Josiah Concept Ministries

Both Frank Walton and J.P. Holding have used what I have come to call the “Brood of Vipers” defense when someone tells them that their tactics are not Christian. Essentially, it goes a little like this:

I say:

I realize now that Frank has never fully risen above the evil he seeks to defend Christianity from. Not only does Frank fall short of answering any of the charges of the RRS make against Christianity, but he also reposts their God-denigrating material with only a few weak ad hominem attacks as a reply.

Referring to Sapient by his real name, or pointing out “enhancements” to Kelly in a derogatory way are not answers to the RRS. They only serve as more ammunition the Squad can utilize to attack Christianity. It makes us all look like hypocrites.

Walton’s “Brood of Vipers” reply: “I won’t apologize for using rather extreme words. When Jesus called the Pharisees and Scribes a brood of vipers was that sinful?”

J.P. Holding has a lengthy discussion of the “Brood of Vipers” defense here.

The purpose of this post is not to attack Frank Walton again. As Brian Sapient has stated, Frank’s tactics speak for themselves and I don’t need to delve any further. What I am doing with this post is to consider the “Brood of Vipers” defense itself, and whether it is a valid defense for conducting a ministry in the fashion that Walton does and Holding did once upon a time.

Tekton’s mission statement says:

Tekton Apologetics Ministries is committed to providing scholarly answers to serious questions which are often posed on major and minor elements of the Christian faith. We believe in the importance of sound Christian doctrine which is based on a careful exegetical analysis of scriptures from the Holy Bible. We also believe that it is important to incorporate the findings of various theological and scientific disciplines in order to properly assess the veracity of scriptural evidences, and to carefully evaluate issues which are relevant to the Church as a whole. (source)

The stated purpose of Tekton Apologetics Ministries is to answer questions posed about the Christian faith. It is reasonable to expect that Christians, seekers, and skeptics will all visit a Christian ministry with that mission. If we assume that his audience has fairly even numbers across all three categories, it is therefore reasonable to conclude J.P.’s audience is composed primarily of outsiders–seekers and skeptics. This means that J.P. deals more with outsiders than insiders.

Scanning Holding’s activity on Theology Web Campus will bear that conclusion out. Normally he is seen debating the various skeptics that visit his site and accept the challenge to go on TWeb.

Walton’s ministry is a little bit harder to nail down since I can’t find a mission statement online. His web activity seems to revolve mainly around the activities of the Rational Response Squad. Although one of his four blogs, atheismsucks.blogspot.com, is more general in its focus but does repeat some material from his other, exclusive-RRS-focused blogs. We can therefore assume that Frank targets outsiders exclusively.

Having therefore established that Frank and J.P. target outsiders primarily, let’s move on to why that is important. First, I need to read the verse from which J.P. and Frank quote, and the one that originated the name “Brood of Vipers” defense.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Mat 3:7-12)

Notice the strong language that John the Baptist uses toward the Pharisees and Sadducees. You can see the same sort of language used by Jesus here.

But note also who John and Jesus direct this language at. The Pharisees and the Sadducees. They are directing their strongest condemnations internally–at fellow Jews–not externally!

So how should outsiders be treated? Jesus said to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44). He also said to “do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back” (Lk 6:35a).

The apostle Paul said:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Rom 12:14-1

More to the point of apologetics, the apostle Peter said “always [be] ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pt 3:15, emphasis added).

It is my position, therefore, that in order for the “Brood of Vipers” defense to be used in the way that Frank and J.P. have used it in the past, the words it defends must be used against fellow Christians who have fallen away or who backslide. Those people are not generally the target of Frank and J.P.’s respective ministries, so they should both steer clear of sarcasm. J.P. has done so:

I have a certain style I adopt at times that has earned me the description, “the Ann Coulter of apologetics” from one commentator. Before you write me to object to any treatment of an opponent, you need to consider a few things. First, despite what those of the Gored Oxen League may suggest, I use satire and sarcasm very sparingly, and only against opponents who show a certain proven measure of ignorance, arrogance, or willingness to deceive. (Of course, they would never see themselves as doing that, even if they’re caught at it.) You’ll find such rhetorical devices in less than 5 percent of the articles here; and much of it is now on the toon site in a special parody section, with illustrations. (source, emphasis added)

ADDENDUM (12/6/07): After I wrote this, I got to thinking that my post, “Celebration of Atheist Women,” is out of step with what I have written in this lengthy refutation.  In other words, I have just said that others should step lightly on sarcasm in regard to outsiders, when I have failed to live up to that ideal.  That post by me was nothing but sarcasm, directed mainly at Nicole Smallkowski and Kelly from RRS.

This only makes me a hypocrite if I defend my own use of it while condemning other people who use it.  I would also be guilty of using “special pleading,” a logical fallacy that many Christians like to fall back on.  I will make no effort to defend the practice when used by anyone–even me–toward an outsider.

But I can’t undo what has already been done.  All I can do is admit that I was wrong for posting what I did, and then move forward taking care to not repeat the same mistake.  The post has been deleted, but I preserved the comments.