Thoughts on Mark Driscoll

 I've been listening to the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast. Here are my thoughts.

For those unfamiliar, Mark Driscoll was the controversial pastor who had a megachurch in the Seattle area from the late 1990s until 2014. Its collapse revealed a cult-like, abusive church led by a highly charismatic pastor. 

I'll be honest, sometimes the audio clips of Mark Driscoll make him come off very likable, funny, and easy to listen to.

But there was a dark side to it.

Mark Driscoll shows us what complemenaarianism allows for. Complementarianism is the idea that God created men and women for different, complementary roles in society. If we're talking about men being fathers and women being mothers, that shouldn't be objectionable. 

However, it is usually taken to justify patriarchy, where only men can lead.

Well, Mark Driscoll articulated that it's the woman's job to please her husband in the bedroom, including oral sex even if she isn't uncomfortable with it. This view of complementarianism views women as sex slaves of their husbands.

If we take male-centric complementarianism to its conclusion, then we should not be surprised by this.

Mark Driscoll also said that God created some people to be "match-sticks." This was a blunt way to express the Calvinistic idea of double-predestination, where God created "some" people to go to eternal conscious torment.

By "some", it actually means billions of souls. Perhaps even the majority of all humans that ever lived,

This form of God is neither loving, nor just, but resembles more of the devil. 

But to Mark Discoll's credit, it is an accurate description of double-predestination.

The Mars Hill debacle went on for so long because it was perceived as being an overall good. They were motivated by saving souls on earth. The problems are overlooked because of this, in a machiavellian sense of the ends justify the means.

This is one of my lifelong frustrations with the "saving soul" focus. This is not an isolated incident. When people feel that the only real currency or priority in life is converting people, then it tends to justify the method of doing so. 

Put simply, people justify being assholes if it leads to conversion. This leads to toxic, hostile forms of christianity and ironically, isn't the Gospel at all.

Personally, I think salvation is something that is demonstrated. People should want to be christian because they see Jesus demonstrated.