WEBVTT

00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:04.200
 Alright friends, it's 9 o'clock. We're going to go ahead and get started because we've got a lot to cover today.

00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:09.099
 Welcome back to our class on Gospel Perspectives on Politics.

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 Just take two seconds to talk about where we've come in the class.

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 So we started off looking at some basic principles for political discipleship.

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 We kind of just ran through some kind of basic ideas that help orient us to the topic.

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 And in the second class, Tyler walked us through some lessons from the early church.

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 So we looked at Augustine and the City of God and drew out some lessons from that.

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 And then last week, John walked us through some lessons from America's twin foundings with the Puritans and the American Revolution Constitution.

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 So all those are up on the podcast. If you weren't here to see any of those, you can listen to those.

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 Today, what are we going to do today?

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 So today, we're going to talk about how to love church members with different politics.

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 Loving church members with different politics.

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 It's no surprise that political difference can just threaten to devour our unity and love of one another in the body of Christ.

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 I think we've been somewhat spared from that at Trinity over the years, but it's certainly a threat these days.

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 So we kind of know that we're supposed to love each other.

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 But kind of the question is how? How do we get there?

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 How do we get there in our minds and our hearts?

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 So to approach this topic of loving church members with different politics, Tyler and I are going to kind of team teach today.

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 And we're going to touch on two questions that have actually come up over the course of the class.

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 The first question is, can we shine a little more light on this distinction that we made in our very first class

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 between what we might call matters of first importance and matters of wisdom or conscience?

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 I think we used the metaphor of straight line and jagged line issues there, but we're not going to use that today.

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 We're going to talk about matters of first importance and matters of wisdom or matters of conscience.

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 And second, Tyler's going to talk about how to be wise and discerning when it comes to engaging media and technology,

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 which also plays into loving one another well in the church family.

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 And Tyler will talk some about that.

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 So that's kind of where we're going.

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 Hopefully we'll have some time for Q&A along the way.

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 And hopefully by the time we're done, we'll be equipped to love each other better through our political differences.

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 So part one then, loving church members with different politics, wisdom issues.

00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:26.400
 Okay, so I think the first thing we want to see here is that Paul himself seems to distinguish

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 between matters of first importance and matters of opinion or matters of reasoning or matters of dispute.

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 Do you know where he makes that distinction?

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 We don't find them in the same passage, but we see them in different passages.

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 Where does Paul talk about matters of first importance?

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 Remember?

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 I know it's early.

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 Our minds are just waking up.

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 1 Corinthians 15.

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 1 Corinthians 15, right?

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 1 Corinthians 15, right?

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 I deliver to you what I receive.

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 These matters of first importance, right?

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 And what were those matters of first importance?

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 The central truths of the gospel according to scripture, right?

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 I think we can also put in there the sort of clear moral commands of scripture, too.

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 We don't want to separate doctrine from life, right?

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 Paul never does that in his letters.

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 So the central and clear teachings of the gospel and the clear moral commands of scripture.

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 But then in another place, Paul also talks about matters of opinion or what we might call matters of discernment or literally matters of reasoning.

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 Does anyone remember where Paul talks about that?

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 Romans 14.

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 Romans 14.

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 That's right.

00:03:32.219 --> 00:03:32.639
 Thanks, Alex.

00:03:32.699 --> 00:03:33.639
 Romans 14.

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 The ESV will translate that as the opinions, which the kind of word underneath opinions is literally reasonings,

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 which kind of helps us to see that Paul's talking about kind of reason-based implications of scripture.

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 We're not talking about truths expressly set down in scripture.

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 We're talking about kind of how we reason out from those truths or sort of the opinions that we take based on that.

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 And do you remember there in Romans 14 exactly what the rub is for Paul or what the kind of conflict is for Paul in Romans 14?

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 We'll look at it a little later.

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 That's okay if you don't.

00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:09.199
 They're talking about what kind of food should we eat?

00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:10.819
 What kind of religious observances?

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 What days should we observe, right?

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 It seems like the background there is that there are some Jewish background Christians who are wondering if we should still keep the food laws or the Sabbath laws of the Old Testament.

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 Now, I think it's important as we're kind of laying out this biblical distinction between matters of first importance and matters of opinion.

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 Notice how Paul approaches these matters differently, right?

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 When it comes to matters of first importance, how does Paul respond?

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 Think about Galatians 1.

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 In Galatians 1, the gospel itself was being overturned, right?

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 And how does Paul respond?

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 He says, well, look, if I or an angel from heaven preach to you a different gospel, let them be accursed, right?

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 These are not things that we're sort of trifling or playing around with, right?

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 Or think about Romans 12.

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 Just a couple chapters before, Paul will talk about differences of opinion.

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 Then in Romans 12, he'll say very clear, look, we should abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good, right?

00:05:06.520 --> 00:05:09.439
 Very strong language there when it comes to these matters of first importance.

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 But then when it comes to matters of opinion or reasoning or discernment, Paul will say, and again, we'll look at that in just a second.

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 Paul will say, look, don't despise one another.

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 Don't judge one another.

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 Rather, welcome one another.

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 Okay?

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 And then what's the rationale for Paul's approach to both of those things?

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 So basically we have first importance.

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 And then we have opinion.

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 And these are really important.

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 Paul's not going to budge on those.

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 But on these he says, don't judge, don't despise, welcome one another.

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 Okay?

00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:47.500
 But why does Paul have that approach to both of those?

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 The approach to both of those is actually the glory of God.

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 God's glorified as we hold firm to the matters of first importance.

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 God is glorified, we'll see in Romans 14 and 15, as we welcome one another in our differences over opinion.

00:06:01.259 --> 00:06:01.420
 Right?

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 The same drive behind both, but acknowledging that there are different things that we hold differently.

00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:11.819
 Now what I want to try to do is, you know, this biblical distinction here.

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 This is 1 Corinthians 14.

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 This is Romans 14.

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 I want to kind of flesh that out a little bit.

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 But can we kind of, can we put a little more meat on the bones of this first importance matters of opinion kind of difference?

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 And lots of people have done this.

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 Recently I've been reading a book by Jamie Dunlop called Love the Ones Who Drive You Crazy, which is a really good book.

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 Even though we're recording this, I'll say this.

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 I was talking to Jamie's brother Rob the other day and he said, Jamie joked about dedicating the book to me.

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 So, because, but he didn't, he did it.

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 So, but really good book, really good book.

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 Talks about a lot of different passages of how we love one another in the body of Christ.

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 He does touch on this distinction and I found it really helpful.

00:06:55.740 --> 00:07:03.500
 So, so as we think about these differences that we can have, we might think about, one way it's been talked about is primary issues.

00:07:03.719 --> 00:07:03.839
 Right?

00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:05.139
 Primary issues.

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 Or doctrines.

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 Sometimes we think about this as like kind of first level disagreements.

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 Right?

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 And these are certain truths that you, you, you can't deny these and still be a Christian in any meaningful sense.

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 Right?

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 These are the truths that emerge as just inescapable conclusions when scriptures are faithfully read.

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 Either because they're explicit in the text or they arise just unavoidably from the text.

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 Right?

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 What would be some examples of primary doctrines that are clear in scripture?

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 Well, some examples might be the deity of Christ.

00:07:35.840 --> 00:07:36.000
 Right?

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 Jesus is God.

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 Murder is wrong.

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 Right?

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 There's one God.

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 And the Father is God.

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 And the Son is God.

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 And the Holy Spirit is God.

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 That's the doctrine of the Trinity.

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 Right?

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 Sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is wrong.

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 That seems abundantly clear in scripture.

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 Forgiveness of sins is found through Christ alone.

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 Also abundantly clear in scripture.

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 So these are first level, primary things.

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 But then we might also talk about secondary doctrines.

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 And secondary doctrines are those disagreements that, as some would say, they create reasonable boundaries between Christians.

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 Okay.

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 So these are issues where faithful Christians disagree.

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 And where are those disagreements tend to separate people into different churches or different denominations?

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 Historically, what have these been?

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 Right?

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 Baptism.

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 Church government, polity.

00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:36.960
 Right?

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 If you want to know the difference between a Baptist church and a Presbyterian church, a lot of it has to do with our practices on these two things.

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 There are some other things.

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 But a lot of the practical differences are these two.

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 Right?

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 So over the years, theologians kind of categorize these as secondary issues.

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 We wouldn't look at someone who holds a different view of baptism than us or a different polity than us and say, I don't think they're Christians.

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 Right?

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 But we would say, wow, we've come to different conclusions there.

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 And it really does shape our life together as a church.

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 So we've kind of, those kind of fall into a secondary category, a second level.

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 Then there's this third level, or tertiary.

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 Tertiary.

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 That makes you sound really smart in my conversation if you use the word tertiary.

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 This is the kind of third level.

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 Right?

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 And these are disagreements that don't need to separate Christians into different churches.

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 Right?

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 These are often referred to as non-essential matters.

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 They're often talked about as matters of conscience or wisdom issues or things like that.

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 And this third level here, you know, what else can we put in here?

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 We can also put in here things like end-time views.

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 Are you a free millennialist or a post-millennialist?

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 You know?

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 It's kind of different.

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 And it does seem, even though Paul doesn't use this kind of trifold distinction,

00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:02.939
 it does seem that Paul's, when he's talking about matters of opinion,

00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:06.340
 it does seem like he's dealing with these issues down here.

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 Although, granted, this one's kind of fuzzy.

00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:09.139
 Right?

00:10:09.419 --> 00:10:12.019
 Some of these can kind of slip into that circle.

00:10:14.439 --> 00:10:19.000
 So when we're talking about Paul's approach to issues in Romans 14, right,

00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:21.759
 we're not talking about how to approach primary issues.

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 We're really talking about how to approach these things on the third level.

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 Things that don't really, they're not essential to being a Christian.

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 They don't even necessarily divide us into different church families.

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 But they're things that we all know that don't really define a Christian or not.

00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:37.220
 But we have different opinions of them.

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 We come to different levels of those.

00:10:39.179 --> 00:10:39.299
 Okay?

00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:45.860
 Briefly, any quick questions on this kind of distinction that we see in Scripture

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 and then we kind of flesh out a little bit?

00:10:47.340 --> 00:10:48.800
 Yeah, Richard?

00:10:49.300 --> 00:10:52.960
 So, I'm not sure.

00:10:54.360 --> 00:11:02.500
 So, not all groups of Christians agree that there are this kind of division.

00:11:03.379 --> 00:11:03.639
 Sure.

00:11:03.899 --> 00:11:06.639
 Then also, not all groups of Christians,

00:11:06.800 --> 00:11:11.259
 not all groups of Christians who agree that there are such divisions

00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:14.240
 agree what belongs in which division.

00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:15.139
 Yeah, that's absolutely right.

00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:16.220
 Yeah, absolutely right.

00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:16.539
 Yep.

00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:17.560
 Yes.

00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:18.700
 Very good observation.

00:11:18.940 --> 00:11:19.240
 You're right.

00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:22.779
 So, we're going to talk at the end of my section

00:11:22.779 --> 00:11:27.680
 about how to approach all this from the spirit of the gospel.

00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:28.220
 Right?

00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:30.399
 So, but we do have to acknowledge that different Christians

00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:32.379
 are going to put different things in different categories.

00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:33.419
 That's absolutely right.

00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:34.340
 Yeah?

00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:41.660
 So, I cross-culturally like to think sometimes in terms of principles and factors.

00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:42.440
 Yep.

00:11:42.800 --> 00:11:46.259
 So, we certainly can say the differences of culture.

00:11:46.580 --> 00:11:46.780
 Yeah.

00:11:46.780 --> 00:11:51.240
 And we go back to Babylon, Confucian language, Scott's plan for university.

00:11:51.580 --> 00:11:51.780
 Sure.

00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:56.300
 So, you find the principle and then you figure out how does that apply.

00:11:56.480 --> 00:11:56.720
 Yeah.

00:11:56.980 --> 00:11:59.040
 In different cultural settings.

00:11:59.180 --> 00:11:59.680
 Yeah, sure.

00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:04.779
 How do we, that means that principles could be in all three of these categories?

00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:06.179
 Oh, absolutely.

00:12:06.419 --> 00:12:07.359
 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:12:07.379 --> 00:12:11.739
 Those principles influence what you do in practice in different cultures.

00:12:11.819 --> 00:12:12.019
 Yeah.

00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:13.839
 You need principles from all three here.

00:12:13.979 --> 00:12:17.339
 Yeah, I think that's a really good distinction between principle and practice.

00:12:17.459 --> 00:12:18.919
 We're going to do something like that in just a minute

00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:20.959
 when we apply all this to politics.

00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.220
 But, yeah, I think there are principles in each one of these.

00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:28.220
 But, it's really an acknowledgement that on some of the principles,

00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:30.320
 there's a lot of clarity in scripture.

00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:33.379
 On other principles, maybe there's not as much.

00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:33.860
 Right?

00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:35.840
 Yeah.

00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:38.019
 Okay, let's keep going.

00:12:38.660 --> 00:12:45.320
 What we want to do is try to gain a little more just like clarity on what are these kinds of things?

00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:46.900
 What are we talking about here?

00:12:47.379 --> 00:12:49.320
 Where do they come up in our life together?

00:12:49.320 --> 00:12:51.940
 So, I'm going to erase these if that's okay.

00:12:52.920 --> 00:12:54.480
 Oh, that was a very good eraser.

00:12:55.379 --> 00:12:56.660
 Oh, maybe I'm not going to erase it.

00:12:56.660 --> 00:12:57.540
 I'm just going to spin it around.

00:12:59.800 --> 00:13:00.240
 Ta-da!

00:13:00.420 --> 00:13:00.760
 Look at that.

00:13:00.860 --> 00:13:01.360
 A blank slip.

00:13:03.620 --> 00:13:04.940
 John Locke would be so impressive.

00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:11.720
 Okay, let's get a little more kind of clarity on these third-level disagreements

00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:12.840
 or these matters of opinion.

00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:14.880
 And I think as we help to kind of flesh these out,

00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:17.060
 it will help us to then see like, oh, okay,

00:13:17.059 --> 00:13:20.799
 like maybe some of the disputes we have are falling into this third level.

00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:24.979
 So, the one way we might sort of talk about it,

00:13:25.119 --> 00:13:28.039
 or one issue that comes up in this third level,

00:13:28.479 --> 00:13:31.339
 is something that someone believes is sin for one person,

00:13:31.419 --> 00:13:32.599
 but another person doesn't.

00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:32.879
 Right?

00:13:33.019 --> 00:13:35.139
 Now, this one's, I don't know how helpful this one is,

00:13:35.199 --> 00:13:36.059
 but we're just going to talk about it.

00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:36.239
 Right?

00:13:37.319 --> 00:13:38.059
 Sin for me.

00:13:38.419 --> 00:13:38.699
 Right?

00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:40.000
 This one's, I think this is sinful.

00:13:40.119 --> 00:13:42.339
 What are we talking about here?

00:13:42.340 --> 00:13:46.019
 Sometimes our consciences can disagree on morality of the thing itself.

00:13:46.560 --> 00:13:47.080
 Right?

00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:51.980
 Take the example of historically in the church about drinking alcohol.

00:13:52.220 --> 00:13:52.360
 Right?

00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:55.160
 There are some Christians who look at scripture and look at alcohol and say,

00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:56.280
 we shouldn't do it at all.

00:13:56.460 --> 00:13:56.660
 Right?

00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:57.860
 And other Christians say,

00:13:57.960 --> 00:14:00.820
 I don't, I don't, I think our conscience is free there.

00:14:00.940 --> 00:14:01.200
 Right?

00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:05.920
 So, in many cases, there is a Christian who might, you know,

00:14:06.160 --> 00:14:07.280
 believe that this is wrong,

00:14:07.340 --> 00:14:10.580
 but there isn't enough clarity of scripture to really get us there kind of conclusively.

00:14:10.980 --> 00:14:11.180
 Right?

00:14:11.640 --> 00:14:15.920
 I think some of our matters of kind of third level fall into this one.

00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:16.280
 Right?

00:14:17.300 --> 00:14:18.800
 I actually don't think this is the biggest one.

00:14:19.180 --> 00:14:20.580
 I think there are others that are more helpful.

00:14:21.660 --> 00:14:24.000
 Or others that kind of trip us up more.

00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:40.500
 So, the second one is the best way to achieve a good end.

00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:41.980
 Okay?

00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:44.179
 The best way to achieve a good end.

00:14:44.500 --> 00:14:44.980
 Ah, okay.

00:14:45.720 --> 00:14:48.379
 The morality of the goal isn't debated.

00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:52.639
 But the path to get there is kind of unclear.

00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:53.500
 Right?

00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:54.340
 Think about it.

00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:00.399
 How should society combat racism or abortion or things like that?

00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:02.519
 And what role should the church play in those efforts?

00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:02.799
 Right?

00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:08.899
 Let's say that everyone in the conversation agrees that racism is evil or abortion is wrong,

00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:12.259
 but they might disagree on the path toward justice.

00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:12.559
 Right?

00:15:13.620 --> 00:15:15.460
 Another example is child rearing.

00:15:15.940 --> 00:15:16.100
 You know?

00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:19.440
 We might agree on the desired goal as Christians,

00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.200
 raising our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:23.440
 Right?

00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:25.799
 But we might have different convictions on how to get there.

00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:29.720
 I can't believe you let your kid play so many video games.

00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:30.559
 Right?

00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:34.699
 How could you let your kids go to public school?

00:15:35.299 --> 00:15:35.659
 Right?

00:15:35.659 --> 00:15:35.679
 Right?

00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:35.719
 Right?

00:15:35.719 --> 00:15:35.959
 Right?

00:15:35.959 --> 00:15:37.279
 These kinds of different things.

00:15:37.459 --> 00:15:41.299
 Look, all Christians are agreed we want to raise our kid in the fear and admonition of the Lord,

00:15:41.419 --> 00:15:44.519
 but we do have different sort of ideas of how to get there.

00:15:44.859 --> 00:15:45.039
 Right?

00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.919
 Those tend to fall into that third bucket.

00:15:49.319 --> 00:15:50.199
 Here's another one.

00:15:51.159 --> 00:15:54.360
 Different moral prioritizations.

00:15:56.679 --> 00:15:58.319
 I don't even know if it's helpful for me to write this.

00:15:58.360 --> 00:15:59.519
 My handwriting is so bad.

00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:07.000
 But different moral prioritization.

00:16:07.299 --> 00:16:08.199
 Ooh, that's a big word.

00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:08.480
 Okay.

00:16:08.939 --> 00:16:09.840
 What are we talking about here?

00:16:10.980 --> 00:16:13.600
 In this case, it's different.

00:16:13.819 --> 00:16:19.679
 It's unclear how the different moral goals kind of trade off against each other.

00:16:20.419 --> 00:16:20.679
 Right?

00:16:21.239 --> 00:16:23.079
 Which one do we prioritize over the other?

00:16:23.199 --> 00:16:25.339
 Where do we invest more of our energy and time?

00:16:25.779 --> 00:16:25.979
 Right?

00:16:27.599 --> 00:16:33.659
 One of the examples that Jamie Thumbach gives in his book is disagreements over how we might spend our money.

00:16:33.659 --> 00:16:34.139
 Right?

00:16:34.339 --> 00:16:39.620
 We all agree that we should support our local church and support our family.

00:16:39.739 --> 00:16:39.899
 Right?

00:16:39.979 --> 00:16:41.699
 Those are both moral goods.

00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:42.959
 Yep.

00:16:43.459 --> 00:16:48.219
 But we might differ on how to prioritize that when we purchase a car, for example.

00:16:48.859 --> 00:16:49.059
 Right?

00:16:49.059 --> 00:16:57.439
 Someone might look at another person's decision and think, oh my goodness, how could they have spent that much money on that automobile for their family?

00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.059
 That's just a waste.

00:16:59.319 --> 00:16:59.439
 Right?

00:17:01.079 --> 00:17:01.379
 You know?

00:17:01.719 --> 00:17:04.139
 Tyler, you used to drive a white Mercedes, didn't you?

00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:05.099
 Yep.

00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:05.579
 You know?

00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:06.460
 White Mercedes.

00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:10.799
 I can't remember how many times I used to think, how could my brother be driving a Mercedes?

00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:12.559
 I'm totally kidding.

00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:13.839
 Tyler was given the car.

00:17:13.919 --> 00:17:15.759
 It was a 1985 Mercedes.

00:17:17.059 --> 00:17:18.460
 Which was given to you, right?

00:17:18.460 --> 00:17:20.059
 Or given to you for a pittance, right?

00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:20.299
 Yeah.

00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.220
 It was given to you for free.

00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:26.240
 Which is a really good example of, we ought to check ourselves before we start throwing these judgments around.

00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:26.559
 Right?

00:17:26.600 --> 00:17:28.420
 We often don't know the story.

00:17:29.620 --> 00:17:30.920
 We'll get to this in a second.

00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:33.079
 But doesn't voting fall into this category?

00:17:33.660 --> 00:17:36.299
 As we kind of try to choose between different candidates.

00:17:37.059 --> 00:17:40.380
 As we kind of weigh up our different moral prioritizations of different issues.

00:17:40.380 --> 00:17:46.740
 I wonder if a biblical example of that might be when Paul and Barnabas end up parting in Acts 15.

00:17:47.060 --> 00:17:48.000
 Oh, that's really good.

00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:48.360
 Yeah.

00:17:48.660 --> 00:17:52.000
 Where Paul is, hey, we need to be committed to this mission here.

00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:56.320
 And Barnabas is thinking, and John Mark is flaky.

00:17:56.760 --> 00:17:58.740
 So he's going to just be dead weight.

00:17:58.840 --> 00:17:59.500
 Slow us down.

00:18:00.860 --> 00:18:02.880
 Got to prioritize this goal.

00:18:03.120 --> 00:18:03.360
 Yeah.

00:18:03.360 --> 00:18:06.360
 Got to prioritize the development of this young Christian.

00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:06.619
 Yeah.

00:18:07.139 --> 00:18:07.500
 Right?

00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:09.740
 Both important biblical priorities.

00:18:09.959 --> 00:18:10.059
 Right?

00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:11.699
 Developing a young leader.

00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:12.500
 Right?

00:18:13.339 --> 00:18:14.359
 Advancing the gospel.

00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:14.719
 Right?

00:18:14.819 --> 00:18:16.039
 In a reliable way.

00:18:16.339 --> 00:18:16.699
 Yeah.

00:18:16.919 --> 00:18:17.639
 And they ended up parting.

00:18:17.919 --> 00:18:18.139
 Right?

00:18:18.439 --> 00:18:24.559
 But what's interesting is you read through the New Testament, you find that the relationship wasn't utterly destroyed because of that.

00:18:24.679 --> 00:18:24.859
 Right?

00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.539
 Paul will say at the end of his life, send John Mark.

00:18:27.699 --> 00:18:28.179
 Right?

00:18:29.099 --> 00:18:31.479
 So, maybe Barnabas was right.

00:18:31.479 --> 00:18:33.319
 Maybe he did need to be just developed a little more.

00:18:33.379 --> 00:18:33.879
 Who knows?

00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:34.139
 Right?

00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:34.479
 Yeah.

00:18:34.619 --> 00:18:35.439
 God worked through it.

00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:36.759
 But last one.

00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:37.500
 Last one.

00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:39.320
 Okay.

00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:41.039
 Overlapping.

00:18:43.600 --> 00:18:44.740
 I want to make sure I say this right.

00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:45.920
 Overlapping.

00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:49.460
 Overlapping justifications of authority.

00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:53.980
 Of authority.

00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:55.039
 Okay.

00:18:56.980 --> 00:18:58.019
 Overlapping realms of authority.

00:18:58.140 --> 00:18:59.299
 Here's what we mean by this.

00:18:59.900 --> 00:19:01.559
 Maybe it's clear to get it out of an example.

00:19:02.500 --> 00:19:04.960
 Who has the responsibility to make sure a child is safe?

00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:07.240
 The family.

00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:07.700
 Right?

00:19:07.820 --> 00:19:10.019
 I mean, I think most would say, absolutely, the family does.

00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:15.279
 But, what if a parent is abusive or endangers the child's safety?

00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:19.120
 Well, then, according to most Christians, the government has a role to play.

00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:20.000
 Right?

00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:25.759
 You see here that God's given parents the responsibility to raise their children.

00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:26.240
 Yes.

00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:29.759
 And God's given the government the responsibility to protect its citizens.

00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:46.119
 So, when the jurisdiction of one God-given authority, in this example, the parents, overlaps with another, the government, when we see that those things start to overlap, it's at that intersection that Christians can often arrive at different positions of conscience.

00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:46.740
 Right?

00:19:46.740 --> 00:19:50.259
 Because, in both instances, they both have scripture on their side, don't they?

00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:51.759
 Right?

00:19:52.460 --> 00:19:56.960
 Now, disagreements in that kind of category may not be as common as the first three.

00:19:57.299 --> 00:19:59.259
 But, they are tricky to kind of figure out.

00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:00.619
 Does that make sense?

00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:01.960
 That third one?

00:20:02.460 --> 00:20:02.680
 Yeah.

00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:03.180
 Okay.

00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:07.380
 So, what are we trying to do here?

00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:12.720
 We're trying to get a little more traction or a little more description of these matters of opinion.

00:20:13.660 --> 00:20:13.940
 Right?

00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:15.580
 Okay.

00:20:16.060 --> 00:20:18.380
 So, now what I want to do is I want to apply this as a bloater.

00:20:19.380 --> 00:20:22.980
 I realize I have my eraser right here.

00:20:23.560 --> 00:20:24.380
 So, great.

00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:27.299
 That works much better.

00:20:27.360 --> 00:20:28.080
 Yeah, look at that.

00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:28.519
 Wow.

00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:28.600
 Wow.

00:20:28.600 --> 00:20:28.680
 Wow.

00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:28.759
 Wow.

00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:28.799
 Wow.

00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:33.120
 Wow.

00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:34.080
 Okay.

00:20:34.180 --> 00:20:39.920
 Let's apply all these distinctions, then, that hopefully have come from our reflection of scripture to some political issues.

00:20:40.019 --> 00:20:45.299
 And I want to talk about three levels of political discernment.

00:20:45.500 --> 00:20:47.299
 Three levels of political discernment.

00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:49.200
 I want to talk about principles.

00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:57.060
 And then I want to talk about public policies.

00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:06.160
 And then I want to talk about particular politicians.

00:21:17.840 --> 00:21:18.920
 It's pretty sweet.

00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:20.160
 I got five Ps in there.

00:21:20.440 --> 00:21:20.539
 Right?

00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:23.880
 Principles.

00:21:24.320 --> 00:21:25.220
 Public policies.

00:21:25.340 --> 00:21:26.360
 And particular politicians.

00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:31.159
 So, I think as we're doing our political discernment, all three things are applied.

00:21:31.699 --> 00:21:31.859
 Right?

00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:32.799
 Principles.

00:21:33.059 --> 00:21:36.519
 How should Christians order their lives?

00:21:37.299 --> 00:21:37.500
 Right?

00:21:38.459 --> 00:21:39.399
 Public policies.

00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:45.099
 What sort of public policies in the public square should I be advocating for?

00:21:45.639 --> 00:21:51.079
 Or hoping kind of to address some of the things I see to make society better for everyone?

00:21:51.539 --> 00:21:51.699
 Right?

00:21:52.439 --> 00:21:52.859
 Third.

00:21:53.379 --> 00:21:54.319
 Particular politicians.

00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:55.459
 Who do I vote for?

00:21:56.359 --> 00:21:58.279
 Depending on their character.

00:21:58.639 --> 00:21:59.459
 Or their policies.

00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:03.019
 Or the particular kind of direction of their political party.

00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:03.419
 Right?

00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:05.439
 And here is my thesis.

00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:12.919
 That as we travel out in this circle, we get more and more into the realm of wisdom and opinion.

00:22:14.859 --> 00:22:16.359
 So, let's run that through a grid.

00:22:16.899 --> 00:22:17.959
 Let's start with racism.

00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:18.379
 Right?

00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:21.419
 Racism, scripturally, is wrong.

00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:22.279
 That's a principle.

00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:26.000
 To discriminate against someone on the basis of their race or ethnicity is wrong.

00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:27.179
 Think about Genesis 1.

00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:28.279
 We're all created in God's image.

00:22:28.379 --> 00:22:29.319
 Think about Ephesians 2.

00:22:29.959 --> 00:22:34.299
 Christ has died for Jew and Gentile and took the dividing wall of division down between us.

00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:35.539
 Think about Revelation 5.

00:22:36.059 --> 00:22:39.000
 People from every tribe, tongue, and nation are gathered around the throne.

00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:39.500
 Right?

00:22:40.059 --> 00:22:44.879
 Such biblical support to help us to know that racism is wrong.

