Wil Wheaton Lost His Temper and Apologized

Last updated on: November 7, 2017 at 9:58 am by Mark Shea

Wil Wheaton Lost His Temper and Apologized 2017-11-07T09:58:32-07:00 Mark Shea

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Truly this is the End of Days!

Here’s the exchange:

Image result for wil wheaton prayer Ryan

FOX News, of course, leapt on this and immediate started ginning the Persecuted American Christians narrative.

But the reality is that the worst thing Christians can do in this moment is complain that people rolling their eyes at “thoughts and prayers” after the latest massacre are somehow attacking or persecuting us. Even if it were true (which it largely is not) we should keep the focus on the people who need it: the victims and not turn this into an occasion of self-pity. It’s Not About Us.

Here’s reality: the fury about “thoughts and prayers” is fury at the use of gooey piety as a shield against *action*. When Wil Wheaton, an atheist, lets loose a blast at thoughts and prayers, he does so in response, not to all Christians, but to Paul Ryan, because Ryan *always* does the Thought and Prayer schtick in order to put a thick layer of gooey piety over his complete and utter whoredom to the NRA and his adamantine will to make make sure that absolutely nothing about our gun regime changes, up to and including even a CDC study of gun violence. In short, he calls Jesus “Lord, Lord” and refuses to do what he says in the fifth commandment. Rather than make even the slightest move toward sanity, he joins his party in refusing to so much as study the problem of gun violence. He is totally committed to making sure that 35,000 more human sacrifices are offered to the arms industry profits next year as they will be this year. If he has his way, he will continue to work tirelessly to makes sure that Vegas and Sandy Hook and Sutherland happen forever and ever and ever, not to mention the thousands of other deaths you will never hear about. His “thoughts and prayers” are lies and an insult to God Almighty.

That an atheist can see this is not an insult to our faith in the slightest. Indeed, it is a healthy sign that Wheaton agrees with Jesus Christ on the fifth commandment. That he lost his temper (and immediately apologized lest sincere people of faith feel targeted)

Because I want to be sure sincere people of Faith see this: I spoke in anger, and I apologize to you.
https://t.co/O4JW2yA531

— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) November 5, 2017

is, I think, worthy of respect. That right wing culture warriors are treating his outburst as some sort of persecution against the Church and refusing to forgive it is both a refusal of Jesus’ command in the matter of forgiving 70X7 and yet another sign that the culture war perverts the gospel. It is Ryan’s phony “thoughts and feelings” refusal to act, not Wheaton’s demand that he do so that is the real insult to the gospel.

My attitude here is governed by the principle Jesus articulates in saying that those to whom much is given, much will be required. I don’t expect Wheaton, an atheist, to have any regard for prayer at all. That he dials back his anger and shows respect for believer is well done.

That so many Christians refuse to forgive him even when he apologizes is much more serious, because they are supposed to know better.

As to the theological content of his original tweet, his crack about prayer not preventing death is best heard as the cry of anger and anguish that it is, not battled as a false theological proposition. Coupled with conservative Catholic culture war BS, it results in a toxic brew like this stupendous piece of Sheldon Cooper levels of Apologetics Subculture jerkishness:

Those who persecute the church and those who mock Christians for trusting in Almighty God rather than Almighty Government may believe that the bloodshed in Texas proves the futility of prayer. But we believers see the shooting in Texas as proof of something far different—proof that Christ has counted us worthy to suffer dishonor for his name and proof that no amount of dishonor, persecution, or violence can stop him from answering our prayer to deliver us from evil.

Theological correctness coupled with inhuman, unfeeling, proud stupidity. All that comes out of that hideous piece is “Liberals are stoopid for grieving murder and love government, not God”. For which any unbeliever grieving the slaughter of children can be excused for responding, “Screw you and your sick religion.” That piece is the polar opposite of evangelism and one of the many reasons we are losing the next generation. It has all the marks of what Chesterton defines as madness: logical perfection and cramped, spiritual contraction. It turns the glory of the martyrs into a FOX news editorial for the splendor unfettered gun slaughter.

So yeah, I cut the penitent atheist a lot more slack than I do the smug Christian apologist for the gun culture, particularly if that apologist adds refusal to forgive the penitent to his culture war campaign. And above all, I cut no slack the pol who uses phony piety as a cover for his commitment to maintaining the rate of 35,000 gun slaughters a year as human sacrifices to the arms l0bby that he serves.

Uncategorized

Gun Violence is a Prolife Issue Too

Previous Post

November 6, 2017

Reader Madeline DuBois Foley writes:

Next Post

November 7, 2017 Prayer and Works of Mercy Requests

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 September 2006 June 2006 July 2005 April 2005 May 2002 April 2002 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz