Saturday, February 03, 2007

Religious or Biblical Blogs That I Read Even Though We Don't Agree

I felt like I needed to do it this way, that is, talk about the blogs that I read and use, but don't agree with by giving a mini-review of these places in blogdom. I thought some might enjoy knowing and that this would make this site more helpful. This will be a permanent link on my sidebar. Talk to me if you have questions on my sidebar. I will consider what you have to say. For instance, there are other churches that I love and with whom I would fellowship, but the ones listed are churches very close to like us, including in size and in most other ways. I am ready to add some others.

Well, let me move on to my point---the religious or Biblical blogs that I read or use, and in alphabetical order.

Bible Bulletin Board---This is mainly a huge pile of John MacArthur material, easily attained, along with people much like him. I have to tell you what I think is wrong with him. He isn't a Biblical separatist either personally or ecclesiasticlly. He's a Calvinist. He's universal church. He often will not make the correct, strong application of Scripture, especially on cultural issues. However, he consistently has worked hard on coming to a correct interpretation of Scripture. I think he essentially gets a bad rap on the blood, even though I don't think he represents a Scriptural position with his "metonym for death." He is getting stronger in personal and ecclesiastical separation as he gets older---I think we should rejoice in that.
Blog and Mablog---Doug Wilson writes here. He is Mr. Classical Education. Mr. Idaho of Cultural Issues (Courting, Fidelity, Education, Husband/Wife). Mr. Satire. He even supports the KJV with some great arguments. He's an interesting writer. His organization there, Canon Press, puts out a lot of good material; I have taught through their Logic. Use the good, discard the bad. Something like that. The bad would be the ecclesiology, the eschatology, some of the soteriology, among a few other doctrines and issues.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library---I have downloaded from here to read several classics without leaving my leather swivel office chair. I have nodded and drooled as well. A huge library at your finger tips. What can I say?
Clement of Rome---Did you know that this first century contemporary of the Apostle John was local only in his ecclesiology? Check it out yourself.
Corporal Punishment of Children---This is the one click resource for obedience to Proverbs 23:13, 14.
Current Christian---This is the new blog from former chief moderator at Sharper Iron, Greg Linscott. He is not one normally to assume the worst. Pastor Linscott supports the KJV, uses God-honoring music, preaches expositionally, and represents a true Gospel He doesn't stand the same on the church and on many separation issues. However, this new blog is a useful resource on keeping up with what is going on, well, currently in the world regarding those who call themselves Christians, hence, Current Christian.
Dissidens on Remonstrans---Here is a guy that is more disliked by Jason Janz and Sharper Iron than I am. He has many good things to say on the subject of worship, worship music, and culture in general, written in a very interesting way. He is very well read, which means that you will probably learn something. I'm quite sure that we would see several theological differences, but I would guess that we are very similar on the nature of God and what salvation is.
Don Johnson---Don is a pastor of a Baptist church on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. He is not the same as me on the nature of the church, on preservation of Scripture, and on certain cultural standards. However, we have a very similar militancy and view of the world that makes it enjoyable for me to read him. He also preaches expositionally, which you will see when you read his blog. Don treats separatists with civility.
FBC Radio---The music here is of an unusually high standard for listening and downloading.
Fidelis---This site will keep you updated on first amendment, freedom of religion news and issues.
Fire and Ice---OK, I like reading the Puritans even though they'd kill me if they were alive. No, I don't like the Massachusetts Bay Colony. I'm more of a Providence, Rhode Island fan. I like the Virginia Baptists even better. Why the Puritans? They are so thorough and so reverent. They write great stuff on salvation and sanctification, minus the Calvinism. So there.
Free Religious Books Online---I thought the word "free" might get your attention.
Jason Janz Is Da Man---This is a site called Sharper Iron, but it is actually the self-proclaimed privately owned business of Jason Janz, who speaks for a theological subculture called the "young fundamentalist." Sharper Iron truly will have some good articles and is a good place to get the scoop on some important issues, religious news in general, and especially news applying to the fundamentalist Christian movement in America. If you interact here, you will meet some nice people, but be prepared for some obnoxious arrogance and Christianized feminism.
Precept Austin---Evangelicals of a different mind-set than me operate this site, but you get a great deal of good material to get ready for a study or sermon here.
Pyromaniacs---Let's be honest, this is the Phil Johnson site. And Phil Johnson gets his chops from being the editor of most of John MacArthur's books. You won't need to ask him. Just nod appreciatively. I guess I can't help checking out what this branch of "evangelicalism" is saying. They sure are an inconsistent group, for a whole lot of reasons. They are a worldly group that goes after worldliness. They say they love Spurgeon, but Spurgeon would absolutely cuff them around if he were alive. I guess that makes them Spurgeon wannabees. They will go on and on with dialogue with leftists and Charismatics, but if you are to the right of them, don't plan on a conversation; just get prepared for ridicule.
The Reformed Reader---I'm not a Calvinist, but minus that, here is a site with some very good historical material, writings, confessions, creeds, and more. I have to admit that I like to read John Owen, Stephen Charnock, Richard Baxter, among others. You'll notice here online Baptist history material and even local church ecclesiology from some.
Religious Affections---Because of our view of God, Scott Aniol and I see things closely on the matter of worship. I guess that means I'm much like Mike Harding on this too. They both may want to change their position now that I have made this statement. If they could only give a hearing to the Scriptural and historical view of the preservation of Scripture.
World Magazine Blog---They're even too politically correct for me, but they are worth checking out now and then to get what news is of interest to people called Christians.

5 comments:

Travis said...

Thank you for this informative post. I am familiar with many of the sites that you linked, and I am even a regular at some of them. I too enjoy the CCEL site, and consider it an absolute joy to have so many classic titles right at my fingertips. (Now I just need the leather chair and I'll be set!)

The Clement of Rome site is a new one to me, but I am absolutley salivating at the prospect of reading some ancient material that expresses a local ecclesiology. Thanks for the tip!

I haven't been a regular at Sharper Iron until recently, so I'm not savvy to the issues that you have with that group (Janz & company).

I'm also a regular lurker at the Pyro site. I've noticed that you haven't commented there since that discussion over a certain graphic. I never saw the graphic because Johnson had altered it by the time I read the post. I think you accurately state that any who are "right" of their position gets a heavy dose of ridicule; from TeamPyro and from the "clones". I still regularly read the blog, and found the recent controversy over the "Just Stop and Think" video disturbingly interesting. I say disturbing in regards to the vitriolic tone of the conversation between the "Steve Camp group" and TeamPyro. Honestly, Camp's position was more consistent with Calvinistic doctrine. Was that some of the "inconsistency" that you mentioned?

Thanks again for the info on this post.

Kent Brandenburg said...

Travis,

They named an airforce base after you out here in California. Travis Airforce Base. Thanks for your comments---fair and balanced, I thought.

Short Thoughts said...

Kent,

Interesting post. I appreciate your stance on local churh only ecclesiology. That is getting harder to find it seems.

I am currently studying this issue from a historical perspective. Do you have any recommendations on sources that would give the history fo the universal church theory and particularly among Baptists?

Thanks,

Jeff

DaCatster said...

Hey you didn't add my site.

LOL

Matthew Celestine said...

Very true about Pyromaniacs.