00:22:45.139 --> 00:22:45.299
 Right?

00:22:45.299 --> 00:22:45.740
 Okay.

00:22:45.740 --> 00:22:46.019
 Okay.

00:22:46.339 --> 00:22:47.000
 There's the principle.

00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:47.599
 We all agree.

00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:48.319
 Right?

00:22:49.539 --> 00:22:51.159
 Now we move into public policies.

00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:54.119
 How do we start enacting that in the public sphere?

00:22:54.339 --> 00:22:55.359
 Is it through police reform?

00:22:56.519 --> 00:22:57.659
 Criminal justice reform?

00:22:59.000 --> 00:22:59.399
 Reparations?

00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:01.099
 Affirmative action?

00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:05.980
 All of those can be really good applications of this principle.

00:23:07.539 --> 00:23:11.959
 But suddenly, even as I've listed those off, some of you are like, I don't know, some of them I like.

00:23:12.179 --> 00:23:12.939
 Some of them I don't.

00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:13.879
 Right?

00:23:15.959 --> 00:23:18.699
 And then let's take another step out to particular politicians.

00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:20.099
 Right?

00:23:20.879 --> 00:23:25.299
 Well, now we're sort of doing this weighing of different policies that they hold.

00:23:25.459 --> 00:23:25.539
 Right?

00:23:26.139 --> 00:23:26.359
 Okay.

00:23:26.399 --> 00:23:27.399
 Let's take another example.

00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:28.779
 The environment.

00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:29.420
 Right?

00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:31.139
 Environmental protection or stewardship.

00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:33.519
 That's a really good principle.

00:23:33.700 --> 00:23:33.899
 Right?

00:23:34.420 --> 00:23:35.599
 God created all things.

00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:38.399
 Humans should steward creation wisely to God's glory.

00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.359
 Think about Genesis 1 where he puts us as humans in the midst of the created order.

00:23:43.019 --> 00:23:44.079
 To have dominion over it.

00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:48.480
 Not to rule with an iron fist and, you know, trudge out all of it.

00:23:48.539 --> 00:23:50.379
 But to care for it and cause it to flourish.

00:23:50.519 --> 00:23:50.700
 Right?

00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:51.759
 Or think of Psalm 19.

00:23:51.879 --> 00:23:53.720
 The heavens are declaring the glory of God.

00:23:54.180 --> 00:23:54.420
 Right?

00:23:54.420 --> 00:23:59.620
 We all know as Christians we should be good, wise stewards of the created order.

00:24:00.100 --> 00:24:02.279
 But then let's take a step out into public policies.

00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:05.240
 Does that mean we ought to advance green technologies?

00:24:06.600 --> 00:24:09.220
 Does that mean we ought to ban drilling and fracking?

00:24:09.860 --> 00:24:14.940
 Does that mean we ought to agree to sort of international agreements to reduce carbon emissions by a certain year?

00:24:17.100 --> 00:24:20.019
 All of those can be a fine application of that principle.

00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:21.120
 But boy, do we differ.

00:24:21.580 --> 00:24:21.720
 Right?

00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:28.980
 And then, of course, again, when you get out to particular politicians, well, golly, we're just weighing different moral prioritizations, aren't we?

00:24:30.220 --> 00:24:31.400
 Okay, two more, I promise.

00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:40.980
 I think as Christians, most of us would agree that a human fetus is a human life and thus worthy of protection.

00:24:42.220 --> 00:24:48.380
 And therefore, unless the mother's life is at risk or maybe some other circumstances, most Christians would agree that abortion is morally wrong.

00:24:48.380 --> 00:24:49.380
 Not unforgivable?

00:24:49.380 --> 00:24:49.860
 Not unforgivable?

00:24:50.140 --> 00:24:51.280
 No sin is unforgivable.

00:24:51.840 --> 00:24:56.080
 We have compassion towards those in that situation and care and come around them.

00:24:56.320 --> 00:24:58.920
 But we would agree that the act itself is wrong.

00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:02.940
 We can look at many scripture passages that point us in that direction.

00:25:02.940 --> 00:25:08.820
 We think of Psalm 51 and Psalm 139 where David talks about his personhood in the womb.

00:25:09.100 --> 00:25:12.200
 God knowing me and planning my days, even being a sinner in the womb.

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:18.259
 We think about Luke 1 when John the Baptist leaps in the womb when Mary comes with Jesus.

00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:18.680
 Right?

00:25:19.259 --> 00:25:20.980
 What a beautiful passage that is.

00:25:20.980 --> 00:25:21.380
 Okay.

00:25:23.380 --> 00:25:25.400
 Now let's move out to public policies.

00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:29.960
 How should Christians approach what we agree is a moral principle in the public sphere?

00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:36.480
 Ought we to engage all of our energies towards abolishing abortion completely?

00:25:37.059 --> 00:25:38.839
 Or severely limiting it?

00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:46.759
 Or ought more of our energies be devoted towards protecting religious liberty and freedom of conscience for those who are in medical professions?

00:25:46.759 --> 00:25:53.200
 Or maybe the best approach is to address the underlying causes of abortion.

00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:55.759
 Poverty, family stability, things like that.

00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:01.680
 Or maybe we ought to approach it through advancing the cause of adoption and foster care.

00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:04.640
 All of these things to get at this same principle.

00:26:06.519 --> 00:26:06.700
 Right?

00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:13.519
 Okay, and then again, once we get out to particular politicians, goodness, then we're all weighing the pros and cons, aren't we?

00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:15.339
 Okay, last one.

00:26:15.420 --> 00:26:15.980
 Last principle.

00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:18.279
 Divorce.

00:26:20.220 --> 00:26:22.099
 You think, well, this isn't a political issue.

00:26:22.660 --> 00:26:23.660
 It's not, is it?

00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:25.240
 Isn't that interesting that it's not?

00:26:26.500 --> 00:26:36.099
 Now, when you look at scripture, most Christians historically have agreed that divorce is only permissible in cases of adultery or abandonment.

00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:38.759
 And some Christians would add physical abuse to that.

00:26:39.379 --> 00:26:39.539
 Right?

00:26:40.460 --> 00:26:44.279
 Now, lots of Christians disagree over remarriage, right?

00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:48.440
 Some say, yes, you can be remarried as long as the divorce was permissible.

00:26:48.619 --> 00:26:50.839
 Some say, no, as long as the first spouse is living.

00:26:50.839 --> 00:26:55.879
 So, you see suddenly that even that principle has, even in the principle realm, we have some difference.

00:26:56.099 --> 00:26:56.279
 Right?

00:26:56.279 --> 00:27:01.519
 But I think all Christians would agree that just no-fault divorce.

00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:03.359
 God isn't pleased by that.

00:27:03.980 --> 00:27:07.039
 Think of Matthew 5, Matthew 19, 1 Corinthians 7.

00:27:08.139 --> 00:27:09.119
 Okay, we agree.

00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:10.440
 No-fault divorce is wrong.

00:27:11.660 --> 00:27:13.180
 Let's go into public policy.

00:27:13.180 --> 00:27:17.900
 Should no-fault divorce be legislated against?

00:27:21.019 --> 00:27:29.140
 Isn't it interesting that no-fault divorce was first legalized in California in 1969 by then-Governor Ronald Reagan,

00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:34.720
 who would eventually become the first U.S. president who had been divorced?

00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:38.480
 Former President Donald Trump was the second, by the way.

00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:43.200
 But by 2010, every state had legalized no-fault divorce.

00:27:45.819 --> 00:27:53.960
 I bring this up as an example because we see that not everything that's immoral we agree should be ill-beal.

00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:55.360
 Right?

00:27:56.259 --> 00:28:02.640
 So you see another layer of the discernment and the opinion realm that we fall into when it comes to public policies.

00:28:03.700 --> 00:28:03.920
 Right?

00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:04.560
 Okay.

00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:09.220
 For the sake of time, we'll just stop there.

00:28:09.480 --> 00:28:17.160
 I think the point has been made that as we kind of travel out in these circles of political discernment,

00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:25.880
 we're getting more and more solidly in the realm of that third realm of opinion where Christians do differ.

00:28:27.420 --> 00:28:27.660
 Okay?

00:28:28.300 --> 00:28:30.180
 All right, I want to talk a little bit about them.

00:28:30.600 --> 00:28:32.420
 Given all that, briefly.

00:28:32.420 --> 00:28:32.620
 Okay.

00:28:33.420 --> 00:28:33.779
 Okay.

00:28:34.019 --> 00:28:35.860
 How do we love each other?

00:28:36.560 --> 00:28:41.580
 Well, first, I think we just understand a little better the kinds of decisions and discernments we're making.

00:28:42.019 --> 00:28:42.300
 Right?

00:28:42.340 --> 00:28:46.160
 I think that can help take the temperature down a little bit as we have these conversations.

00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:48.560
 But I think we need a little more than that.

00:28:48.900 --> 00:28:57.960
 When we look at Romans 14, Paul says, you know, there's two dangers that can emerge as we kind of have differences over conviction.

00:28:58.540 --> 00:28:58.740
 Right?

00:28:58.740 --> 00:29:01.359
 One is despising.

00:29:01.359 --> 00:29:01.420
 One is despising.

00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:02.579
 And one is judging.

00:29:02.819 --> 00:29:07.200
 Paul will say in Romans 14, 3, don't despise or judge one another.

00:29:07.259 --> 00:29:10.859
 Isn't despising kind of a sin oftentimes of the more permissive crowd?

00:29:11.099 --> 00:29:15.140
 In Romans, those who thought they could eat meat looked at those who were being a little more cautious and were like,

00:29:15.140 --> 00:29:19.080
 legalists, you know.

00:29:19.660 --> 00:29:21.320
 But then on the other side, it was judging.

