Josh Benner

Category: Commentary

  • Bests-Selling author of “Girl, stop apologizing” announces divorce, faces online backlash

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    Rachel Hollis has amassed a larger online following as a writer, conference speaker, and social medial influencer. Her books such as “Girl, stop apologizing” and “Girl, wash your face” are published by the Christian publishing house: Thomas Nelson. Her books make references to the Christian Faith and Bible verses. She’s very popular. Critics of Hollis argue that her writing is shallow and that the basis of her message is a non-Biblical message where life ultimately bows down at the alter of self.

    Today, Hollis announced on social media that she is divorcing her husband. In the post, she talks of the long relationship she’s had with her husband going back 20 years, how they’ve worked on restoring their marriage for three years, and how they’re still going to be friends and business partners. Certainly, that’s all very unfortunate. While I think her theology is destructive, I can appreciate the tragedy that this divorce is.

    One of the things that has been interesting on social media is the backlash that Hollis and her husband (David) have faced. In her social media announcement, Hollis mentions that she’s been “an open book” in her online community but asks for people to respect her family’s privacy. Critics argue that she and her husband were hiding that they were in a failing marriage while acting as if they weren’t and taking that to the bank. They even led marriage conferences which reportedly cost upwards of $1,500 to attend.

    The issue with her fans isn’t that she was having marriage problems. The issue is that her and her husband were having marriage problems while acting like experts. Online, I’ve seen people accuse her of “toxic positivity” and espousing a philosophy that’s harmful to marriages. Others said they felt betrayed and accused them of putting up a front. 

    Again. It’s unfortunate. But I think it’s also illustrative of an important point for Christians. Your influences matter. You can be taught by someone who has the same philosophy as the rest of the world and tells you what you want to hear. Or you can listen to someone who’s going to teach Biblical truth (which is good, and wise, and edifying, but is not always what a person wants to hear).

    It’s also illustrative of a point that our own theology that we believe matters. She taught a gospel that revolved around self. the Bible has a theology which revolves around dying to self.

  • Popular pastor Tim Keller diagnosed with pancreatic cancer

    Popular pastor and speaker Tim Keller announced over the weekend that he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

    From Keller’s post on Facebook, he said:

    I feel great and have no symptoms. It was what doctors call an “incidental pickup,” otherwise known as providential intervention. I have terrific human doctors, but most importantly I have the Great Physician himself caring for me. Though we have had times of shock and fear, God has been remarkably present with me through all the many tests, biopsies, and surgery of the past few weeks.

    If you are willing to pray for me, here are things to pray for: For God to use medical means or his direct intervention to make the cancer regress to the point of vanishing. For Kathy and me, that we use this opportunity to be weaned from the joys of this world and to desire God’s presence above all. For my family to be comforted and encouraged. For the side effects of treatment to allow me to continue writing and speaking.

    Keller’s announcement comes less than three weeks after another popular Christian leader, Ravi Zacharias passed away from cancer.

    Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, which he founded in 1989. Keller also helped found The Gospel Coalition and has authored several popular books which include “The Reason for God” which answer skeptical questions about the Christian faith. He’s also become a popular speaker at theology conferences.

    On a personal note, Keller is on my Mount Rushmore of patois who have influenced my life, theology, and ministry. I will be praying for him.

    Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to comment and subscribe.

  • D-Day 76 years later: the battle that was the beginning of the end of WWII

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    Today is the 76th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Over 150,000 Allied forces took part in the invasion. Over a million men were part of the overall battle of Normandy. Thousands of ships and planes. Even trying to fathom the size of the operation is impossible to comprehend.  

    It remains the largest seaborne invasion in history. The strategic significance of the Normandy invasion was that it gave the Allied forces an entry point into continental Europe.

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    A lot of our mental images of what D-Day would have been like come from the opening sequence of the movie Saving Private Ryan. D-Day hero and Medal of Honor recipient Walter Ehlers used to tell people to multiply that scene by 60 to appreciate what it was actually like.

