For the first time ever, I actually laughed at one of TeamPyro’s “pomotivators”. (Ya know, those posters where they lovingly try to correct what they perceive as theological error by mocking those that hold to it. It’s in the book of Hezekiah.)
Not because it was directly funny, mind you. But rather for its “pot calling the kettle pigmentationally complete” nature:
To quote the Ginzu knife commercials, “but wait, there’s more”. Not only is the absolute fall-out-of-your-chair-laughing irony of this poster (given who/where it comes from) totally missed, but in the very next sentence (after the unveiling of the poster), Phil notes something that strikes him as ironic.
Now that, boys and girls, is the ultimate in irony.
HT to Van Til at BHT for noticing the poster and pointing out the irony (not that I needed any help in seeing it).
![Image of The Prodigal God (An Unabridged Production)[2-CD Set]; Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Jl6fhDLxL._SL75_.jpg "The Prodigal God (An Unabridged Production)[2-CD Set]; Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith")
24 Comments(+Add)
In that same article there’s another one that strikes me as just as hilarious.
Apparnately U2, beer, Kanye West, Napoleon Dynamite, and peace are the evil that emergents support that the mighty, holy avengers at Team Pyro have been appointed by God to defeat.
Leading up to the day where the church collectively declares that death has died and sin is defeated and the big issues that Team Pyro has with emergents is that they like U2, beer, Kanye West, and Napoleon Dynamite.
Why should we take them seriously again?
U2? I mean I like them (OK, I love them), but they’re hardly counter-cultural anymore. Once you join forces with The Gap, I’d say it’s pretty safe to assume you’re mainstream. The parents of Emergents probably listen to U2.
Yeah, Tim. That one was probably dumber, just not as ironic. With the exception of those last two words, it’s applicable to every generation. I’m sure my grandparents were repulsed by Buddy Holly. Contrary to popular opinion, culture has had it’s share of stupid since the Fall.
As to those last 2 words, I have to wonder if the implication here is that:
(a) California is running low on Merriam-Webster’s and there’s a confusion between “engage” and “participate in and fully condone every aspect”, or
(b) Such a confusion is not a problem, and we should just circle the Christian wagons, wait for the Rapture, and say “to h*ll” with everyone else (literally).
Phil, it’s not that U2 is counter-cultural. But given their stances on some issues, they do fall under the label of “evil” (at least by the standards of those who create these posters).
I, personally, would put them under the label of “insanely stupid” for thinking that government intervention is the way to solve anything, but I don’t confuse my pragmatism with my theology.
For some reason, when you wrote:
I read
Which made me think of this:
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I giggled WAY too much after that…
Hmmmm… need to figure out how to size pictures correctly…
NEVER wait for the raptors.
Yeah, I never leave the house without knowing I’m raptor-ready!
I don’t see the poster the say way you guys do.
The poster really should read:
Only if you were HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, SPIRITUAL and BIBLICAL enough to…
David, that’d be their version of it. But they’d never ascribe anything Biblical to (gasp) emergents.
To me it is actually sad that these guys as “smart” as they are, miss that emerging/emergents do not all agree on many things. I most definitely do not agree with some and would call their views heretical, but I bet I still could go and have a nice sit down from them learn from them and they learn from me. I also bet that we would be mutually encouraging and yet challenging without the garbage that is thrown at us as Team Pyro does.
Most of TP things like these posters are so far off of the reality of who we are and what we are doing that if we were to go to court, there would be no contest as it would be slander by the ‘worlds’ standard… (talk about contextualization!)
I used to go and read Team Pyro, but now I just ignore them for what they are… a mockery of themselves.
I just wish they would stop claiming they believe in grace when in actions and deed they really do not even understand the remotest meaning of the word, or if they do, it is so abstract and disconnected from reality (let alone scripture( that it has become unrecognizable.
iggy
Chris, that comic “reminds me of a story” (can I use that phrase if I’m not a pastor?) Specifically, the student who says “But this just looks. . .”
