In defense of Matthew Paul Turner’s posts about Mark Driscoll, which seem to continually generate controversy and ill will in the comments section of his blog:

“Why post this?” is a repeated question. People seem to think that MPT is just using Driscoll to drum up publicity or hits for himself, or to stir the pot. But I’d have to say that as Christians, we should keep an eye on each other. Driscoll, like Fred Phelps, is just one face of modern Christianity, and represents us to those who may not realize that there’s a spectrum, and that we’re not all the same. A wayward sheep is a problem, but a wayward shepherd is a disaster.

As an Episcopalian, I take exception to Driscoll’s comments about our presiding bishop. As a woman, I take exception to what he teaches about the place of women in the church, and in society. And as a Seattlite, I’m worried about the impact of Mars Hill Church on my immediate social, political, and spiritual environment.

Driscoll seems to me to be engaging in WWF-style repackaging of religion for increased manliness, obfuscation (and lack of intellectual exploration) of the Christian message, stadium-filling zealotry, and flat-out sexism. In Seattle, where most churches are withering and dying, Driscoll’s is growing like crazy, and it worries me that he seems to be selling an Easy Christianity.

Christianity isn’t easy. It tells you to love people you want to hate, and forgive people who have harmed you deeply. Signing up for Jesus’ team does not mean you’ll always be right. It’s a lifestyle, not a get-out-of-jail-free card. It requires devotion, persistence, and education. The Bible is not intended to be prescriptive; it cannot tell you the answer to every question you have, only give you a history and some guidelines for how to achieve those answers.

But easy Fundamentalism is what Driscoll is selling to a subset of youth who have been raised in unchurched environments, and who don’t know that Christianity is much, much more than what Driscoll preaches.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Driscoll is feeding his flock junk food. Personally, I believe they deserve better.