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  • Pastors seek apology from Jerry Falwell for racially insensitive Tweet

    Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

    Alumni are speaking up about a recent Tweet shared by Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. In the photo, Falwell shows a picture of a custom printed medical face mask which features the controversial photo of current Virginia governor Ralph Northam who appeared in a racially insensitive photo in his medical school yearbook which featured two men; one in blackface and one dressed as a klansman.

    In another Tweet defending himself, Falwell said he had done this in response to cutbacks in higher education from governor Northam.

    Alumni have called for Falwell’s resignation. I think Liberty is a fine school. I respect the university. It’s one of the best known Christian institutions in America, but these antics are unacceptable. Seriously. What is that? He’s the president of the university! And given the conservative Christian values of the school, such a display should absolutely be beneath Falwell. Where’s the grace? Where’s the virtue? If you want to criticize Northam for reducing higher education funding, go right ahead, but that was the most untactful way in which Falwell could have possibly made his point.

    Falwell’s relationship with President Trump has bee talked about at length. But one of the ways where a Christian should not be imitating the president is in terms of verbiage and social media escapades.

    A letter from a group of 35 Liberty alumni who are all African American pastors and ministry leaders was sent to Falwell. It’s very thoughtful and brings up legitimate grievances with the school’s president. A change.org petition has over 30,000 signatures asking Falwell to apologize.

    The letter states:

       For several years, you have said and defended inappropriate statements that represent Liberty and our faith very poorly. You have belittled staff, students and parents, you have defended inappropriate behaviors of politicians, encouraged violence, and disrespected people of other faiths. We were all taught at Liberty about the sanctity of life (Jeremiah 1:5) and the dignity of every human – made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and yet, you have repeatedly violated and misrepresented core Christian principles (Romans 12:9-21) through brash tweets and statements that harm our Christian witness. 

    One of the striking indictments in the letter was:

    A review of your social media and statements during your presidency would lead many to believe that you care much more about politics than Jesus Christ, Evangelism, and the discipleship of students.

    I’ve had the exact same thought before. The Northam Tweet is bad enough, but it’s also part of a pattern of inappropriate behavior. Falwell should apologize and repent.

    Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear what you think!

  • no, looting is not just like the boston tea party

    Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

    I’ve seen umpteen people compare the looting and riots occurring to the Son’s of Liberty in the Boston Tea Party. They’re not the same. Writing for the Federalist, Joshua Lawson points out that the Boston Tea Party was not about plundering for person gain. They didn’t loot the ships for the tea, they dumped into the harbor. They didn’t burn down the ships, they didn’t cause physical harm to people. The only injury in the Boston Tea Party was one of the Son’s of Liberty who was hit by a tea crate. The only personal item damaged was a lock which was replaced by the Son’s of Liberty. The looting largely went after personal property. The Boston Tea Party was specifically a protest against the government.

    But all of this raises an important philosophical question. If you look at the Boston Tea Party as a justification for rioting and looting today as a response to an unfair system, to oppression, as long as the system is the way that it is, by the logic of your justification, shouldn’t rioting and looting be justified at anytime until the system is changed? Honest question. If someone looting tonight or last weekend was justified, why shouldn’t that also be justified six weeks from now? Or six months from now? If someone is looting in opposition to injustice, how do you put a timeline on when it is and isn’t acceptable? Where’s the consistency?

    I maintain that it’s wrong to steal and it’s wrong to harm private businesses. It undermines the vast majority of demonstrators who are peaceful and law abiding citizens. Not only is the looting morally wrong, it’s also counterproductive. It’s wrong to steal and it’s wrong to hurt private businesses.

    The Boston Tea party also brought consequences upon the colonies where Britain passed the “Intolerable Acts” in retaliation. They did have to pay for that rebellion. Being a revolutionary has consequences. I find it interesting that people talk of the horrors of troops being used in major cities to help regain civil obedience. But for rioters who are talking and acting like revolutionaries, what should they expect? Above all else, the job of government is to maintain law and order. It’s shameful that mayors were allowing people to ride roughshod in their cities over the weekend. That is a disservice to their communities.

    Again, I’m not talking about the peaceful protesters. And I know the vast majority of protesters are peaceful and have a right to be angry and to protest. But society should have no acceptance of those who seek to cause looting and destruction.

    Thanks for reading! I welcome your comments and don’t forget to subscribe.