Let me preface this by saying unequivocally that I can’t stand this guy.
The video below features Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, part of the whole “young, restless, and Reformed” contingent in Christendom today. He’s also “buds” with Baldy of the FOC — which is currently imploding, by the way, with The Washington Post currently looking into child molestation coverups, oops — and, in my opinion, just a teensy bit full of himself. Others think he’s “edgy” and “real.” I’ve watched a number of his sermons on YouTube and, well, I find him a spiritual bully and an intellectual lightweight.
(Not that I’m trying to influence your thoughts here or anything.)
Actually, I don’t need to. This video speaks for itself. Watch it and see my comments below.
~ First of all, Slappy, I’m glad you “see things.” I see a pastor/alleged grown man in a Mickey Mouse t-shirt is what I see.
~ Really, I have no problem with “the gift of discernment.” I understand that sometimes people see things in the spiritual realm. I believe that too. But …. part of the gift of discernment — one would assume — is using it with discernment which you clearly don’t do. I mean, calling a woman out on her adultery in front of her husband? Who does that? A d-bag, that’s who. Discernment would demand that you pull this woman aside and privately tell her your whole “I see naked people” vision. Obviously, you got off on exposing and humiliating this woman in front of her husband, but you seem completely unable to see that you humiliated the husband too. He heard these words from you, his pastor, not his wife, when it’s her job to tell him, not yours. Such a revelation is between the husband and wife and should have nothing to do with you. I mean, this just seems like Relationships 101 to me.
~ At one point you said — in referring to things one might “see” — “Don’t assume it’s true.” So that’s what you did in the above scenario, right? And that’s what you did when you said to one person, “You don’t know this but you were abused as a child,” right? Look. Just because you “see things” doesn’t mean they’re always correct nor does it mean that you are the person who should share them nor does it mean that you should share them the very instant you “see” them. Why not pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal things or to shake someone’s conscience or whatever? Why not pray about if/when you’re supposed to share what you think you saw? Why is it your job to do so except that you get off on the perceived power of it? You get your rocks off by Jesus showing you things that you believe he’s not showing anyone else. Quit doing Jesus’ job.
~ What if what you saw isn’t, in fact, true and you put that idea in someone’s head? “You don’t know this, but you were molested as a kid.” What if that’s actually NOT true? How cruel is that? How reckless? To plant a false seed in someone’s psyche?
~ And, yes, when confronted with allegations of molest, most molesters just freely and instantly admit it, like grandpa in your example. Yeah. That happens ALL the time. I totally believe that part.
~ About the woman with the physically abusive husband. So, did you call the cops? Sure, you called the dude into your office so you could expose him, but did you call the cops? Did you call the cops about any of these things? These rapes and abuses and molestations you “see”? You’re more than willing to blurt it out in an exercise of your spiritual power and “knowledge,” but what about involving the authorities? Or would that be too much of an abdication of your power to involve the secular legal powers? Wouldn’t want to do that now, would we?
Sickening.
(Also, Mark Driscoll: I don’t like your eyes. There’s something cold and off about them. I “see” things about you because of them.)
And here I thought I’d lost my crankypants, but they’re back, babeee, and tight as ever.
