With more than 50 years of faithful preaching of the Scriptures and zero public scandals, Pastor Begg had certainly earned my unofficial designation as a “solid” celebrity pastor. However, his recent handling of a cultural matter countered a Biblical worldview, and this was not at all consistent with the reputation that has long preceded him.
Which begs the question that many have raised in recent weeks: What are we, as Believers, now to do with Alistair Begg?
Since publishing the original SITMAC series in 2018, I’ve received several requests to write another installment. Admittedly, I didn’t believe one would be necessary because, as my logic went, by exposing the up and coming protégés of the old guard (see Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Kenneth Copeland, etc), it should be easy to sniff out other false and extremely problematic preachers and pastors by association. Those birds all seemed to flock together, so writing about yet another member of their coop felt redundant.
What I didn’t consider at the time, however, was the role social media was beginning to play in platforming charlatans who don’t necessarily have ties to the old guard. I also didn’t consider how, thanks to social media, false teachers and problematic brothers (and sisters) no longer need a pulpit or a local church to sow error and confusion before a mass of God’s people.
Prior to episode 902 of the Relatable Podcast with Allie Beth Stuckey, I had extremely little knowledge of Kat Von D.
I’ve certainly heard her name in passing as I’ve consumed pop culture news over the years. In recent weeks, for example, I’d seen various headlines reporting on her recent baptism into Christianity. So, indeed, I’ve definitely heard of her.
Yet, I’m embarrassed to admit that I was so unfamiliar with her claims to fame and professional résumé that I initially confused her with the burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. In my defense, both women do have “Von” in their names; they’re both undeniably gorgeous, fair-skinned brunettes who often rock a bold, red lip; and they are both closely associated with Marilyn Manson.
In the premiere episode of Season 4 of Truth + Fire: The Podcast, host Veritéetfeu tackles "married single motherhood", a parenting phenomenon where married mothers take on the sole responsibility to care for their children. But is this practically beneficial for the mother, the father or their children? More importantly, is it Biblical?
While browsing through Twitter the other day, I happened upon an interesting post from one of my favorite Christian writers, Samuel Sey.
In it, he declared:
“If a woman doesn’t want to be a mother, she shouldn’t be a wife. My dude, stay away from her.”
Founder and blogger at slowtowrite.com and contributing writer for various other outlets, Sam has done well to pen prolific thought pieces on the state of our culture, and he always endeavors to do so through a Biblical worldview. We also share a platform at Pyrolithos Foundation, where we each publish articles that address cultural issues from a Biblically-conservative perspective. In other words, Sam and I are on the same team; he is indeed my brother in the Lord; and, in most instances, I agree with his commentary.
Yet, admittedly, I found his tweet to be a bit provocative and potentially discouraging.
In the premiere episode of Season 4 of Truth + Fire: The Podcast, host Veritéetfeu tackles "married single motherhood", a parenting phenomenon where married mothers take on the sole responsibility to care for their children. But is this practically beneficial for the mother, the father or their children? More importantly, is it Biblical?
Frankly, I don’t expect much of celebrities in the way of proclaiming Christ, rightly dividing His Word or espousing a consistently Biblical worldview. But since Tia is a professing Christian and known for her “good girl” image, it’s important to address her rhetoric and test her fruit for the sake of those tempted to eagerly pick up what she’s been dropping lately. This is especially necessary in a culture that increasingly preaches that women are “victims of the patriarchy” and that “self-love” is a virtue…a Biblical mandate, even. Indeed, they will find a way to bring this ideology into the Church.
In the first episode of the new year (and the premiere installment of the Writer’s Block Series), host Veritéetfeu discusses her Christian dating woes and shares her empirical and Biblical analysis for why they exist.
“What would you do if your husband cheated on you?”
“DIIIVOOOORRCE!”
“Really? Divorce? You’d just give up your family like that?”
“Give up on my family? Didn’t my husband give up on us the moment he cheated? I could NEVER trust him again!”
“That’s cold! I can’t believe you’d do that.”
“Are you SERIOUS?!”