00:29:21.640 --> 00:29:21.840
 Right?

00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:24.740
 How could you do that?

00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:25.620
 Right?

00:29:25.619 --> 00:29:35.979
 And isn't it interesting that for Paul, differences in conviction don't necessarily damage church unity, but judging and despising do.

00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:38.419
 What's the opposite of those two things?

00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:39.139
 It's welcoming.

00:29:40.139 --> 00:29:43.979
 Paul will say, welcome one another as God in Christ has welcomed you.

00:29:44.459 --> 00:29:47.239
 So how do we work in our hearts to overcome judging and despising?

00:29:47.939 --> 00:29:49.219
 I want to say four things.

00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:52.599
 First, remember that you're a creature.

00:29:52.599 --> 00:29:55.939
 We've talked a lot about this in our elders meetings.

00:29:56.199 --> 00:29:57.259
 Remember that you're a creature.

00:29:58.119 --> 00:30:02.859
 You are, by God's creation, a finite being in space and time.

00:30:03.419 --> 00:30:03.579
 Right?

00:30:03.939 --> 00:30:05.139
 You do not see everything.

00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:07.919
 You do not experience everything all at the same time.

00:30:08.139 --> 00:30:09.379
 And God made you that way.

00:30:09.679 --> 00:30:10.459
 And that's good.

00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:14.539
 But does that not mean that you don't see all sides of an issue?

00:30:15.299 --> 00:30:17.759
 You haven't experienced all sides of an issue.

00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:26.299
 So your perspective on an issue is going to be limited by God's creative design of who we are as creatures.

00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:27.259
 Right?

00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:30.980
 So first, we have to just take a step back and remember that we're creatures.

00:30:32.359 --> 00:30:32.500
 Yeah?

00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:38.720
 Second, see the faith of those we disagree with.

00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:40.879
 See the faith of those we disagree with.

00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:45.860
 Very often people on both sides of a debate are motivated by sincere faith.

00:30:46.180 --> 00:30:46.320
 Right?

00:30:47.580 --> 00:30:55.140
 Those who would argue for, you know, reparations and those who would think that's the worst idea in the world.

00:30:55.660 --> 00:30:55.860
 Right?

00:30:56.180 --> 00:30:59.420
 Might both be motivated by a sincere faith.

00:31:00.520 --> 00:31:00.820
 Right?

00:31:01.220 --> 00:31:02.680
 Listen to Romans 14, 5-7.

00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:06.360
 One person esteems each day as better than another while another esteems all days alike.

00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:08.420
 Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

00:31:08.620 --> 00:31:09.500
 Develop your convictions.

00:31:09.620 --> 00:31:10.100
 That's good.

00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:11.160
 Right?

00:31:11.660 --> 00:31:14.260
 The one who observes the day observes it in honor of the Lord.

00:31:14.600 --> 00:31:16.860
 The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord.

00:31:17.300 --> 00:31:18.780
 Since he gives thanks to God.

00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:22.800
 While the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:23.700
 Right?

00:31:24.780 --> 00:31:27.720
 Acknowledge that we're all trying to honor the Lord from faith.

00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:31.380
 Don't we often presume the worst motives of people we disagree with?

00:31:32.580 --> 00:31:33.140
 You know?

00:31:33.140 --> 00:31:38.200
 We think only evil motives could lead someone to look at the same facts as I do and arrive at a different conclusion.

00:31:38.340 --> 00:31:39.460
 They must be horrible sinners.

00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:40.180
 Right?

00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:41.480
 Or have some twisted motive.

00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:41.960
 No!

00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:43.259
 Right?

00:31:43.259 --> 00:31:47.599
 And this is more than just assuming the best of another believer.

00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:48.079
 Right?

00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:51.180
 I think it's an invitation to a conversation with them.

00:31:52.180 --> 00:31:52.759
 Right?

00:31:53.160 --> 00:31:54.640
 Don't just sit back and judge.

00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:55.519
 Talk to them.

00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:59.660
 And seek to understand not just their convictions.

00:31:59.660 --> 00:32:00.220
 Right?

00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:01.359
 On these things.

00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:06.859
 And seek to understand not just how their experience shapes their convictions.

00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:07.779
 Right?

00:32:08.759 --> 00:32:13.779
 But seek to understand the faith that drives them or informs those decisions.

00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:18.420
 Ask how their faith motivates that opinion that you disagree with.

00:32:19.480 --> 00:32:23.160
 Ask how their faith leads to a different prioritization of values than you do.

00:32:24.039 --> 00:32:24.279
 Right?

00:32:25.059 --> 00:32:27.799
 Ask how their faith has changed their thinking over time.

00:32:28.099 --> 00:32:28.259
 Right?

00:32:28.579 --> 00:32:35.740
 Now we're having a really good conversation about how the gospel begins to inform all of these difficult decisions.

00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:42.319
 And that can sort of help diffuse this kind of destructive spiral of suspicion and animosity that we see.

00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:44.099
 Third thing.

00:32:44.220 --> 00:32:46.119
 So first, you're a creature.

00:32:46.379 --> 00:32:48.399
 Second, see the faith in the people you disagree with.

00:32:48.460 --> 00:32:49.659
 And third, consider the judge.

00:32:50.379 --> 00:32:51.779
 Paul will say in Romans 14,

00:32:53.179 --> 00:32:55.679
 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?

00:32:56.200 --> 00:32:58.539
 It's before his own master that he stands or falls.

00:32:59.379 --> 00:33:02.159
 And he will be upheld for the Lord is able to make him stand.

00:33:03.099 --> 00:33:03.259
 Right?

00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:07.000
 And Paul will say later in that passage that we will come unto judgment.

00:33:07.379 --> 00:33:07.500
 Right?

00:33:08.119 --> 00:33:10.279
 God will judge them and God will judge you.

00:33:10.939 --> 00:33:11.200
 Right?

00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:18.539
 Now when Paul's talking about judgment here in Romans 14, he's not talking about condemnation to eternal judgment.

00:33:18.819 --> 00:33:18.940
 Right?

00:33:19.460 --> 00:33:20.900
 He's assuming that we're all believers.

00:33:21.720 --> 00:33:25.860
 We've all found forgiveness and justification in Christ.

00:33:25.859 --> 00:33:33.139
 So this judgment here isn't sort of a judgment to sort of inclusion or exclusion from the new heavens and new earth.

00:33:33.139 --> 00:33:36.019
 It's talking about this final accounting of Christians that we will face.

00:33:36.119 --> 00:33:37.459
 We'll stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:39.699
 Our works will be sort of shown to be.

00:33:39.919 --> 00:33:40.099
 Right?

00:33:40.819 --> 00:33:42.459
 It's not going to determine whether we're saved.

00:33:42.599 --> 00:33:43.839
 But we do give an account to God.

00:33:43.919 --> 00:33:44.959
 Think of the parable of the talents.

00:33:45.139 --> 00:33:45.299
 Right?

00:33:45.299 --> 00:33:52.599
 Now, in these disputable matters, I think what Paul's pushing us here is to say,

00:33:52.599 --> 00:33:59.079
 Look, it's not your responsibility to adjudicate every false opinion in your church.

00:33:59.299 --> 00:34:00.339
 The ones that you think are false.

00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:00.659
 Right?

00:34:00.660 --> 00:34:03.840
 Yes, on matters of first importance.

00:34:04.040 --> 00:34:04.180
 Right?

00:34:04.320 --> 00:34:05.740
 We ought to be guarding those well.

00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:08.700
 And the elders have a particular responsibility to do so.

00:34:08.820 --> 00:34:10.940
 We still do so with love and charity.

00:34:11.099 --> 00:34:11.300
 Right?

00:34:11.900 --> 00:34:12.579
 But yes.

00:34:13.200 --> 00:34:16.240
 But aren't most of the things we're talking about in politics,

00:34:16.720 --> 00:34:19.500
 these secondary issues that end up getting so heated and tear us apart?

00:34:20.840 --> 00:34:21.079
 Right?

00:34:21.700 --> 00:34:25.019
 Yes, conversation and debate can be very useful.

00:34:25.180 --> 00:34:27.659
 Yes, we can be iron sharpening iron.

00:34:28.659 --> 00:34:29.019
 Right?

00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:35.320
 Yet, for such disagreements as these, don't exhaust yourself in argument.

00:34:35.699 --> 00:34:35.860
 Right?

00:34:35.980 --> 00:34:38.340
 It's not yours to be the final judge of that.

00:34:39.619 --> 00:34:41.920
 But then also remember, Paul will say on this point about judging,

00:34:42.420 --> 00:34:43.940
 Remember that God's not just going to judge them.

00:34:44.259 --> 00:34:45.119
 He's going to judge you.

00:34:45.739 --> 00:34:46.039
 Right?

00:34:47.019 --> 00:34:49.659
 And before God's throne, what will be more important?

00:34:51.460 --> 00:34:54.559
 Winning the argument with our brother or sister over these opinions?

00:34:56.239 --> 00:34:58.519
 Or loving our brother or sister with whom we disagree?

00:34:59.019 --> 00:35:00.980
 You know?

00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:03.940
 I think when we stand before the throne of Christ,

00:35:04.139 --> 00:35:08.780
 he's not going to ask us where we stood on the 101 political issues that divide us.

00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:10.139
 He's going to say,

00:35:10.780 --> 00:35:11.980
 How did you love my sheep?

00:35:16.420 --> 00:35:17.139
 Last thing.

00:35:18.259 --> 00:35:20.059
 Aim for God's glory.

00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:25.279
 Welcome one another as God and Christ welcomed you for the glory of Christ.

00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:26.400
 For the glory of God.

00:35:27.179 --> 00:35:29.779
 Isn't it interesting that as we welcome those with whom we disagree,

00:35:30.380 --> 00:35:33.420
 we do so because Christ has welcomed us.

