This is an experiment in blogging. I get nary a blip of traffic on my blog, which is fine by me. As I outlined in my first post on the blog, this is really an exercise in discipline and an opportunity to keep my writing skills intact. Additionally, it is becoming a place where I process through things like youth ministry and theology.
But I was thinking the other day, “If I did want to increase my blog traffic, how could I do that?” Then I got a funny idea: I would write anti-emerging church rants. I would say things like this:
Brian McLaren believes in universalism. He denies the truth of the Gospel as the very Word of God. He is simply an unregenerate apostate. He uses Roman Catholic, mystic and eastern religions in order to help him “connect with God”. This is nothing less than blasphemy.
Tony Jones is a relativist. He denies absolute truth and makes postmodern relativism his choice hermeneutic. He advocates reading philosophy. Postmodernism is the God he bows down to. He also advocates lectio divina, centering prayer, the Jesus prayer, labyrinths, and other pagan practices.
Doug Pagitt does not rightly divide the Word of Truth. Rather than proper expository preaching, he would rather have a “dialogue” or “discussion“. He makes a mockery out of the preacher’s commitment to his pulpit. He denies the historic creeds of the church.
Great men of God like Whitefield, Edwards, Spurgeon, and Calvin would be appalled at the apostasy present in these emerging (or emergent) churches today.
I might also do things like link to Slice of Laodicea, Christian Research Network, or Apprising Ministries.
Now, truthfully, I enjoy listening to and reading Jones, McLaren, and Pagitt. I don’t have a beef with the emerging church as a whole. But I am interested in seeing if my blog traffic increases because of the pervasiveness of the above key terms. Time will tell.
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I read another blog where someone wrote “Obama is the AntiChrist” in an effort to increase traffic. I don’t know how it worked out for him. I wrote a brief piece about Chuck Norris and I’m surprised how many people find my blog by googling “Chuck Norris.”
it’s a bummer that you feel the need to play devil’s advocate (a pet peeve of mine). couldn’t you name drop these people, but actually tell the truth about how you feel about them? i think you’d get the same amount of traffic.
http://revolutionfl.blogspot.com
Great blog, Matt!
Actually, the key word that caught my eye was “heretic”!
An acquaintance of mine listed a maclaren book as one of his favorites and that shocked me.
I googled “maclaren” and “heretic” in hopes of finding a good site with a good history of all the heretical things that he has said.
i decided to comment to encourage you. The body is need of ephesians 5:11 folk who can clearly expose false doctrine. If you’re up for the task, keep at it.
i spelled mclaren incorrectly.
This is awesome. Rusty and I are impressed, mostly because Tony Jones wrote on your blog. Haha!!!
As for imagination…I don’t know what to tell you. But you should watch the movie What Would Jesus Buy when it comes out. And you should convert your car to run on vegetable oil and only shower once a week so you can be more imaginative about how to smell good. Ok just kidding about the shower thing.
I was actually looking for youth program for my nephews when they go to Texas and I ran across your blog. Um…odd. It was very random but funny at the same time. Nice stuff by the way. They’re seriously looking into something.
blawg blawg blawg…. your blawg blawg blawg…. see me comment on your blawg.
Thanks for the comments, nice looking page by the way, its inspired me to make my own…. i think im going to call it “matt cleaver is a heretic” and then have lots of discussions with people who agree with my views and opinions
I don’t think you’ll get much traffic that way, but you’re welcome to try.
great stuff Matt.
I was about to come and find you and kick the $$%% out of you until i realized you were joking!
If not for your English, you guys sound and feel exactly like Muslim fundamentalist. Christian fundamentalism is nothing more than a mirror image of Islamic fundamentalism. It’s the same mindset!
You guys are so up the proverbial religious behind that I bet none of you even know what this means.
I’m confused. Please help.
“If not for your English, you guys sound and feel exactly like Muslim fundamentalist. Christian fundamentalism is nothing more than a mirror image of Islamic fundamentalism. It’s the same mindset!”
* Except we preach a message of Grace and a relationship with our Savior. They preach a message of religion.
And for what it’s worth – Brian McLaren needs to read his Bible and stop making stuff up based on what he feels.
Did I actually see that reading philosophy is some kind of red flag for a Christian teacher? That is absurd. I would hope all good teachers are familiar with philosophy so we can understand our fellow man and interact with him or her in an empathetic manner.
Re-read the post. S-L-O-W-E-R.
keep up the good work Brian and tony.