This is a snippet from a conversation I had with a gentleman I dated well over a decade ago. I do believe that was the last conversation we ever had. He was an audacious fellow, and I was a little bit more than furious. The nerve of him. OF COURSE I’d divorce my unfaithful husband! What was he thinking...that if we got married he could do whatever he wanted and I’d just deal with it? Tuh! Nope! I was so undone by his response. In fact, as I shared that conversation with girlfriends over the years, everyone said that I was right and agreed that this guy was clearly out of his mind. I didn’t need them to affirm me, of course. I already knew I was right. Indeed, I was more than right!
But then I began to follow Christ.
About two weeks before my 39th birthday I fell into a mild depression. I was entering the final year of my 30s a single lady, and not only that, there was no one waiting in the wings to “put a ring on it”. Honestly, that broke my heart...and it did a nice little number on my pride. I didn’t feel “single, saved and sassy” or whatever catchy, alliterative descriptor some Christian authors might use these days. I simply felt “single and sad”...and angry...and lonely...and frustrated...and anxious!
Thankfully, on the day of my birthday, the depression and heaviness of what I’d been feeling lifted. But in the weeks and months to come, I’d still find myself “feeling a way” about my marital status.
After thousands of years of human existence, women remain the only gender (of the only two genders) that can biologically become pregnant with, carry, and give birth to another human life. As such, it is only natural and understandable that the female perspective is considered in discourse on abortion. Yet, in the past 40 years, society has systematically and disingenuously presented the female perspective as the only perspective that matters, especially when that perspective is “pro-choice”.
Sure, the very camp that’s long supported rhetoric like “It’s a woman’s right to choose!” now also supports the “right to choose” of women who feel they’re men (thus, per society, they are “men”) - because, apparently, “men can get pregnant, too.” But gender confusion and obvious delusions aside, the male perspective on, and a man’s experience with, abortion is typically silent and silenced. And with abortion in the news quite frequently in recent months, I’ve found their silence rather deafening - perhaps as deafening as Adam’s as he watched Eve eat the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6).
Long, long ago, I belonged to a church where it wasn’t uncommon for members to “know” the specific person “God” told them they were destined to marry. A good friend of mine at the time believed God revealed to her that our pastor’s armor bearer (assistant/Bible toter/water getter/forehead wiper) was her husband to be. Another member said God told her she would marry one of our church’s ministers. And I believed the Lord told me a popular radio personality (and church member) was destined to be my hubby. Suffice it say, each of us found ourselves looking like an idiot as time and circumstance played out. The pastor’s armor bearer ended up marrying another woman within six months of meeting her. The minister simply used the other young lady for sex as she pined away hoping he’d one day see they were meant to be. And my radio personality hubby-to-be told me flat out that I wasn’t “the one”, went on to marry a gorgeous gospel artist and (10+ years later) they remain married and have an adorable family.
Since leaving that church, I’ve come to learn that our embarrassingly mistaken “revelations” aren’t uncommon among professed believers in other churches, either. I’ve since met another young lady who so sincerely believed God told her a specific guy was her husband that she remained single and waited for him for 13 years! (THIIIIIIIR-TEEEEEN...YEEEEEAAAAARRRRSSSS!!!!) Meanwhile, that gentleman barely knew her name, and if I recall correctly, he also went off to marry someone else.
As a Christian woman, it’s hard to admit that physical attraction is one of my non-negotiables. I'm often made to feel like I’m confessing some secret sin from which I require immediate deliverance, as if wanting to be attracted to my spouse makes me carnal, superficial or “loose”. Now, it is quite possible my present perspective on this topic is spiritually immature. I might look back on this piece years from now, perhaps after I’m married, and find that my current priorities are slightly out of whack. Nevertheless, I feel very strongly about this at the moment and, even on the chance that it isn’t the most mature perspective, I’m certain it isn’t a sinful one.
It seems within weeks an engagement occurs, female friendships can begin to take a nasty, catty turn. According to my social media timelines, these cat fights rear their ugly heads because a single friend is now “hating” on the newly engaged friend. It's a sad state of affairs, people. So, this post is inspired by a lot of what I've seen play out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and much, much more. I’m writing this in love, and in an effort to help you repair and maintain important relationships. I also seek to help others who have to watch this stuff play out in our newsfeed maintain our sanity - ladies, we honestly can't take another passive aggressive status update or meme.
So, engaged ladies, here are four things your single female friends are most likely thinking about your impending nuptials.
