didn’t find Piper’s list to be saying much…oh well. Just passing through.