John MacArthur: ‘God intended [earth] as a disposable planet’

[Kingpoleon]

John MacArthur is a really serious problem for evangelicals. He’s not Jeffries or Franklin Graham - he’s a very, very smart man who sincerely believes what he preaches. And his sermons make Franklin Graham or Falwell look like bumbling toddlers. I do discourage people from trying to take him down, though. He would make a much better ally than enemy on things like evolution and climate change.

[Kingpoleon]

An ally in what way? Graham's responsible for the Evangelical=GOP mantra, Falwell's already been disgraced and discredited, and MacArthur appeals to no one except for those not already receptive to the anti-science wing of American evangelicalism. If PR improvement is the goal, then conservative evangelicals need to give the Russell Moore's of the movement another look. And there's been no indication that that's what they intend to do.

Forty percent of Americans don’t believe in evolution or climate change. The idea that mainline Protestants shouldn’t engage with those people or any of their leaders, or try to change their mind with a common alliance first, will result in a death blow to mainline Protestantism. I doubt that American Christianity would ever look the same after that.

[Kingpoleon]

Engage with them? Sure, I'm all for that. But I don't see what there is to ally with these people on. If their views win out among American Christians, then American Christianity is dead. The "YEC or nothing" dichotomy, along with climate change denial, both need to be rejected wholesale.

I do think “alliance” is a misleading phrase there, and I misuse it. My apologies.

I meant to say that, among the fundamentalist crowd, John MacArthur displays a sort of intellect and capability that the rest of them don’t. I mean, we’re talking about a fundamentalist who’s displayed vast knowledge(and vocal criticism) of the Founding Fathers, who really has a cult like following that Graham and Jeffries lack.