Will Wilkinson is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and, even better, a Vox columnist, so we’re thinking we’re going to be reaching for that “Vox Site Safety” sign pretty quickly. Combine the sort of person Vox would hire as a columnist and Christianity and you know you’re in for a treat.
What seems to be bothering Wilkinson is a piece in The Economist claiming that evangelicals “have become increasingly likely to support Republican candidates for office.” We don’t doubt that, but for the life of us, we just can’t figure out what Wilkinson is trying to say in these tweets:
The modern conservative movement was built in part by replacing the religious doctrine of protestant Christianity with a political doctrine of traditionalist American national ID and hierarchy. This blended identity is potent. But it's also a heretical attack on Xtian doctrine.
— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) February 28, 2019
If you're attracted to the core of standard Christianity, a morally universalistic doctrine of unconditional love, especially for the weakest and most vulnerable among us (which says nothing at all about guns or abortion) you won't feel at home in most evangelical churches.
— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) February 28, 2019
OK, wait. The core of “standard” Christianity is unconditional love, especially for the most vulnerable among us — but that says nothing about abortion? What?
That's not the "core of standard Christianity," my dude. https://t.co/7Y9kmx6d7z
— Esoteric Jeff (@EsotericCD) February 28, 2019
The "core of standard Christianity" (if such a 'standard' can even be said to exist now) is found in something called the Nicene Creed (the Apostle's Creed will do as well). It seems as if @willwilkinson is unfamiliar with the importance of this obscure document.
— Esoteric Jeff (@EsotericCD) February 28, 2019
I love it when people try to Christiansplain a faith they apparently know nearly nothing about except what they've read in Vox to me.
— Esoteric Jeff (@EsotericCD) February 28, 2019
Just curious if you’ve read the creeds and where you can find that characterization of the “core of Christianity” in them
— JoS. S. Laughon (@paleomexicano) February 28, 2019
That’s not the core of Christianity.
— Good Old Sam (@itsgoodolsam) February 28, 2019
Not even close.
— Michelle (@michnic70) February 28, 2019
Salvation by Grace through faith. That’s all.
— Jeff Wills (@jchillwills) February 28, 2019
This. @willwilkinson is way out of his lane on this one.
— cory wilson (@cory_wilson_) February 28, 2019
It's also bizarre that he sees a tension between (1) love for the weakest and most vulnerable, and (2) opposition to abortion. I mean, I'm old enough to remember the early blogosphere when he was considered smart and this is just willfully obtuse.
— Mark Garbowski (@mgarbowski) February 28, 2019
"The most vulnerable among us" has nothing to do with abortion? ?
— Suleiman Grundy (@ghettoglass) February 28, 2019
@willwilkinson
Correct me if im wrong but this reads like “Jesus is about love and wants us to have abortions,” which is frankly among the most abhorrent and offensive interpretations of the Bible I’ve ever read.— cory wilson (@cory_wilson_) February 28, 2019
I'm still looking for a term similar to "mansplaining" to describe when people who are clueless about Christianity presume to explain what Christianity is all about to Christians.
— John Rabe (@johnrabeFL) February 28, 2019
Please regale us with your first hand experiences as a Christian. Either a regular attendance history or, better yet, any actual theological or historical studies you’ve done. Especially interested in your thoughts on the first seven ecumenical councils.
— PNW Conservative (@PNWCon) February 28, 2019
I don't think you know what Christianity is, bud
— For Whom the Belle Tolls (@bellepocrypha) February 28, 2019
Here we see the crumb-bumbling dirt licker in its natural habitat pic.twitter.com/vQaiBjvt5I
— Kaiju the Bricklayer (@kaijubushi) February 28, 2019
You may think the dark patch around its mouth is a feeble attempt at facial hair, but it is actually the residue of raw earth that it consumes daily. The soil acts as a catalyst for the brain spasm it uses to communicate with other dirt lickers.
— Kaiju the Bricklayer (@kaijubushi) February 28, 2019
The communication system looks like incoherent trash to an outsider, but through varying arrogance levels and alternating the object of sneers it tells a story to other creatures of mud.
— Kaiju the Bricklayer (@kaijubushi) February 28, 2019
The phrase here roughly translates to:
“I have lost the ability to feel, to love, to taste. Food is like ash in my mouth. If it weren’t for my abhorrence of the pain that comes with starvation I would have given up all human acts long ago.”
— Kaiju the Bricklayer (@kaijubushi) February 28, 2019
Be gentle. He's a simple, weak man.
— JD Cowan (@wastelandJD) February 28, 2019
I will not be gentle.
— Kaiju the Bricklayer (@kaijubushi) February 28, 2019
Pro-life Christians will take strong exception to your assertion that Christianity says nothing about abortion.
— Ernie Tedeschi (@ernietedeschi) February 28, 2019
Yeah, but it doesn't.
— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) February 28, 2019
Hey Will, the Constitution also doesn’t say anything about abortion, but the experts managed to find it in there.
I know you’re smarter than this so I can only conclude you’re being unnuanced for Twitter effect.
— Ernie Tedeschi (@ernietedeschi) February 28, 2019
"Unconditional love, especially for the weakest and most vulnerable among us" says nothing at all about abortion?
— William F Spengler (@WilliamFSpengl1) February 28, 2019
not hard to see how concern for the most vulnerable could translate to concern about abortion?
— Nikhil (@ExNikhilo) February 28, 2019
You need to see fetuses as having fully-fledged moral standing as persons to see them as vulnerable persons. The idea that life begins at conception is the idea that isn't there in bible.
— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) February 28, 2019
That’s just wildly false. pic.twitter.com/88VihKyhKV
— Just Some Guy (@jeremylatzke) February 28, 2019
It is, but he’s not done yet.
Even when I canvassed for Pat Robertson in 1988, the idea that early-term abortion was okay, and later term abortion was wrong, but wasn't murder, was around in evangelical circles.
— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) February 28, 2019
I simply don’t believe that is true. I was around and active then. Evangelical Christians were stunned, horrified and catalyzed by Roe and to a lesser degree by the Carter admin’s conference on the family. At no time did evangelicals think abortion was okay.
— Tom Giovanetti ? (@tgiovanetti) February 28, 2019
That's just flatly untrue. The idea that moral personhood begins at conception was widely considered a Catholic idea, and evangelicals views were all over the place.
— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) February 28, 2019
“Moral personhood.” OK, so since we’re making up terms here, when exactly does “moral personhood” begin? Is this one of those magical things that happens at delivery but not one moment earlier?
So the core of Christianity is 2019 progressivism? makes you think
— Robert Mariani (@robert_mariani) February 28, 2019
Have you considered, just for a moment, that maybe evangelicals are enacting their vision of morally universal unconditional love, especially for the weakest and most vulnerable among us, *through* their stances on guns and abortion?
— Forsooth (@forsoothic) February 28, 2019
Yes, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) February 28, 2019
That’s the most self-unaware thing we’ve read today.
Brother, I hope you see the light someday. Your teachers have failed you.
— R. Thomas (@R_Thomasbooks) February 28, 2019
Related:
Vox warns about Christian Mike Pompeo's 'specific brand of evangelical Christianity' https://t.co/l7WvYFRzyM
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 19, 2018
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