Mr. McLaren:
For a long time, I
have noticed the
disconnect between
your seemingly
serene,
peace/love/justice/mercy
persona, and the
vitriol with which
you discuss
Christian Zionists,
and what I’d call
Bible-believers in
general.
From your publicity
photos, to your
blogs and video
links, you project
an air of compassion
and spiritual
healing. Your
eminently marketable
brand fairly screams
Frank Costanza’s
famous mantra,
“Serenity now!”
Your English degree
has served you well
as a bestselling
author and popular
conference speaker.
Your provocative
book titles, like
The Secret Message
of Jesus,
and
A New Kind of
Christianity,
seem inspired by
your friend, Marcus
Borg, and reveal
your considerable
marketing skills.
You are skilled at
presenting your
liberal views to
mainstream
evangelical
audiences.
So it is with dismay
that I read a recent
blog posting on your
website that
references a letter
from Naim Ateek to
the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Rowan
Williams. Ateek
makes the following
statement, which you
indicated that you
felt was so
important that it
needs to be in bold
print:
“With candor the
last two groups of
extremists, i.e.
Jewish and Western
Christian Zionists
are a greater threat
to us than the
extremist Islamists.
In fact, these
extremists have more
military power and
clout to uproot all
Palestinian presence
both Christian and
Muslim from our
homeland.”
Extremists? Do you
seriously believe
that Bible-believing
Christians (I think
you’d call us
fundamentalists) are
extremists? And to
imply that Christian
Zionists are more
violent than Muslim
terrorists is not
only an infinite
stretch, but it is
outright
hate-speech—incendiary
and violently
provocative.
It is unacceptable.
Elsewhere in your
writings, you have
referred quite often
to Christian
Zionists, as in this
call to understand:
“The need to
confront the
terrible, deadly,
distorted, yet
popular theologies
associated with
Christian Zionism
and deterministic
dispensationalism.”
Terrible? Deadly?
You don’t know us,
yet you seem very
comfortable in your
slanders, which
tells me a great
deal about the state
of modern
evangelicalism—which
you and your friends
have successfully
infiltrated.
To date, you seem to
insulate yourself
effectively from
those of us you view
with such disdain.
Since you would (I
am assuming here)
frown on the word
“debate,” I wonder
if you’d care to
have a public
conversation about
Christian Zionists,
with a Christian
Zionist? Please name
a date and place
convenient for you,
or allow us to host
you with real
hospitality, which
you do not,
evidently, return
in-kind.
Mr. McLaren, your
tolerance has very
visible limits, and
I wonder if your
followers understand
this reality. Your
public dislike of
Dispensationalists
and Christian
Zionists is
outrageous. It is
simply wrong and
quite unjust.
It’s time to
practice the love
and compassion you
preach.
As of right now,
sir, I view you as
the most intolerant
Christian leader
active in
America.
Will you repent of
your hate-language
directed at
Christian Zionists?
Sincerely and
eagerly awaiting
your reply,
Jim Fletcher