Thanks again for dropping by and for your words, Todd.

-jeremy

It has been quite a while since I last visited your blog. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in so many different areas. Your thinking truly is stimulating even if there are times when I disagree. Today I found your blog regarding the Cedarville situation that erupted this past year. While I don’t claim to know all the details of all that transpired through the episode about which you have written, I know enough to know that, as a Cedarville alum myself, I appreciate your latest response and apology to Cedarville and Carl Ruby in particular. I will be the first to admit Cedarville doesn’t always do it right. Like any other, it is an institution that has to tread lightly many times. Bloggers like yourself have the luxury of lambasting anyone any time we want with little fear of the consequences. Institutions such as Cedarville do not have that luxury. I appreciated the efforts and tactfulness of Cedarville in this area. The recently released video response by Cedarville and its administration was very helpful in clarifying their position. I do not know Dr. Brown that well as he came after my graduation, but I think one thing he cannot be accused of is not engaging our culture on an intellectual level, contrary to some of your strong statements. I do not know this speaker of whom you spoke that was not allowed to come to Cedarville, but as satisfied as you are by his “humble response” to Cedarville in canceling his visit, I am equally satisfied by Cedarville’s humble response to WHY they did not let him come. I am encouraged by your humility and teachableness in regard to Dr. Ruby, a man I have known for over 20 years. Keep up the good work and stimulating discussions and always remember to consider whether you SHOULD say something even if you CAN say something!

They preach “social justice” and do-goodism but not salvation through Jesus Christ and repentance from sin. They speak on stages with New Agers and Buddhists and say nothing about Jesus. They talk gibberish, for the most part, and lead “conversations” to get people to confess “church hurts.” They write for leftist magazines regularly that sound like Karl Marx. They don’t seem to write or care about sin and its effects on people. They don’t talk about repentance. They don’t tell anyone how to be saved by Jesus Christ. How can they forget salvation so quickly? Not only do they only focus on works, but these “leaders” have a mocking tone throughout most of their books. They read and endorse one another’s books often but seem woefully short on comprehensive Bible knowledge. They mock Christians who look clean-cut, think very little of the church, drip sarcasm, think civil disobedience okay if they do it, don’t worry about false gods in other religions, think doctrine is useless, and wish to recruit many students and young college-age people into their gospel of social justice.

It is salvation which changes a person! It is calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be SAVED FROM SIN that makes one a new creation! No one can come to the Father but by Jesus. No one will be saved by sweeping up the streets of Dayton. No one will repent by hearing about how you think “conservative” is a bad word for Cedarville to use. It does matter what word you use. It shows a particular worldview if you are conservative.

From my reading it appears that emergent writers seem to regularly mock what they call “the religious right” who are generally conservative. Despite what Jim Wallis says in his “God’s Politics” book, one’s political party choice does indicate your view of scripture, your Biblical knowledge and your willingness to obey the commands in it. More leftist usually means greater leeway given for sins that the Bible condemns.

People don’t have to listen to emergent writers at all. They only need the Bible, and to do what the Bible says all by themselves. They don’t need to read all these other books to find out how to act. If people would just READ the Bible, they would see it right there in black and white. One does not need to obey an emergent writer/speaker: just Jesus. Cedarville needs to decide how seriously it takes the “whole” Bible and how it will teach its students to be obedient in ALL areas of scripture. No students who is born again needs to hear a “different gospel;” he needs the pure word of God in chapel. No students at Cedarville need to hear some man’s opinion; they just need the Bible exposited from learned men of God. No students at Cedarville need to hear what bloggers at leftist magazines think; they just need to hear the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, over and over and over. That is what changes a person: His words. The Bible is comprehensive for every area of our lives and given to us for reproof and correction. That is all we need. Cedarville needs to make a hard decision this summer through much prayer. Students will not be attracted to Jesus Christ through watering down His gospel, nor by seeing people sweep the streets. Brad Pitt does that, too. What will change the hearts of students? It is the Gospel! What can take away desire for sin? The Gospel! It is repentance and calling on the name of our Lord! Thank you for listening and I pray you will hear my heart.

The whole Shane and emergent issue at CU shows how so the thinking of this movement is so thin, empty, and just after the latest theological fad and fashion.

I do find fault with your dismissive attitude towards the “Truth and Certainty.” I, for one, am glad that Cedarville published it. I don’t think it’s any form of appeasement, but an affirmation of Cedarville’s historic stance towards the Scriptures. How exactly is it “disappointingly laughable?” Are you saying that we can’t know the Scriptures, so it’s laughable to even assume so? Should we not regard the Bible as “truth?”

Matt Brown
1993 grad

Please understand that this situation is not “against” Shane. Cedarville or the administration is not against Shane. They are very supportive of him and will have him back on campus. Other events coupled with the coordinated smear campaign (and yes, that’s what it was…) forced Dr. Ruby’s hand. Yeah it doesn’t make sense on the outside, but I’m happy about the situation…and if you read my initial reaction that says alot

thanks for writing in…
-jeremy

This whole situation doesn’t make a lot of sense and I’m waiting to get the whole story before I hav an opinion. I expect this from Ken, Ingrid, et al. but not from a place like Cedarville, and not against Shane Claiborne. God forbid we Christians actually helped the poor…before you know it we could be heretics.

Thank goodness I’m a schmuk or Ken would come after me because…
- I graduated from Talbot (not Fuller) but I like most of the emerging folks
- Last spring I led a bible study at a gay bar
- I just posted about gambling not being a sin
- I have dreadlocks
- I breathe…

Geesh guys like Shane get the heat???
He is a hero.

Cheers.