LABELS!
I am now used to being the poster child for Mosaic at CRN, and all the stereotypes that come along with it. But why must they make unfair and illogical connections with people? Labels seem to be their mode of operation. Here are some quote describing ME
Another example of the hate for proper Biblical Christianity espoused by the Mosaic of Pain spawned by Erwin McManus. Today in the comments section of a blog where he is contributor Nathan Neighbour, one of McManus’ disciples
_______
I provide the following from Nathan Neighbour whose pastor just happens to be lead singer pastor, cultural architect and distinguished futurist Erwin McManus of Mosaic.
_______
Nathan Neighbour whose “pastor†is cultural architect, distinguished furturist and emerging church leader Erwin McManus.
_______
*Gen. Ed. Note* Nathan Neighbour, a disciple of Cultural Architect Erwin McManus of the emerging church Mosiac, has also commented on the poster issue.
_______
Nathan Neighbour, self-professed “leader” in the emerging church, disciple of Cultural Architect and distinguished futurist Erwin McManus
I mean, does it make better headlines to add Erwin McManus to my name? I am just a kid from Southern California –but when you add his name to my ideas [POOF!] you have a juicy story. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, and no one else. I synthesize and formate my ideas without needing to consult a man. I am a free thinker, not a robot who spews out ideas from an author, a friend, a pastor or a Christian icon.
Labels, labels, labels. Emergent, Emerging, Purpose Driven, Seeker Sensitive, Man Loving, Reformed, Heretic, Orthodox, Mystic, Traditional, Fundamentalist, Apostate. If you don’t fit into one of those categories, then they SHOVE you into one. Why can’t I just be? Why do I have to be the emerging disciple of Erwin McManus? I think this is the issue here. We need to ditch the labels and just judge people for who they are (if we must judge). Or maybe the labels just make for more web hits.
19 Comments(+Add)
Nathan,
Its not juiciness, its google.
Its not juiciness, its google.
do people actually google “apostate,” or “man loving,” or “lead singer pastor,” or any of Ken’s other asinine labels?
Dave,
I think that’s the point, no one googles watchdoggie keywords, but they do google Erwin McManus and Mosaic.
Well that is true… but I find the labels such as “apostate” much more amusing than linking Nathan to McManus.
But yea – naming McManus, Warren, McLaren, Hybels, etc. sure must increase those google search hits.
Nathan, are you or are you not emerging?
“Asinine labels” says it all.
Clearly,
define “emerging”
Better yet, have you ever defined yourself as such? Maybe called yourself an emergent or emerging leader? Or are you saying that Ken Silva is lying?
I don’t think the burden of definition is on me, if you have used the word of yourself, then you should know what it means and be able to fill us in…
The funny thing about that quote is that I used “emerging” as it is defined in the dictionary. “beginning” “budding” “promising” “up and coming” could all have been used there. I am only 24, so I used it to describe me coming into my leadership.
If I wanted to define myself as a leader of the emerging church, i would have said that. I just said that I was an emerging leader.
So… in the sense that I am young, still developing my “wings” and growing… then yes, I am emerging.
This is like the new McCarthyism in the Church.
“Do you call yourself Emergent?”
“Have you ever read ‘A Generous Orthodoxy’ or ‘Velvet Elvis’?”
“Have you ever attended an event where candles were lit?”
“Do you pray while walking?”
“Have you read something by Donald Miller and liked it?”
“If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, please come with us. We’d like to have a few words with you.” (exit into dimly lit corridor)
Nathan, since you are one of McManus’ disciples I have to ask, have you seen him walk on water yet?????
Nathan,
That’s a load of carp straight of the bottom of a murky river.
Clearly… Ken’s labels or my explanation? You asked for my definition in that context, and it was given.
Yeah, Nathan and by “carp”, I meant
“a large freshwater cyprinid fish, Cyprinus carpio, native to Asia but widely introduced in tropical and temperate waters: an important food fish in many countries.”
You mean to tell me that in this day and age, when you referred to yourself as an “emerging leader,” the thought of the emergent/emerging movement never entered your mind? You weren’t at least making a pun? I find this very hard to believe_
LOL, Be careful Dave, to some you are treading dangerously close to being clearly offensive.
is ass-inine offensive?
clearly,
I sincerely and honesty meant that in that context. I also have no problem identifying myself as being pasrt of the emerging church. I was asking you what “emerging” meant to you, because the word often carries loaded ideas, depending on who you are talking to.
Phil,
If it meant being beaten and then blacklisted from ever attending a “MacArthurite” church… then PRAISE GOD!
blessings,
iggy
clearly,
I think what nathan is trying to get across to you is that he does identify with the ‘emerging church/conversation’, but sometimes the word is used simply to create a us vs. them situation. Like when someone doesn’t want to actually deal with the fact that the person they are ‘against’ really has nothing wrong with their doctrine, so they simply label them ‘emerging’ or ‘emergent’ or ‘liberal’ so that they can turn the person into a ‘bad guy’ without actually dealing with the person. It’s easy to attack a person when you can call them a label and then attack the label. It’s hard to attack a person when they don’t fit your stereotype of the label and you actually have to deal with the person themself and not the label.