Earlier this week, Evangelical Dark Web reported on the rising wokeness and theological chaos of the Steve Deace Show, one of the premier conservative media podcasts, one that specifically promotes a Christian worldview. In the process, the show’s war with the audience was mentioned, specifically the increasingly antagonistic cohost Todd Erzen who has been attacking Protestants for believing basic distinctives of the Reformation. Those attacked have included Protestia, Lizzie Marbach (a previous guest on their show), and several other Protestant social media influencers he has called “trash” asking Protestants to take out. The “trash” comments came over accounts like Smashing Baals and 5 Solas arguing against Mariolatry.
Babylon Bee created a lot of discourse recently with their ballsy article titled, ‘You’re Gonna Be A Perpetual WHAT?’ Joseph Asks Mary On Wedding Night. This naturally set off discourse on Marian dogma. Moreover, this coincided with the Shroud of Turin’s favorable news. James White had this to say.
Well, I won’t be able to comment on the AI generated Turin image till next week, as far as on the DL, so here’s a brief observation: Catholicism thrives on signs, miracles, and externals. Marian apparitions, miracles associated with saints, and this kind of stuff (Shroud of Turin, bones of saints, and the long, sordid, absurd history of relics), is not just “on the side,” it is definitional of Roman Catholic piety and experience. May I suggest a reason? The Scriptures have been removed from their role as the voice of the Shepherd by the monotone of the voice of the Church. The follower of Christ who finds His Lord’s voice in His Word will not be looking for images of Mary in corn tortillas or the branches of a yucca plant (or in the water stains on a mirrored window of an Ugly Duckling Used Car Dealership in Florida, as below) because he or she has no need for such things.
The observation that James White makes is true regarding the Catholic Church’s treatment of modern “miracles” and the history of Marian apparitions is the marker of numerous Papist landmarks. To the Protestant, what James White said here is tame. White does not even dispute the Shroud, but rather downplays its necessity to the faith and alludes to the history of relics. But to Deace’s cohost, it was anathema.
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Update: James White had made a request for dialog and Todd Erzen compares him to Anthony Fauci:
Had day off yesterday, come back to find you begging for attention like a money changer in the temple. Good thing I’ve got a whip of cords for your juvenile blasphemy. You don’t need debate. You need to be taught a lesson. Your magic act works as well as the Covid jab.
Obviously, there is more context involved. James White is notoriously anti-Papist. But this was an odd moment to call him a false teacher with no further explanation. The attack on James White was rightly seen as an anathematizing of all Protestants. And so many Evangelicals, even those who have had disagreements with White on key issues, have circled the wagons in his defense.
But this is just a higher-profile example of the behavior tolerated by Steve Deace. Deace’s co-host has criticized Protestants for 500-year-old differences that Erzen’s other co-hosts would also adhere to. Steve Deace is an emerging institution in Evangelicalism but he is allowing these attacks on the key demographic that watches his show.
One Response
At this point, I won’t be surprised when Deace announces he is converting to Romanism. He has been unstable for years now.