Reconciling Westboro Baptist and World Vision - Mission Impossible? Maybe Not.

    
     Fred Phelps, the former elder statesman and pastor of Westboro Baptist (NOT Southern Baptist) Church died recently.  The church issued a terse communique that it would not be doing anything to officially acknowledge their excommunicated leader's passing.  Presumably, its members will keep on protesting with their "God Hates Fags" signs and keep giving Christianity a black eye.  World Vision, an organization which has helped the needy throughout the world for decades announced that it now will permit same sex couples as employees.  Both organizations are making theological statements.  Both are, ironically, wrong, and for the same reason - bad theology.

     Westboro's brand of "we know better than you do who is in and who is out of heaven and we know we're definitely in" theology reeks of what is often called hyper-calvinism.   This is an heretical theology that posits what is sometimes in Christian circles euphemistically called "the frozen chosen."  These folks understand that God's elect means them and, quite possibly, or even probably, nobody else.  Thus, you get what we have come to expect from Westboro - an insensitive, intolerant "Christianity" that would as soon spit on you as help you.  There is nothing of the parable of the Good Samaritan in Westboro's theology at all, despite its claim it adheres to the Christian bible and various confessions of faith that many true Christians see as meaningful.  So we have truth with no heart - Pharisees who tithe their mint and cumin, but neglect the greater matters such as justice, mercy and faith (Matthew, Chapter 23).  Make no mistake, Westboro is right that unrepentant homosexual behavior is sin.  But kicking people while they're down, rather than offering a hand up, hardly qualifies as any sort of Christian behavior.

     Unfortunately, World Vision has the same problem, just from the opposite side of the coin.  In an effort to placate denominations that have rushed headlong into apostasy by kowtowing to the times despite the clear teaching of Scripture regarding homosexual behavior (not the temptation that arises from same sex attraction), World Vision has also misunderstood Christian theology.  There is heart, but no truth.  World Vision is wrapping itself in a mantle of justice, mercy, and faith but is neglecting tithing its mint and cumin.  There are numerous biblical passages which indicate homosexual behavior (again, not the temptation of same sex attraction) is sin.  (Romans, Chapter One, for instance).  World Vision's claim to seek unity miserably fails since it depends on bad theology.

     Perhaps an analogy might prove useful here to demonstrate why both are equally wrong.  Suppose you are standing on a street corner waiting to cross a busy street.  A fellow pedestrian walks out in front of an oncoming bus, apparently unaware he is about to get hit.  The Westboro Baptist response is to hold up a sign saying "God Hates Idiots who walk in front of buses."  The World Vision response is to shout, "it's okay you're walking in front of a bus, we love you."  In both instances, the bus hits and kills the pedestrian.  The approach may be different, but the result is the same.

     The Christian response to the pedestrian is to grab his arm and yank him out of the way, all the while shouting "watch out for the bus, watch out for the bus."  While the pedestrian might initially get mad at the Christian for doing so, his life will be spared.  Ultimately Christians must speak truth in love and love in truth and act on both.  There is no pulling the two apart somehow, as both Westboro and World Vision are trying to do.  Westboro wants "truth" only, World Vision wants "love" only.  Jesus never gave us this option.

     So I will stop giving to World Vision and find another avenue to help people.  I never gave to Westboro, anyway.  Some will accuse those of us who disengage from World Vision of not caring for the needy.  Okay.  But then, doesn't that just mean you are holding up a sign that says "God hates people who don't give to World Vision."