Campolo And The Results Of Open-Theism

I am ashamed to admit it, but Dr. Tony Campolo has written some more worldly answers in a time when solid Biblical teaching and preaching is needed. In an article titled, "Katrina: Not God's Wrath--or His Will
The Hebrew Bible doesn't say God is omnipotent. When disaster strikes, he cries with the rest of us." --Need I say anything more. But some of you will ask, "What is the problem?"

The problem is this, God is Sovereign. All things happen because God has decreed it so. If this is not true, then how is God glorified in anything that ever happens? Was the cross just a lucky circumstance? Was Noah's Flood just an accident? Should we "weep" with those in Canaan or Sodom and Gomorrah?

Why is our God the God that should be worshiped? Because He is truly Sovereign. The Scriptures are replete with example after example. If Dr. Campolo desires to follow the "Open-Theist" crowd he may do so. I just wish he would take off his name tag before he does.

Let's take a look at some of his statements. In reference to evil events, Dr. Campolo stated, "Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad answers." He is right. There are a lot of bad answers. His is chief among them since he claims to be a Baptist Christian.

He says:

Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad answers...I don’t doubt that God can bring good out of tragedies, but the Bible is clear that God is not the author of evil! (James 1:15) Statements like that dishonor God, and are responsible for driving more people away from Christianity than all the arguments that atheistic philosophers could ever muster. When the floods swept into the Gulf Coast, God was the first one who wept.

So when God tells Moses the destruction he will bring on Pharoe, that is somehow outside of God's purpose since to do that would make God EVIL?!

Of course however, men will reject God. Jesus did this in John chapter 6. Whenever God's Sovereignty and Holiness are discussed in Scripture, men always abandon God. But to Campolo this is a bad thing? Should we keep offering a wimpy Jesus that can't really save anyone or have true power over nature, just because men will turn away? Truth hurts. The truth of Scripture must always e proclaimed even when natural man runs away or rebels against the truth.

So in reality, it is Dr. Campolo's theology that turns men away from the true God, since he is not declaring the truth of God's Word.

Again he states:

There are still other religionists who take the opportunity to tell us that God is punishing America for its many sins. Undoubtedly, there are some al-Qaeda fanatics who right now are saying that Katrina is the hand of God, striking America for what we have done to the people of Iraq and to the Palestinians. Furthermore, there are Christians who, in the weeks to come, can be counted on to thunder from their pulpits that Katrina is God’s wrath against the immorality of this nation, pointing out that New Orleans is the epitome of our national degradation and debauchery. To all of this I say, "Wrong."

So to say that Katrina is God's wrath may be wrong for some to say. For we do not have a prophet from God that is explaining to us these natural disasters. Campolo may be right in saying the above about Katrina. BUT HOW DOES HE KNOW? Does Campolo have a Bat-Phone link to God? What could be more obvious than Katrina is the means by which God's wrath is demonstrated? I think it would be a safer bet to go with the more wrathful picture than to just say, God has nothing to do with nature at all!

This just gets ridiculous:

The God revealed in Jesus did not come into the world "to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17) There can be no arguments over the claim that, for a variety of reasons, our nation deserves punishment. But when the Bible tells us about the grace of God, it is giving us the good news that our loving God does not give us what we truly deserve. Certainly, God would not create suffering for innocent people, who were--for the most part--Katrina’s victims.

I am sorry Dr. Campolo, but you need to stop developing your theology from liberal non-sense. Who in the world is innocent? Who does not deserve God's wrath? You might say that "there were Christians in that place". I say, "so what". The only difference between the Christian and those who perish eternally is that the Christian is JUSTIFIED.

Also, in quoting John 3:17, he actually denies the meaning of Jesus' finished work. It is true that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it. But His is a perfect work already accomplished at the cross. Jesus has saved and will save those for whom He died. To make the atonement universal will mean that everyone goes to heaven, or Jesus fails miserably to save millions of people.

He says:

Instead of looking for God in the earthquake or the tsunami, in the roaring forest fires blazing in the western states, or in the mighty winds of Katrina, it would be best to seek out a quiet place and heed the promptings of God’s still small voice.

I am not sure of which God Campolo is refering to, but I'd sure like to introduce Him to a Perfect, Sovereign, ALMIGHTY Savior that he has not met yet.