There is no barrel scrapping in this edition of DarkLinks. Perhaps this is our most jam-packed yet. This is a busy news week in Christendom, and a lot of stories just didn’t make the cut this time around. The story about the online snitch portal didn’t make the cut because we decided to respond to and evaluate the arguments made about it across the Evangelical Dark Web. You can read that article which covers the story here. The Pete Buttigieg comments are so heretical, that we will do a deeper dive, but the news is salient for American Christians to know with the upcoming election, so we would be remiss in not alluding to it ahead of time. The FBC Naples story on here puts a nice bow on that story. And both the story on KSP and the story on riches and luxuries are followups on previous stories covered in DarkLinks 17 and DarkLinks 14 respectively.
Southwestern fires professor for preaching Gospel, talking about sex abuse and sexuality
By Capstone Report
Baptist seminary fires conservative Latino over belief Jesus changes sinners.
Professor told not to discuss sex abuse or homosexuality. SWBTS told Lopez the ERLC was unhappy with his teachings.
The statement continues: According to Lopez, his supervisors cited opposition to him from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the Southwestern administration. In September, Lopez was told not to continue to discuss homosexuality or sex abuse in any capacity while employed at the Seminary. “I stated that the demands from the Seminary violated my conscience and would force me to disobey God. I was told that if that was the case, I had to resign. I refused to resign.” Lopez was then laid off.
Amid False “Racism” Scandal, Executive Pastor of FBC Naples Resigns
By Jeff Maples @ Reformation Charlotte
To this day, the accusations of “racism” and “white supremacy” against those who voted “no” to Hayes as the senior pastor have remained unsubstantiated. Now, the executive pastor who essentially led the failed effort to install Hayes as the senior pastor has decided to abandon his congregation — he has resigned, leaving the church with no leadership.
A Follow Up about the Karen Swallow Prior Kerfuffle
By Tim Ascol @ Founders Ministry
My original question, “Has Dr. Prior withdrawn her endorsement of Revoice?” which I asked first of Dr. Akin and then of Dr. Prior herself to no avail seems to be answered unequivocally in this statement. Though I cannot get a simple answer to this simple question, her statement about Revoice, that she “still support(s) its mission,” seems clear enough.
I posted my article, “There Is No Peace,” on November 20. It highlights the problem created by having a Southern Baptist faculty member who has endorsed Revoice. On November 22, Dr. Prior posted the private email exchange between us from October 25 & 26 as if it were a smoking gun and claimed that that she had “provided a statement” to me. Here I was thinking it was just a private email exchange.
I’m grateful Dr. Prior has declined any “additional affiliation” beyond her endorsement. I’m also glad she disagreed with “many of the speakers.” But that’s not a withdrawal of an endorsement or removal of support for Revoice’s mission. And that of course, was the question I asked. You can see for yourself… since the emails are now public.
The situation was not at all unclear about the kind of conference Revoice was going to be in the months leading up it (which is when Dr. Prior endorsed it). Kevin DeYoung was clear in warnings before the conference (source). Rosaria Butterfield and Denny Burk were clear in their warnings before the conference (source). Revoice leaders were saying things like this before the conference:
Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg: ‘There Are So Many Things in Scripture That Are Inconsistent’
By Heather Clark @ Christian News Net
Buttigieg had been asked what he feels about the contention that so-called “progressive Christians” are disregarding the Bible because of their liberal views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality. He himself is homosexual and believes that women should have the “right” to choose abortion.
“Well, I think for a lot of us — certainly for me — any encounter with Scripture includes some process of sorting out what connects you with God versus what simply tells you about the morals of the times when it was written, right?” he responded.
The South Bend, Indiana mayor pointed to the penal law under the Old Testament, claiming that it required a man to personally kill his sister if she was unfaithful to her husband. Buttigieg said the punishment “found its way” into the Bible because it was considered a just criminal statute at the time.
Lifestyles of the Rich & Radical: SBC conference at Ritz Carlton
By Capstone Report
As we reported earlier, many Southern Baptist pastors enjoy the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous while attacking American consumerism. David Platt being a notorious example of attacking the excesses of consumerism while flying first class on cross country trips and living in an $800,000 home in an exclusive suburb. Radical!
Of course, if you are an SBC pastor, you too can enjoy exclusive trips thanks to the ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention. And if you take advantage of the special 72-hour Black Friday sale, you can save $150 off your Ritz Carlton resort stay! Hurry and enter our code BLESSED to save!
The conferences in Atlanta cost $549 for pastor and $699 for pastor and wife.
There isn’t anything wrong with expensive resorts, first-class travel and fine dining. Those are things to enjoy. However, there is something that feels wrong in the way the SBC markets this conference.
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