Being born-again involves a major overhaul as dramatic as a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. We too often experience a complete meltdown as we are being renewed in the chrysalis—a painful humbling process—before we can learn to fly. It requires us to think, believe, and to act in new ways.
Understandably, we enter into our new life with a lot of soiled baggage, which needs to be painfully exposed and replaced. Therefore, it takes time to be clothed anew. As a result, the more we think we know, the more training we require to unlearn it. Jordan Peterson’s “discussion” with a highly educated Muslim apologist, who shredded Peterson as if he was grating cheese, illuminated this. principle.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqS1ov4lSI0
I have a great amount of admiration for Peterson, especially now that he has professed the Christian faith. However, he came to this “discussion” poorly prepared in regards to Islam and his protagonist.
Peterson wanted to find common ground with the apologist in hope of uniting the two groups against the secular onslaught. However, it finally became clear that the Muslim had no such intention. He was only interested in one thing—promoting Islam. Therefore, he pummeled Peterson mercilessly, even as he praised him disingenuously.
How did Peterson make himself so vulnerable? First of all, as a new Christian, he probably wasn’t familiar with the many supportive proofs for the Christian Faith.
Secondly, Peterson didn’t seem interested in them. Instead, he came to make peace by finding areas of commonality. He failed to readjust his sights when it became painfully obvious that the apologist didn’t show any interest with finding a common cause with Christians. Instead, the Muslim was concerned about one thing—to show the reasonableness of Islam as opposed to Christianity.
Most importantly, Peterson approached the discussion with his postmodern worldview—that we cannot absolutely be certain of the truth of Christianity. Consequently, he was unprepared to defend the faith against the Muslim apologist who found a critical flaw in Peterson’s faith and exploited it effectively by arguing that Islam is the truth, while Christianity is not. Sadly, Peterson didn’t respond to these assertions.
To confront the adversary, we have to put on the full armor of God, which includes the knowledge of the Word of God and the empowering promotion of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:15):
• In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (Ephesians 6:16-17)
I admire Peterson in so many ways. As gifted, humble, and courageous as he is, coming against a trained adversary is not an undertaking for a new Christian.
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