The Enemies Within
This past week I learned that someone who I did not know, but who is a friend of a friend, had apostasized. I'll limit the details to preserve privacy, but what it boils down to is a sad and typical story.
The man had questions.
He asked them in a church class.
The minister said that the class was "not the place" to ask questions.
The man turned to popular atheist literature and believed it.
I'm sorry to say that in many years of apologetics ministry, it is ministers who are frequently "the enemy within". Not always, obviously. But ever since the 1980s, many of the roadblocks placed in my path, or many of the opportunities that were squandered, went that way because some minister lacked the courage, conviction or knowledge to stand up for what was right or what was helpful.
In the next few weeks, I'd like to look at some examples of leading ministers and figures who have been predominant as "enemies within". Some will not be surprising. Many will be familiar names from history and current Christian fame. Some will be people whose privacy I will continue to honor (maybe) because they were people I dealt with in person.
I'll start next time, but here's a sneak preview of my first subject.
The man had questions.
He asked them in a church class.
The minister said that the class was "not the place" to ask questions.
The man turned to popular atheist literature and believed it.
I'm sorry to say that in many years of apologetics ministry, it is ministers who are frequently "the enemy within". Not always, obviously. But ever since the 1980s, many of the roadblocks placed in my path, or many of the opportunities that were squandered, went that way because some minister lacked the courage, conviction or knowledge to stand up for what was right or what was helpful.
In the next few weeks, I'd like to look at some examples of leading ministers and figures who have been predominant as "enemies within". Some will not be surprising. Many will be familiar names from history and current Christian fame. Some will be people whose privacy I will continue to honor (maybe) because they were people I dealt with in person.
I'll start next time, but here's a sneak preview of my first subject.
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