00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:39.779
 And then God's glory shines more brightly than if we never disagreed in the first place.

00:35:39.780 --> 00:35:42.680
 Do you see what I'm saying?

00:35:43.680 --> 00:35:46.519
 If we were, some of this reminds me of John's lesson from last week,

00:35:46.560 --> 00:35:51.640
 if we were completely homogenous, saw everything the same way, and we loved each other,

00:35:51.980 --> 00:35:53.940
 do not even the Gentiles do the same?

00:35:53.940 --> 00:35:59.940
 And yet in the church of Jesus Christ, disagreements are not obstacles.

00:36:00.460 --> 00:36:03.139
 They're opportunities to magnify God's glory.

00:36:04.340 --> 00:36:08.000
 God's glorified when we're unified amidst our difference and disagreement.

00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:13.420
 Perhaps more so than when we're unified because we all believe the same things.

00:36:13.420 --> 00:36:16.680
 So aim for the glory of God.

00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:21.180
 Political difference isn't necessarily a problem, even if it's painful.

00:36:21.980 --> 00:36:24.180
 I think if we approach each other in the way Paul recommends,

00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:30.639
 our political differences can expand our understanding as creatures and extol God's glory.

00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:31.200
 All right.

00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:33.480
 I'm literally going to stop there and just hand it over to Tyler.

00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:33.820
 Go.

00:36:33.820 --> 00:36:33.880
 Go.

00:36:33.880 --> 00:36:45.840
 Yeah, just to put an exclamation point on what Nick was saying,

00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:50.940
 I find it striking in 1 Corinthians when there's divisions and factions within the church.

00:36:51.460 --> 00:36:55.559
 Paul doesn't get into the particulars, but he asks, is Christ divided?

00:36:56.920 --> 00:37:00.619
 So our unity is meant to show others what God is like.

00:37:00.619 --> 00:37:06.579
 And our common unity rooted in Christ supersedes our tribal differences.

00:37:08.299 --> 00:37:12.920
 I'm going to shift gears here and talk about our engagement with media and technology.

00:37:14.440 --> 00:37:21.219
 Consider this part of the section a little information hygiene for us this year,

00:37:21.599 --> 00:37:25.099
 giving a little more visine for us to have a discerning eye as we look,

00:37:25.699 --> 00:37:28.739
 as we watch radio, podcast, and television.

00:37:28.739 --> 00:37:32.279
 I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said,

00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:34.399
 don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:40.119
 You get my point.

00:37:41.579 --> 00:37:42.699
 Take one thing away.

00:37:42.799 --> 00:37:44.459
 He says, don't believe everything you read on the Internet.

00:37:45.179 --> 00:37:50.419
 And I want to highlight just three steps to avoid as we engage in media and technology.

00:37:51.379 --> 00:37:53.739
 The trap number one is the echo chamber.

00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:54.639
 The echo chamber.

00:37:54.639 --> 00:37:57.799
 Echo chambers and news consumption.

00:37:58.519 --> 00:38:03.359
 You know, all of us want newspapers and the media to be a trusted, independent watchdog,

00:38:03.639 --> 00:38:06.239
 where the powerful are held to account,

00:38:06.839 --> 00:38:08.659
 a free, independent press,

00:38:08.699 --> 00:38:13.579
 where we uncover corruption, expose wrongdoing, and challenge misinformation.

00:38:13.579 --> 00:38:19.400
 But in the last 30 years, we've seen a different model develop globally.

00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:22.400
 The rise of news and entertainment.

00:38:23.480 --> 00:38:25.900
 So this has been called infotainment.

00:38:26.679 --> 00:38:27.319
 Infotainment.

00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:31.619
 The term has been used to describe media outlets that don't aim to report facts,

00:38:32.119 --> 00:38:33.519
 but it's theatrics.

00:38:34.340 --> 00:38:34.400
 Right?

00:38:34.840 --> 00:38:37.819
 Sensationalism garners more eyeballs and clicks.

00:38:37.820 --> 00:38:42.620
 So advertising revenue depends on ratings and website traffic.

00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:45.559
 And the economics is pretty simple if you're a news organization.

00:38:46.340 --> 00:38:48.920
 Increased ratings through theatrics.

00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:51.080
 Higher ratings mean more money.

00:38:52.039 --> 00:38:52.160
 Right?

00:38:53.140 --> 00:38:55.600
 This is not new.

00:38:55.920 --> 00:38:57.120
 Many have written about this.

00:38:57.820 --> 00:38:59.880
 For many, it's not about public service.

00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:00.740
 It's about profit.

00:39:01.539 --> 00:39:02.100
 Infotainment.

00:39:02.099 --> 00:39:07.460
 The same goes for social media and the algorithms that pump content onto your feed.

00:39:08.019 --> 00:39:09.360
 More clicks, more money.

00:39:10.440 --> 00:39:14.400
 So previously, I'm not saying sensationalism may be new.

00:39:14.819 --> 00:39:17.759
 This has been the case for many years.

00:39:18.339 --> 00:39:21.039
 But I think previously, you probably get the print edition of the New York Times.

00:39:21.659 --> 00:39:23.460
 Maybe the print edition of the Wall Street Journal.

00:39:24.199 --> 00:39:30.980
 And then you read both and you try to come up with an informed view of a public policy or a matter at hand.

00:39:30.980 --> 00:39:34.059
 But today, it's harder to do that, isn't it?

00:39:34.240 --> 00:39:36.420
 Because we have news at 24-7.

00:39:37.139 --> 00:39:41.519
 Where we resort to sound bites rather than constructive conversations.

00:39:42.840 --> 00:39:50.039
 You know, this isn't news to many of you, but the media channels that Americans watch on a daily basis can be labeled infotainment.

00:39:51.099 --> 00:39:51.480
 CNN.

00:39:52.460 --> 00:39:53.219
 Fox News.

00:39:54.079 --> 00:39:54.599
 MSNBC.

00:39:55.199 --> 00:39:55.940
 Daily Wire.

00:39:55.940 --> 00:40:01.420
 If you spend most of your time on one of these channels, you're placing yourself in this echo chamber.

00:40:02.380 --> 00:40:05.179
 And when you walk out, your view of reality is totally different.

00:40:05.860 --> 00:40:06.980
 So let me just give you an example.

00:40:07.780 --> 00:40:08.920
 MSNBC and Fox News.

00:40:10.260 --> 00:40:13.440
 They both were sued for defamation for statements made.

00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:17.639
 Now, defamation for public figures is hard to prove.

00:40:18.599 --> 00:40:24.340
 Because you not only need to prove a factual error, but you need to prove something called actual malice.

00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:26.400
 Which we get from the common law.

00:40:27.260 --> 00:40:31.619
 So actual malice means the news organization was intentionally spreading lies.

00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:33.639
 So it's hard to prove.

00:40:33.700 --> 00:40:39.220
 How do you prove that someone not only made a factual error, but actually intentionally did so?

00:40:39.940 --> 00:40:40.179
 Right?

00:40:40.179 --> 00:40:42.000
 And that's been a legal requirement since our founding.

00:40:43.199 --> 00:40:48.679
 Now, MSNBC and Fox News were sued for statements made during the shows of Tucker Carlson and Rachel Maddow.

00:40:49.739 --> 00:40:53.899
 Maddow was sued for calling another news network, quote, paid Russian propaganda.

00:40:55.059 --> 00:41:01.899
 In another instance, she was sued for saying a doctor was performing mass hysterectomies against immigrants detained at detention centers.

00:41:01.900 --> 00:41:05.200
 And this doctor was called the uterus collector.

00:41:06.519 --> 00:41:15.639
 Tucker Carlson, on the other hand, was sued because he repeatedly claimed software and the voting machines were rigged, causing the election to be stolen for Donald Trump.

00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:17.860
 These are pretty sensational claims.

00:41:19.160 --> 00:41:19.240
 Right?

00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:20.420
 These aren't my words.

00:41:20.420 --> 00:41:28.059
 The network's own lawyers argued in court, saying, yes, these statements are false.

00:41:28.920 --> 00:41:31.180
 Made by Maddow and Tucker Carlson.

00:41:31.340 --> 00:41:32.300
 These statements are false.

00:41:32.500 --> 00:41:34.200
 But, and here was the defense that they made.

00:41:34.199 --> 00:41:43.339
 By the context of the show, a reasonable viewer would know these facts, these aren't meant to be reporting a fax.

00:41:43.439 --> 00:41:47.079
 Instead, it's, quote, exaggeration and non-literal commentary.

00:41:47.079 --> 00:41:55.259
 In other words, they're saying, look, you should know these are opinions and not actual facts on these shows.

00:41:56.319 --> 00:42:03.579
 And the uterus collector doctor case is still in court, but they determined this was not a factual statement.

00:42:03.719 --> 00:42:08.039
 Now it's up to the jury to decide whether Maddow intentionally lied about this.

00:42:08.440 --> 00:42:09.319
 Actual malice.

00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:16.159
 Now, better legal minds have pointed this out.

00:42:17.079 --> 00:42:23.319
 If you are a news organization, you're actually more legally protected if you don't cooperate and investigate the story.

00:42:24.599 --> 00:42:25.299
 You know why?

00:42:25.380 --> 00:42:30.139
 Because if you investigate it, now you don't have any plausible deniability.

00:42:31.380 --> 00:42:31.519
 Right?

00:42:31.639 --> 00:42:35.119
 You can, a 24-7 news cycle, you just put something out there.

00:42:36.299 --> 00:42:41.380
 And if it ends up being a false statement, okay, but we didn't intentionally lie about that.

00:42:41.380 --> 00:42:47.460
 So the point of this is be discerning about what you're listening to.

