![Image]()
![Image]()
Writers Note:
I originally wrote this piece mentioning Jonathan Aigners marriage only because it was talked about in a few blog posts on other websites. At the request of Jonathan himself I have edited the piece and took out these references for the safety of his family. It was NEVER my intention to cause harm to his family and I agree with his concerns. In the end I am glad that we can disagree with each other respectfully and with some civility.
Jonathan Aigner I would consider a millennial who was force fed into the Christian lifestyle as a child. But hey I cant blame the parents who were Southern Baptists. They were doing their best to pass the faith on to poor old Jonah (he hates being called Johnny). He grew listening to the late 1980s and 1990s Contemporary Christian Music and the emerging Worship Music that was getting louder if not more 1990s soft alt-rock/Brit Rock (U2 styled) focused. One song that the young Aigner hated right from the start was a song written by Darlene Joyce Zschech (pronounced Sh-eck) with a single verse and refrain. That being Shout To The Lord.
I was working on a long letter but now it has been taken so long to finish it (coupled with grammar and proof read perfections) that I have decided to scrap it. However
his recent blog posts on Keith & Kristin Getty only got my mind and hands to write something during this holiday season...in spite of taking a real" but temp job. Keith Getty recently made a clarion call regarding much of the popular worship music that is being played both on Christian Music radio and in many of todays churches.
An authentic generation doesnt begin with catharsis; it has to begin with an authentic picture of the God of the Bible" Getty said. Over 75 percent of what are called the great hymns of the faith talk about eternity Heaven Hell and the fact that we have peace with God. Yet less than 5 percent of modern worship songs talk about eternity."
Many worship songs are focused on this Earth. I believe that the modern worship movement is a movement for cultural relevance. Its a de-Christianizing of Gods people. Its utterly dangerous. I have no quibbles saying Enough is enough. This cant happen to build an authentic generation.
I have to give credit to Keith and his wife Kristin. They are
trying to keep the basic structure of hymnody alive and well in the 21st Century Christian church. Couple that with lyrics (or as church musicians prefer Words") that go deep into Gods Word and enforce certain truths good bad and ugly and who God is and not how God makes us better. I respect that their music can be transitioned towards the sublime as well as organ and even a Capella. I think that myself and Jonathan would agree with the Gettys that Contemporary Worship is dangerous and like Jonathan I dont care for them as artists in their own right. I rather see a Hard Rock/Metal concert before spending my money on the Gettys.
But Jonathan goes a little too far and kind of shows where his musicals tastes are along with his progressive feminist theology. Jonathan today hates the whole Contemporary Christian Music genre past and present these days. If he had it his way popular rock music and Jesus would be forbidden and could only be done in a Classical music style. After all he is a Classical trained church musician and man he has the classical voice and we all must like what he likes. Classical music is Gods favorite kind of music...right?
But as with Lauren Daigle (Jonah is much older) I have to call out this lesser known millennial for this contribution to the Christian apostasy.
In Jonathans piece
that is critical of the Gettys he is not only critical of them being commercial and their lack of great poetry in their lyrics/words (I agree) but how their music appeals to so called Neo-Calvinists." We can have a legit discussion on where John Calvin might have gotten it wrong but when it comes to Jonah his passion (in my honest and humble opinion) is his support of the emasculation of the one thing that has held the Christian community together and held men grounded to the earth regarding their roles of being part of the male gender. That being the Christian church itself.
For all his contempt for respected teachers like John Piper and Al Mohler I am quite surprised he has not mentioned John MacArthur...especially after his Go Home" remarks regarding Beth Moore. Knowing Jonah I would feel that this is one part that makes him happy regarding his old church body. MacArthur really gave a hands down sermon that makes a solidified case on why women are not called to be teachers in the Christian Church and their role in the church is to be in the support roles within the church as well keeping order in the home and being mothers to their children. This keeps the women with a loving and caring heart and not falling into the trap of power which Eve got seduced and ushered in Adams fall along with herself.
MacArthur warns that empowering women will eventually lead to weak men.
When women take over a culture men become weak; when men become weak they can be conquered" he said. When all the men have been slaughtered you women can sit there with all your jewelry and junk. Youve been conquered because you overpowered your protectors.
