A Review Of "20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid To Touch"

[FMeekins]

Regardless of one's opinion of Tony Campolo, one has to admit Campolo is not afraid to speak his mind.

In "20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid To Touch, Campolo takes on some of the most difficult issues confronting contemporary Christianity.

Some of the issues addressed from the chapter titles include "Are Evangelicals Too Pro-Israel" and "Where Does A Single Woman Over 30 Go To Get Rid Of Loneliness?"

Some of Campolo's comments are insightful such as those realizing that singleness is as ordained of God as marriage.

Other comments reveal a serious misunderstanding as to the fundamental nature of human nature.

In the chapter dealing with homosexuality, Campolo suggests that Evangelicals grant a blessing to celibate gays living together.

But humanly speaking, will any relationship between romantically attracted adults living under the same roof remain celibate for long?

Even among Christians, one reason for disinterest in the church is its failure to address the concerns of the day and instead explicate some arcane Old Testament passage week after week with little application to the life of the average Christian.

If nothing else, even despite his errors, Campolo's text should spark interesting Sunday school debates or riveting rejoinders from the pulpit.

by Frederick Meekins

[Chome]

Tony is nothing more then a self esteem motivation speaker. His words are about as unbiblical and empty as they come.

"Contemporary Christianity" is a oxymoron, God never changes nor does his WORD.

The real purpose of the Bible was God's plan on saving men, Not how to make your marriage happy and the "concerns of the day". They might be important to people but your relationship to Jesus should be number 1. Tony is nothing more then another example as to why America is dying as a nation. It's all about me me me me me! He's nothing more then a man who's tickling ears of an unsaved nation who doesn't wanna hear about sin, but try to find ways of making the bible agree with them and their lifestyles.


Ben

[FMeekins]

Here is a link to another column I did on Campolo:

http://www.voterepublican.net/discus/messages/39/72.html?1022171238

[Triton]

Regardless of one's opinion of Tony Campolo, one has to admit Campolo is not afraid to speak his mind.

Neither is Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, or the Pope, but I wouldn't invite any of them to teach Sunday School at my church.

Campolo was doing comedy and motivational speeches back when I was a teen (20 years ago). He plays well to churches who teach that believers have some sort of psychic connection to God. He's just more of the same experiential, health and wealth "gospel", touchy feely garbage. Balm for itchy ears. Nothing more.

[TheSeventhStooge]

I don't know that much about Campolo, but from what little I have read about him, and what he has written, I would tend to agree with the previous posters.

I have been working on a sermon idea for the last few days and the title of it is "Would they be welcome?" The basis of it is simple, likely not original, and probably one you have heard- Would men like Paul, John the Baptist, Elijah, Moses, etc., be welcome in our churches today? My guess is, based on what they taught and compared to the attitude of the average "Bob Christian" (a name for the typical person sitting in church, not the former NFL football player :p ) in the pews/chairs in our churches today, they would not. Why? Because these men were not afraid to tell it like it really is. They were not afraid to say that sin is sin and wrong is wrong, no matter what, and many of them lost their lives because of what they said (look at John the Baptist, for example).

Campolo would be welcome in our churches today, because he will say what we want to hear. John the Baptist would not because his speech would be offensive, and from the point of view of our sinful natures his speech would be offensive. We don't want to be told that we are sinners and we aren't good enough to reach God on our own and that we need someone to bridge the gap between God and man. But being offended doesn't mean it's a lie.

This is something that I want to do when I start preaching in the next few months/year. Among other things, I want to declare God's Law and God's holiness and our standing before Him, but I recognize that I could drive people away from me or not be invited to their church because of this. This does concern me, but I think if I remain faithful to God, He will give me an audiene to speak to, and He will change their hearts.

TheSeventhStooge...

[Brian Drake]

Mr. Meekins,

I enjoyed and agree with your post on "Would they be welcome?". Dead on. Incidentally, I don't know anything about Campolo so my comments are neutral in that regard.

Are you familiar with "Hell's Best Kept Secret" by Ray Comfort? If not, go to http://www.livingwaters.com/ and look for this message. There is a banner on the home page with a link to hear it free online. "The Law of God is perfect in converting the soul"!

Regards,


Brian Drake

[TheSeventhStooge]

Brian,

I consider Ray Comfort to be my favorite evangelist and the guy that God used to change my view on how to reach the lost, and you are dead on right- Hell's Best Kept Secret needs to be heard by everyone. It isn't a popular message, but then again, when has the truth been popular?

TheSeventhStooge...

[darlo]

I was stuck while reading Hebrews yesterday of how far most of the mainline churches have fallen away from Biblical worship. Hebrews 12:28-29 says "let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." Is Biblical worship being entertained as though we were there for our pleasure? Or should we rather fall flat on our face in humility before our God who created the heavens and the earth?