If it came down to me choosing between Tony Jones and Ken Silva it would be difficult:

1. Tony has some theology I disagree with (I am unabashedly reformed…but only because Jesus was)

2. Ken Silva is a legalist who as near as I can tell does not like to over think things and jumps to conclusions that are not only wrong they are stupid

3. Bad theology one would think is sinful

4. Legalism is no less sinful

5. If I am mean to Tony Jones his wife may sue me…I don’t suspects Ken’s would

6. Tony Jones (while I disagree with many things he says) has a heart for the lost

7. Ken Silva confuses any attempt to reach the lost with being pagan (If this were Ken’s site the Headline would be “Jesus is a Pagan” as Jesus tried to reach the lost and Ken loves to jump to stupid conclusions.)

8. I have a very low tolerance for bad theology…I also have a very low tolerance for people who think that any attempt to reach people for Jesus is sinful

In the end my friend Tony, who I disagree with on a lot allows me to call him “T” and if Ken came to my church he would probably have a headline that read “Dave is a pagan who tries to reach evil tribes with the neo-cultic truth contained in his evil TNIV Bible…” So I an going with my bud “T”

Here how is this for a headline “Ken Silva is not a disciple of Jesus” click.

So I am not usually one to throw in with those who are culturally ultra conservative…but I have been following a spat between someone named Ingid and Doug Pagitt…While following this fight I happened on Ken Silva’s site…Now the thing is that theologically I think that ole’ Kenneth and I could be boys…but I suspect that because I like to mix my reformation theology with still living in the year 2007 he probably would not like me…but anyhoo he was commenting on Doug Pagitt and wrote the following paragraph which is both funny and true. Unless of course you are Doug Pagitt, but hey if you are Doug Pagitt then the words have no meaning anyway, and if there is a meaning we can not really know it as we are trapped inside language so you should just re-imagine them for your own time and context.

Ken wrote these words in response to Doug posting on a blog essentially saying that Ingrid was being rude:

Doug Wrote:

At some point doesn’t this kind of talk become gossip and slander? I mean really.It seems to me that if people like me bother you so much you ought to just leave us alone and stop inviting us to be on your programs or be featured on your website.To equate people who are seeking to be faithful with those mentioned in Jude is beyond rude and enters into divisiveness.

And Ken Responded

O please Doug. Striving to be “faithful” to what? And we’re “rude” and practicing “divisiveness”? Aren’t you the superior Christians in the so-called emerging church who have defecated on the blood of the Reformation martyrs by dragging Gnostic contemplative spirituality from antibiblcal monastic traditions from apostate Roman Catholicism back into the Church of our Lord?

I have said it before and I will say it again: If you follow the Jesus of History and the Bible then Doug is really freaking dangerous. If not, feel free to imagine Jesus anyway you like, however I suspect that it might turn out to be an unpleasant decision upon your death. I think the fact that Doug tries to frame his theology as “Christian” that makes him dangerous, if he were just some dude starting a religion I suspect that he would not have a very big following…(as all his ideas have been around and died once before…)

Side note: I wonder what the followers of Peace-nik Jesus do with the Jesus they read about in Revelation.

Edit: Per Doug’s request links to his books: Books

Also as a random side note, I do not know Doug but I assume that he is a nice guy and that he is a Christ follower, I just think he is wrong, and that his ideas are still dangerous. I do know that he used to be a part of the same group of churches as me so that is something. Feel free to read his books, I did and they kinda freaked me out, but enjoy.

Also good news, Ken apparently would like me and I am sure he is nice too…