Foxes Book of Emergents With Hurt Feelings - Tony Jones (Part 4)

Just when you Thought Tony Jones Had Run out of Heresies . . .

Is there anyone out there who can explain to me why Tony Jones of the "Emergent church" has not yet been condemned as anathema by prominent evangelical leaders? How heretical must one be to qualify for excommunication - it is a mystery to me why anyone would even refer to him as a Christian. Whatever he talks about never even remotely represents orthodox Christianity.

Not only is Tony endorsing unrepentant homosexuality as a lifestyle fully compatible with practicing Christianity. Not only is Tony embracing radical pro-abortionist and Universalist Barack Obama as a genuine Christian. Not only is Tony (or more specifically the emergent village) saying "so long" to sola scriptura. These provide just a snapshot of the heretical lunacy that Tony Jones tries to pass off as legitimate theology. But wait, there's more! Tony decided he wanted to take heresy to levels previously unseen among heretics who masquerade as Christians. And for that - I have to tip my hat to you Tony. While Brian McLaren and Rob Bell continue to sprout their unbiblical nonsense in a fog of christianese, Tony Jones decided to dispense with the fog and put up a big red flag for all those remaining with any degree of discernment.

The leader of the leaderless emergent movement has now decided to reject the doctrine of human depravity - you know the one which says that all people are sinners and deserve the wrath of God. The first question that sprung to my mind was "doesn't he have any children?". Unlike Bill Clinton, I think Tony must have "inhaled" something. Exactly what planet does he come from?

When I was growing up in a moderate, centrist church -- somewhere between mainline Christianity and evangelicalism -- Original Sin was a given. I first learned about it in youth group, and we regularly talked about it. Actually, it's more accurate to say that we talked about a life with Christ, and the notion of Original Sin was in the background. It was assumed. And I cannot remember that it was ever debated.

In other words, I assumed that the doctrine of Original Sin was a biblical notion, and that all Christians accepted it as gospel truth. Of course, neither is true . . . while in college, I also took a class on the theology of Augustine from an eccentric professor, Charles Stinson, and therein I learned that the great father of Western theology was the author of the doctrine of Original Sin. Of course, Augustine was not making it up ex novo, but was taking as his inspiration the account of creation in Genesis 3 and certain Pauline texts.

In seminary, I learned from John Thompson that John Calvin and his theological heirs reified the notion of Original Sin and that it hadn't played much of a role in medieval and Scholastic theology.

And sometime later, I discovered that whole branches of the Christian family tree -- most notably, the Orthodox Church -- has never embraced Original Sin.

I have come to reject the notion of Original Sin. I consider it neither biblically, philosophically, nor scientifically tenable.

So he considers it neither biblically, philosophically, nor scientifically tenable? Notice he doesn't qualify any of these outrageous claims. Not only is Jones not being honest in his own self assesment, he has to highlight large portions of Scripture with a black felt pen and avoid all social interaction in order to hold to this. There is so much Scripture plainly stating human depravity but I'll wield only one in the interests of an already lengthy post:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5:12).

And Tony seems to think it is an idea invented by Augustine and the Reformers. Furthermore, I can watch the news or my kids to see the "curse" in action. I didn't have to teach my children to lie or be selfish. Oh no, they were all born with a PHD in rebellion. If someone as thick as me can figure this out . . . .

Bare in mind that Tony is the "theologian in residence" at Doug Pagitt's church, "Solomon's Porch". They might as well rename it "the ditch" because that's the place you go when the blind lead the blind.

We need to pray for Tony Jones, the guy is seriously lost!

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