00:42:48.280 --> 00:42:56.360
 You know, the dashboard light as you consume media should go on when you hear the news anchors start to assign motives behind the action.

00:42:57.300 --> 00:42:59.760
 So-and-so did this because they hate X.

00:42:59.760 --> 00:43:03.740
 Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with opinion shows.

00:43:04.140 --> 00:43:07.300
 I'm not saying you can't watch these networks.

00:43:07.720 --> 00:43:09.640
 Or Maddow or Tucker Carlson.

00:43:10.120 --> 00:43:15.060
 The problem is if you're relying on them to give you your news intake.

00:43:15.059 --> 00:43:21.539
 And if you think your news source is completely objective, you're the one I'm worried about.

00:43:22.420 --> 00:43:22.900
 All right?

00:43:22.980 --> 00:43:23.880
 Don't be gullible, friend.

00:43:24.840 --> 00:43:29.299
 You know, more foundationally, are you consuming more news media than you are the word?

00:43:30.259 --> 00:43:35.059
 You know, it's an irresponsible posture, especially in this age of infotainment.

00:43:35.699 --> 00:43:36.900
 It's sensationalism.

00:43:37.720 --> 00:43:39.840
 It's trying to get more eyeballs and clicks.

00:43:41.019 --> 00:43:41.860
 Don't be gullible.

00:43:42.940 --> 00:43:48.720
 You know, I think all of us would be much better if we just shut the news off and just read the word and prayed until the election.

00:43:49.660 --> 00:43:51.760
 I know I'd be much better off if that happened.

00:43:53.579 --> 00:43:53.980
 Okay.

00:43:54.820 --> 00:43:55.880
 That's trap number one.

00:43:56.200 --> 00:43:57.320
 Irresponsible news consumption.

00:43:58.900 --> 00:43:59.720
 Trap number two.

00:44:00.200 --> 00:44:00.960
 The Newman effect.

00:44:01.720 --> 00:44:02.480
 The Newman effect.

00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:10.000
 This term comes from Thaddeus Williams' book, which I've appreciated, Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth.

00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:14.699
 John Perkins, I think, contributes to that book.

00:44:14.820 --> 00:44:15.900
 He's a great voice.

00:44:16.079 --> 00:44:18.579
 John Perkins, a Christian civil rights leader.

00:44:19.820 --> 00:44:21.400
 Now, disclaimer, this is not an endorsement.

00:44:22.019 --> 00:44:22.199
 All right?

00:44:22.420 --> 00:44:24.039
 What is the Newman effect?

00:44:24.039 --> 00:44:33.759
 Well, there was a famous interview, which has been the subject of study, between Kathy Newman from British Channel 4 News and Jordan Peterson.

00:44:34.820 --> 00:44:42.679
 In a viral interview, Newman and Peterson touched on subjects from the gender pay gap, patriarchy, and transgenderism.

00:44:42.679 --> 00:44:46.559
 And during the interview, Jordan Peterson would make a point.

00:44:47.299 --> 00:44:51.379
 And then Kathy Newman would immediately respond with, so you're saying.

00:44:52.199 --> 00:44:55.819
 And it would be an extreme cartoonist straw man.

00:44:56.460 --> 00:44:59.159
 In an inflammatory, distorted statement.

00:45:00.899 --> 00:45:01.159
 Right?

00:45:01.919 --> 00:45:04.339
 And it happened 17 times.

00:45:04.460 --> 00:45:05.419
 It became a viral meme.

00:45:05.940 --> 00:45:06.919
 This is the Newman effect.

00:45:06.920 --> 00:45:14.760
 When someone is, when you talk to someone, and they put words in your mouth to make you defend something you didn't say.

00:45:15.740 --> 00:45:18.480
 So, we all do this in our day and age.

00:45:18.579 --> 00:45:19.139
 The Newman effect.

00:45:19.960 --> 00:45:22.659
 Someone says, I believe racism still exists today.

00:45:24.539 --> 00:45:26.559
 So, you're saying you're a cultural Marxist.

00:45:29.099 --> 00:45:31.599
 I believe marriage is between a man and a woman.

00:45:32.880 --> 00:45:34.619
 So, you're saying you hate all gay people?

00:45:35.500 --> 00:45:36.659
 And they should have no rights?

00:45:36.920 --> 00:45:43.019
 I believe fatherlessness is a problem where 70% of black families are born without a father.

00:45:44.840 --> 00:45:48.180
 So, you're saying you want to stereotype all black people?

00:45:48.680 --> 00:45:51.800
 And you want to sweep slavery and Jim Crow under the rug like it never happened?

00:45:53.480 --> 00:45:54.920
 I believe you should wear a mask.

00:45:56.380 --> 00:45:58.180
 So, you're saying you're in favor of government.

00:45:58.300 --> 00:45:59.280
 That's what you're saying.

00:46:00.720 --> 00:46:01.280
 Last one.

00:46:01.280 --> 00:46:04.760
 I believe being a mother is one of the most important callings a woman can have.

00:46:04.760 --> 00:46:10.760
 So, you're saying women aren't intelligent enough to be in the workforce?

00:46:11.480 --> 00:46:15.860
 Should be seen and not heard and should be consigned to baby making and kitchen duties.

00:46:16.140 --> 00:46:16.860
 That's what you're saying.

00:46:17.780 --> 00:46:18.640
 That's not what I'm saying.

00:46:19.580 --> 00:46:22.740
 So, if we're honest with ourselves, we all live with this tendency, don't we?

00:46:22.739 --> 00:46:30.459
 Rather than engaging someone else's political positions, we associate with them some extreme repulsive beliefs.

00:46:32.379 --> 00:46:36.419
 And if we're going to have good conversations, we should be aware of this tendency within all of us.

00:46:37.459 --> 00:46:39.519
 Now, where do we find this rhetoric most often?

00:46:40.759 --> 00:46:41.419
 Social media.

00:46:41.420 --> 00:46:45.119
 Social media is training you to be suspicious.

00:46:46.200 --> 00:46:51.800
 And left unchecked, love, peace, and patience are replaced with rage and suspicion.

00:46:52.980 --> 00:47:00.440
 Beginning to see people who disagree with you as some alt-right-wing crazy fundamentalist or some radical leftist.

00:47:01.480 --> 00:47:06.260
 So, to have better conversations, Nick mentioned this, 1 Corinthians 13.

00:47:06.260 --> 00:47:13.260
 Love believes all things, meaning we assume the best in others, and we give them the benefit of the doubt.

00:47:14.020 --> 00:47:15.000
 Avoid the Newman effect.

00:47:15.180 --> 00:47:19.720
 Part of loving someone else well is hearing them out and believing what's best about them.

00:47:21.980 --> 00:47:23.280
 So, step one was the echo chamber.

00:47:23.700 --> 00:47:24.940
 Step two was the Newman effect.

00:47:25.340 --> 00:47:28.520
 And the last step is divisive propaganda.

00:47:30.480 --> 00:47:31.300
 Divisive propaganda.

00:47:31.300 --> 00:47:33.220
 This is the darkest step in polarization.

00:47:33.580 --> 00:47:37.840
 So, this is kind of dark, as I have read about this.

00:47:38.360 --> 00:47:40.120
 Tribalism has a horrific history.

00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:47.600
 By some estimates, propaganda has helped to produce 100 million casualties in the 20th century alone.

00:47:48.740 --> 00:47:50.860
 The Nazis used it to dehumanize Jews.

00:47:51.640 --> 00:47:54.740
 The Nazis would say, you know, Jews only appeared human.

00:47:55.160 --> 00:47:56.440
 Inside, there were animals.

00:47:57.500 --> 00:48:00.160
 The KKK used it to dehumanize blacks.

00:48:00.159 --> 00:48:06.440
 The 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville spoke of the parasitic class of anti-white vermin.

00:48:07.699 --> 00:48:11.799
 In the Hutu Tutsi genocide, Tutsis were called inyensi.

00:48:12.539 --> 00:48:13.319
 They're cockroaches.

00:48:14.139 --> 00:48:17.739
 They were called vermin that must be liquidated in the interest of self-defense.

00:48:19.059 --> 00:48:20.759
 Now, how do we identify propaganda?

00:48:21.699 --> 00:48:24.799
 Thaddeus Williams gives three common marks of propaganda.

00:48:25.899 --> 00:48:29.019
 First is a damning revisionist history.

00:48:29.019 --> 00:48:35.099
 So, you rewrite history designed to paint the other group in the worst possible light.

00:48:35.519 --> 00:48:37.300
 You take out anything positive about them.

00:48:37.539 --> 00:48:40.159
 The worst possible light in the most condemning way.

00:48:40.920 --> 00:48:47.079
 So, in their entire history, the Hutus were the innocent victims, and the Tutsis were always the aggressors.

00:48:47.079 --> 00:48:50.860
 Friend, this is bearing false witness against their neighbors.

00:48:51.860 --> 00:48:51.980
 Right?

00:48:52.159 --> 00:48:53.840
 It's one thing to disagree with an idea.

00:48:54.159 --> 00:48:57.019
 It's entirely another to shake your fist at you people.

00:48:58.400 --> 00:49:04.960
 Number two is encouraging you to treat all members of that group as guilty of the sins of the entire group.

00:49:04.960 --> 00:49:12.079
 So, any individual within that group belongs to that group and is an exemplar of that group.

00:49:12.679 --> 00:49:12.760
 Right?

00:49:13.039 --> 00:49:15.099
 Tyler, I no longer see you as an image bearer.

00:49:15.320 --> 00:49:18.380
 I see you as a white, patriarchal, cisgender oppressor.

00:49:19.420 --> 00:49:24.720
 Third, blame all of my suffering, all of my pain on those damnable groups.

00:49:25.240 --> 00:49:27.420
 And any individual within that group.