Hes right look at was happening in Europe now with the growing Muslim population which is now bent on conquering the continent. The same thing can happen here. Men were created to be protectors. Not every man was created to be the perfect soldier but as the norm they are to protect and teach the whole human population especially young boys. Women are to train young women to be servants not only for their husbands and/or husbands to be servants with a kind heart that loves and fears God. Empowering women in the long run only makes them the cold and conniving dogs that turns many men off or at the minim leaves them confused if not persecuted.
Eve got out from the protection of Adam she was vulnerable she was deceived" he explained. He sinned because he couldnt live without her. She had become everything to him. When the roles are reversed the women are deceived bad things happen the men are made weak worse things happen. The whole human race went down with Adam. You tamper with this order chaos is unending.
That does not mean that as men we get to slap our women so hard (like the fictional Lord Loxley did to his wife on the UK period TV drama
Mr. Selfridge) that they will face the floor when they make us look bad (although that is quite tempting). Men tend to be logical while women are emotional and we have seen what happens to the human order as MacArthur points out.
Just because you have the skill to sell jewelry on the TV sales channel doesnt mean you should be preaching. There are people who have certain hawking skills natural abilities to sell they have energy and personality and all of that. That doesnt qualify you to preach.
Jonah would hands down disagree with that. I have a friend whose wife is a pastor and another friend who attends a church who is led by a women pastor. I would visit these churches if given a chance and I would behave myself...really. But outside of these places I am going to defend Christian Masculinity cause its really needed now more than ever. Otherwise men will either become lost altogether or turn to Hard Rock/Metal acts which by its nature is masculine but its truly is a toxic form of masculinity.
From what I have gather over Jonathans tastes and Christian worldview is this. He is a Christian egalitarian and belongs to a group called Christians for Biblical Equality which list as one of its churches the House of All Sinners and Saints out of Denver Colorado. This church was founded by Nadia Bolz-Weber whos Christianity and lifestyle does not impress me. Bolz-Weber was a friend of the late Rachel Held Evans whos own Christianity also leaned leftward supporting Democratic pro-abortion candidates (including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton) while clamming to be pro-life (I have issues with Republicans on this issue too...maybe Donald Trump as well even if he says the right things but does not put them into action).
I do have serious and honest questions cause their is a point when its impacting the marco culture.
Do you call yourself a Feminist?
What are your feelings about the woman not taking the name of her husband? I would want my wife to take my name. It is a sign of respect and the commitment to myself in my honest opinion.
What are your issues on Free Love especially the support of abortion and LGBTQ civil rights?
Do you support abortion up to birth and the allowing the baby to die if the mother choose so? In the state of New York this is legal.
Do you support the need of government/public education? What about the welfare state?
You see all these things will tell me who Jonathan Aigner really is. I am not judging his salvation in anyway but as with someone like Demi Lovato I have to question your Christianity. I know for sure that modesty is thrown out the window when it comes to breast feeding in public and he feel that women should have the right to show it off when feeding a children with no modest cover up.
It also seems to me that Aigner loves certain elements of Progressive Christianity. In fact he loves one Progressive Christian hymn called
To Everyone Born A Place At The Table. The hymn in my opinion is just a little too focused on social justice which is a popular thing among progressive minded people. Ill take the Gettys neo-Calvinist" hymns over this hymn any day.
You can run Jonathan but sooner or later you must fully and completely admit your worldview and also admit that you are either liberal to progressive who is crying that the world is not to his liking. You need to tell where Paul got it Wrong with women or how certain people got it wrong. You cant run from this. You must make your case. Otherwise I rest my case and consider your case for Biblical Equality dishonest.
I have made peace with Contemporary Christian and Contemporary Worship music within reason. They have their loyal fans (and they are holding on to the music with their lives more/less) and for now it has to run its course until we have a chance to have a singing church." So until further notice the likes of CCM radio stations like K-Love (and its sister outlet Air1) Way FM KLTY (Dallas-Fort Worth) KSBJ (in Jonathans hometown of Houston) KTIS (in the Twin Cites) and Z88.3 (Orlando) are not going anywhere and are here to stay.
I want a singing church" too but not at expensive of sound Christian doctrine customs and lifestyle. I dont mind have reasonable discussions and debates on this but doctrine is just as important as congregational singing. Without it you can forget about not only a singing church but a Christian church altogether. God helps if the church becomes history.
Oh and Jonathan just because Jesus showed himself to the women first does not mean he wanted them to become apostles. You can call it a sermon all you like but that does not justify ordaining them to church offices. We need more than ever a purely lead Masculine Christian Church and men who will carry out Gods commission.
Please visit my Facebook page DNMs World.
