A man called me shouting and cussing me out for my
one minute radio spot that said, “Our Calvinist Puritan
forefathers came to this land seeking freedom of religion. They established a
government based on a covenant with God called the Mayflower Compact. In the
Old country they had paid with their blood to be free from tyrants. Puritan
pastor Thomas Hooker wrote the first constitution in the history of mankind for
Connecticut in 1639. Thomas Jefferson did not invent the ideas in the
Declaration of Independence. They were copied from the Calvinists. The Calvinist Puritans
sought to establish a city on a hill based on the Bible. This, and this alone
is what made America great. But now we are engaged in a spiritual civil war
waged by the powers of darkness that hate biblical values. To vote for Obama is
to hate God and the America of the founding fathers.”
The man was really mad. He shouted, “You have no
right to say those things on the radio. It’s against the law. I’m gonna report
you to the radio station.” I said, “That’s okay. The First Amendment and The
Alliance Defense Fund will take care of that.”
He said, “I have a PHD from the University of
Tennesee, KNOXVILLE.” I said, “I
do have a doctorate in biblical studies.” He said, “From where? The University
of Basket Weaving? Is it accredited?”
He said,
“You’re just an ignorant fundamentalist that interprets the Bible
literally. I don’t believe in the virgin birth. I’m a liberal. My father was a
Methodist pastor.” I said, “I’m under the authority of a cloud of witnesses…
the tried and true ones that brought liberty to the modern world.”
He said, “The Puritans and Reformers were not as
smart as we are. They didn’t have cars.” Well, we wouldn’t have cars, either if
they had not brought us liberty. It’s for freedom that Christ made us free.
He said, “John Locke and the humanists brought
liberty to the modern world, not fundamentalists.” I said, “Do you know when
the first constitution in the history of mankind was written? Puritan preacher
Thomas Hooker wrote it for the state of Connecticut in 1639. Do you know how
old John Locke was then? Eight
years old.”
I asked, “Have you ever heard of presuppositionalist
reasoning? If I presuppose something is true, even if it’s not, all my logic
will be based on that basis. It does not mean my logic is bad (i.e. that I’m
stupid). It means I put my faith in the wrong presupposition. If you presuppose
something different, it does not mean your logic is bad or that you’re dumb. It
just means you presupposed something different. I presuppose that the Bible is
factual and you presuppose it’s not. Does that make me stupid?”
“Before you jump to the conclusion of calling
someone stupid because they don’t see it your way, stop to consider that. And
before you make a judgment on who you think I am (a literalist), listen to the
sermon I preached just last Sunday on that very subject. Just like every day speech,
we mix both literal speech with figurative speech all the time. So does the Bible.”
I said, “You
said you’re a liberal. I always thought “liberal” meant “tolerant.” He said,
“Yes. We’re tolerant.” I said, “You don’t seem to be tolerating me.” He had no
answer.
By the time the call ended he was calm and wished me a good day. His mouth was shut.
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" ( 1Pet 3:15).