00:49:27.420 --> 00:49:31.639
 And this is the final step of an us versus them mentality.

00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:32.500
 Right?

00:49:32.700 --> 00:49:33.780
 You can't find a job?

00:49:34.860 --> 00:49:37.180
 It must be those foreign invaders coming into this country.

00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:39.840
 That's all their fault.

00:49:41.099 --> 00:49:41.500
 Propaganda.

00:49:41.800 --> 00:49:46.740
 And this kind of rhetoric leads people right into the arms of some extremist ideology.

00:49:47.480 --> 00:49:48.159
 Oh, come on, Tyler.

00:49:48.860 --> 00:49:49.860
 That's the riffraff.

00:49:49.900 --> 00:49:50.780
 We don't need to worry about that.

00:49:50.820 --> 00:49:51.380
 We're in New Haven.

00:49:51.680 --> 00:49:53.480
 There's no propaganda here, is there?

00:49:54.639 --> 00:49:56.760
 Okay, I'm going to read two abbreviated news articles.

00:49:57.420 --> 00:50:01.000
 And this is not a personal attack on any of these people.

00:50:01.740 --> 00:50:07.300
 This is just to show what's standard fare in many universities and major community outlets.

00:50:08.059 --> 00:50:13.260
 The first is written by a professor at a major university in a national newspaper.

00:50:14.039 --> 00:50:15.880
 Article number one, she writes this.

00:50:16.519 --> 00:50:22.740
 So in this moment, here in the land of legislatively legitimated toxic masculinity,

00:50:22.740 --> 00:50:26.700
 is it really so illogical to hate men?

00:50:27.420 --> 00:50:30.039
 But we're not supposed to hate them because hashtag not all men.

00:50:30.480 --> 00:50:33.700
 But when they have gone low for all of human history,

00:50:34.079 --> 00:50:39.579
 maybe it's time for us to go all Fema and Louise and Foxy Brown and their collective thoughts.

00:50:39.980 --> 00:50:44.200
 Men, if you really are with us, you should pledge to vote for feminist women only.

00:50:44.539 --> 00:50:45.300
 Don't run for office.

00:50:45.599 --> 00:50:46.599
 Don't be in charge of anything.

00:50:46.980 --> 00:50:48.340
 Step away from the power.

00:50:48.700 --> 00:50:49.619
 We got this.

00:50:49.619 --> 00:50:53.359
 And please know that your crocodile tears won't be wiped away by us anymore.

00:50:53.960 --> 00:50:56.940
 We have every right to hate you.

00:50:57.940 --> 00:50:58.699
 You have done us wrong.

00:50:58.940 --> 00:51:00.239
 Hashtag because patriarchy.

00:51:00.739 --> 00:51:05.000
 It is long past time to play hard for team feminism and win.

00:51:06.259 --> 00:51:06.500
 Okay.

00:51:06.920 --> 00:51:07.819
 That's article number one.

00:51:08.319 --> 00:51:09.159
 Article number two.

00:51:09.159 --> 00:51:14.759
 Every Hutu should know that every Tutsi is dishonest in business.

00:51:15.619 --> 00:51:19.440
 His only priority is the supremacy of his ethnic group.

00:51:20.119 --> 00:51:22.739
 The experience of the October 1990 war has taught us a lesson.

00:51:23.259 --> 00:51:26.960
 The Hutu must be firm and vigilant against their common Tutsi enemy.

00:51:27.799 --> 00:51:34.699
 All strategic positions, political, administrative, economic, military, and security should be entrusted only to Hutu.

00:51:34.699 --> 00:51:37.599
 The education sector must be majority Hutu.

00:51:37.899 --> 00:51:40.259
 The Hutu ideology must be taught at every level.

00:51:41.279 --> 00:51:44.519
 The Hutu should stop having mercy on the Tutsi.

00:51:46.299 --> 00:51:50.679
 So if you replace the word men for Tutsi, there are parallels in these articles, aren't there?

00:51:51.460 --> 00:51:53.779
 Both articles come from major media outlets.

00:51:54.279 --> 00:51:56.559
 The first article is from the Washington Post.

00:51:57.199 --> 00:51:59.619
 The other is a major newspaper in Mwanda.

00:52:00.399 --> 00:52:02.159
 Both articles cite historical grievances.

00:52:02.159 --> 00:52:05.359
 One paints men in the worst possible light.

00:52:05.960 --> 00:52:08.519
 The other, the Tutsi, in the worst possible light.

00:52:08.879 --> 00:52:11.359
 Both say to refrain from showing mercy any longer.

00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:20.699
 One was written in 1990, and the author was charged for war crimes for inciting genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda.

00:52:21.239 --> 00:52:24.639
 The other is a celebrated professor at a major university in the Northeast.

00:52:26.460 --> 00:52:31.299
 Thankfully, she's not calling for genocide, but the same heart of tribalism is in both.

00:52:31.300 --> 00:52:35.019
 This is standard fare in university departments.

00:52:35.019 --> 00:52:40.800
 New York Times, an esteemed University of Michigan law professor, wrote an article,

00:52:40.900 --> 00:52:42.660
 Can my children be friends with white people?

00:52:43.640 --> 00:52:48.300
 A renowned professor at Yale who writes that black rage is a healing response,

00:52:48.880 --> 00:52:52.380
 and she fantasizes about stabbing a nameless white man on an airplane,

00:52:52.860 --> 00:52:56.440
 feeling a killing rage, fantasizing about shooting him with a gun.

00:52:56.440 --> 00:53:02.039
 If you don't think there's propaganda down the streets, you're not paying attention.

00:53:02.240 --> 00:53:08.119
 Is there any surprise that there's a rise of anti-Semitism in New Haven on campus?

00:53:09.059 --> 00:53:11.139
 Are you drawn to this kind of media?

00:53:12.619 --> 00:53:13.880
 Now let me address the Newman effect.

00:53:14.880 --> 00:53:18.119
 So you're saying we need to sweep these things under the rug?

00:53:18.119 --> 00:53:21.219
 Not for a moment am I saying that.

00:53:21.659 --> 00:53:22.960
 There's been real hurt.

00:53:23.380 --> 00:53:24.980
 The world is a twisted place.

00:53:25.799 --> 00:53:27.359
 But Christ calls us to forgiveness.

00:53:28.440 --> 00:53:35.139
 The most heroic thing you can watch is a victim's family look over at the perpetrator in court and say,

00:53:35.259 --> 00:53:35.900
 I forgive you.

00:53:37.420 --> 00:53:39.380
 And hating others is not an option for us.

00:53:40.199 --> 00:53:43.119
 Even if the other person espouses a hateful ideology,

00:53:43.119 --> 00:53:46.400
 we need to afford them the dignity of creating the image of God.

00:53:47.679 --> 00:53:52.319
 Relentless, unsympathetic, head-shaking at one specific group of people is not the way.

00:53:53.079 --> 00:53:54.259
 Scapegoating them.

00:53:54.539 --> 00:53:55.980
 Blaming all your problems on them.

00:53:56.639 --> 00:53:57.739
 The world wants you to do that.

00:53:57.799 --> 00:53:58.559
 Resist the temptation.

00:54:00.460 --> 00:54:05.400
 In the interest of time, let me just give you five diagnostic questions and conclude with the scripture.

00:54:07.480 --> 00:54:09.239
 Consider, friend, are you easily offended?

00:54:09.239 --> 00:54:14.819
 Do you use condemning rhetoric about other groups of people?

00:54:16.299 --> 00:54:18.559
 Are you slow to assume the worst in others?

00:54:19.000 --> 00:54:20.119
 Or are you quick to assume the worst?

00:54:21.619 --> 00:54:26.079
 Do you blame all of your problems on others and never recognize evil in your own heart?

00:54:27.339 --> 00:54:33.759
 Are you preoccupied with your own feelings rather than engaging someone charitably about what they're saying?

00:54:35.279 --> 00:54:37.179
 All right, think of the person you disagree with the most.

00:54:37.179 --> 00:54:39.399
 A person whose politics you despise.

00:54:39.440 --> 00:54:41.559
 I want you to just picture them in your mind for just a second.

00:54:42.059 --> 00:54:46.239
 Picture that person smiling at you with all their smugness.

00:54:47.359 --> 00:54:47.980
 Now think of this.

00:54:48.579 --> 00:54:49.699
 They're an image bearer.

00:54:50.639 --> 00:54:51.899
 They were made in the image of God.

00:54:52.339 --> 00:54:54.839
 And God calls you to love them and pray for them.

00:54:55.699 --> 00:54:58.919
 So this us versus them should have no place in the church of Jesus Christ.

00:55:00.059 --> 00:55:03.839
 I conclude with Ephesians 4, verse 31.

00:55:03.840 --> 00:55:11.539
 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

00:55:12.140 --> 00:55:19.160
 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God and Christ forgave you.

00:55:20.680 --> 00:55:22.100
 So, friend, we've been forgiven.

00:55:22.260 --> 00:55:24.360
 We need to extend that forgiveness to others.

00:55:24.360 --> 00:55:27.680
 So let me just conclude in prayer and then we'll go downstairs.

00:55:28.440 --> 00:55:32.180
 Father in heaven, we pray, Lord, that we would be united in Christ.

00:55:32.640 --> 00:55:42.300
 And all that we say and do as a church, that our politics, we would have a chance to talk with one another in a spirit of love and unity as we've talked about this morning.

00:55:42.640 --> 00:55:43.720
 We pray this in Jesus' name.

00:55:44.300 --> 00:55:44.500
 Amen.

00:55:44.500 --> 00:55:44.599
 Amen.

00:55:46.019 --> 00:55:47.380
 So, two things, everybody.

00:55:47.579 --> 00:55:50.639
 First, this room needs to be set up for children.