About 10 years ago, when my wife and I were working with the youth at our church, we had one event where we combined with another youth group to get a big enough group to do something (I forget what now — maybe group rate at mini golf?).
Anyway, our church had the larger facility, so we hosted. Our youth pastor, Phil, let the other church’s youth pastor lead the devotional time. He had the kids turn to a psalm and read a verse, noting that this was also the first line of a popular Third Day praise song (and obviously where they got it from).
Then he started expositing, not on the Scripture passage, but on the lyrics of the song (which came from about 25 passages all over the Bible).
In a post-mortem meeting of just our church’s youth leaders, Phil asked, “Is it just me or did he preach on the Gospel According to Mac”?
Note: Phil and I are both Third Day fans. This isn’t a slam on them.
iggy, well said. I still go there on occasion, but skip any posts whose title screams “drive-by”. There are others that I read and actually get something out of (and yes, that was foreshadowing).
As to this one, you have to blame Van Til, whose human is a regular target of Pyro.
Just in case you idiots miss the point I made a much clearer poster for all the “Truth Warriors” out there and what we really mean.
Grace to you,
I Todyaso
once again, hate to bring calvinism up…………but team pyro is decidedly calvinistic. there is a certain intellectual arrogance with many calvinists (though not all)
goes like this……….if you knew what we knew then you would believe like we believe. you don’t believe like we do because you are ignorant, poorly taught, etc.
they can’t imagine any one who can read johnny mac and find his writing wanting in any way. or spurgeon for that matter.
they can’t imagine that anyone is arminian, or emerging, or catholic, or neo-orthodox…………on purpose.
i am of the opinion that they are the ones that are ignorant. they have reached an exalted plane and they have stopped receiving any teaching that does not conform to the narrow, prescribed tenets of their subset, subset, subset of the evangelical, fundamentalist, five point calvinist, christian faith.
their favorite prophet is elijah……….i only i remain…………
Oh, he is, but not because of that particular facet of his life. Elijah is the prophet they always go to when they get called out on their decidedly un-Christlike tone and attitude. See, Elijah made fun of the prophets of Baal, so its ok to treat anyone like crap, at anytime, for any reason.
Brutus, thanks for acknowledging “(though not all)” — especially considering that this article was written by one.
There was a group of us friends at my church who embraced Calvinism all at (about) the same time. We were told by others in the church that Calvinists were intellectually arrogant, and we were very confused because we were less so than before.
Then I hit the blogosphere and understood where those folks got that impression from.
Not a big fan of his, but a statement by Don Miller is applicable. He says, “I try to be a Christian without being an [defecatory orifice].” Substitute “Calvinist” for “Christian”, and that’s me.
brendt,
in my calvinistic days i always allowed for the fact that “others” were my fellow brethren. i have always treated the calvinistic/arminian debate as a family fight. at the end of the day we are still family.
unfortunately, team pyro,steve camp, sol. ken silva, fideo,etal are the only face of calvinism people see. when you have relatives like that it is hard to get any respect from others.
while i am no longer a calvinist i do appreciate many of the things i learned from calvinism.
Ken Silva says he is not a Calvinist… he is confused but not a Calvinist… so he must be a Cal -Minian, which is just another way of saying “man loving semi pelagian” which still seems to all fit this threads original topic, of the “pot calling the kettle pigmentationally completeâ€
iggy
oops thought I changed that… LOL!
Calminian.
sounds like some kind of medicinal lotion.
Now look, don’t conflate Bono’s incredibly inspiring and effective work with the other bandmembers, because THEY DON’T CARE. see? http://www.theonion.com/content/node/43192
I feel it appropriate to debate theology, but I continue to voice my objections to using pictures of sinners/saints in those posters. If its MacLaren’s words with which you disagree, put his picture on the poster.
Christian dart boards, yea!
Oh my Chris, that’s one of the funniest things I have seen!