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GUEST
ARTICLE
An
Atypical American’s
Typical Bible Knowledge
Charles
Barkley is no average Joe. In the 1990s, he was one of
the best basketball players in the world. While playing
in the National Basketball Association, he scored more
than 23,000 points, played in nine All-Star games, was
voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1993, and now serves
as a television basketball analyst. Even people who know
very little about basketball are familiar with Charles
Barkley. As atypical as Barkley is as a famous athlete
and television personality, sadly, his Bible knowledge
is typical of many Americans.
In
a recent political discussion with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer,
Barkley condemned “conservative” Christians for making
judgments against homosexuals and abortionists. He said:
Every
time I hear the word “conservative,” it makes me sick to
my stomach because they’re really just fake Christians....
I think they want to be judge and jury. Like, I’m for gay
marriage. It’s none of my business if gay people want to
get married. I’m pro-choice. And I think these Christians—first
of all, they’re supposed to be—they’re not supposed to
judge other people, but they’re the most hypocritical judge
of people we have in this country.... [T]hey act like they’re
Christians, and they’re not forgiving at all (2008).
Barkley
has implied that “fake Christians” are those who oppose
homosexuality and abortion. Christians who condemn homosexuality
and abortion supposedly are hypocritically judging others,
and being unforgiving.
Sadly,
Barkley’s beliefs and allegations are typical of many,
many Americans whose Bible knowledge would hardly fill
a thimble. This kind of ignorance, combined with an attempt
to teach people about unrighteous judgments, forgiveness,
and morality, is a dangerous combination. You get the very
opposite of what God’s Word actually teaches.
The
same Jesus who said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew
7:1), taught men to “judge with righteous judgment” (John
7:24). The same Jesus who taught about the necessity of
forgiveness (Matthew 6:12; Luke 17:3-4), denounced fornication,
adultery, and murder (Matthew 15:18-20). In the same letter
in which the apostle Paul warned Roman Christians of making
unrighteous judgments (Romans 14:3-4), he condemned men
who “burned in their lust for one another, men with men
committing what is shameful” (Romans 1:27). To the same
church that Paul wrote to “forgive and comfort” (2 Corinthians
2:7), he commanded to condemn sexually immoral Christians
when the church gathered together (1 Corinthians 5:1-13).
The
fact is, Satan has sold lie after lie to Americans. Just
like he convinced Israel in Isaiah’s day to “put darkness
for light, and light for darkness...bitter for sweet, and
sweet for bitter,” he has convinced American politicians,
the media, and others to “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah
5:20).
“Woe
to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in
their own sight” (Isaiah 5:21). Woe to the typical, biblically
ignorant American who attempts to pit the virtues of forgiveness
and righteous judgments against specific sins that Almighty
God condemns. Americans, be warned. Christians, listen
carefully. The same prophet who condemned Israel for their
depravity, prophesied of their captivity.
“Therefore
my people have gone into captivity, because they have
no knowledge” (Isaiah 5:13, emp. added).
“My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you
have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being
priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your
God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).
--Eric Lyons, M.Min.
REFERENCES
Barkley,
Charles (2008), “CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer,” CNN,
February 17, [On-line], URL: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0802/17/le.01.html.
http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/print/3655
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