There’s a lot of talk in the Christian circles these days about the place of skepticism, criticism and controversy in the church. Many theological (and “maturity”) camps have found ways of justifying their positions and being comfortable in them. Those who criticize a given cultural practice are met with stern opposition and statements like “never criticize what God is blessing” or “do not touch the Lord’s anointed.” On the other hand, those who choose not to question anything are dismissed as irrelevant and docile, liberals at best, antinomian at worst. Ironically, it is the latter group that is often at the forefront of criticizing the critical. They are tolerant everyone except the intolerant. I’ve been thinking about all this mess, especially since I have found myself in the midst of it one too many times.
Today, however, I want to examine a common expression that is often used to dismiss criticism, the expression, “do not throw out the baby with the bathwater.” Continue reading ON BABIES AND BATHWATERS