The Emergent myth that is constantly confused by those who are following emerging Hollow Men like Rob Bell and Brian McLaren is that those of us who hold to the historic orthodox Christian faith as it has been taught from the beginning have no regard for cultural context and we are against unusual teaching methods. But this is a red herring because the real issue is: What are you teaching a culture with your unusual teaching methods?

As in the case of Emergent Church pastor Rob Bell, are you teaching them: “I’ll read a Yoga book, and realize,…They are trying to get this experience…because God wired them that way…to seek Him.” The huge problem is that this is simply not true. No one seeks God on his own. Or are we really to believe, as do those involved in interfaith spirituality, that the Creator really “wired” those caught up in Hinduism to worship millions of demons in a false pantheon of gods and to develop the doctrine of reincarnation where one is discouraged from helping their fellow man so as not to disturb their karma?

Or maybe in your shallow man-centered understanding of Christianity are you a pastor like Rob Bell teaching the culture in a very engaging style to: “Try reading a book on Buddhism, and see if it doesn’t bring Scriptures to life. What are Buddhists looking for? Enlightenment. Ahh, Ephesians 1 – enlightenment.” So now we’re encouraging the Body of Christ to read books on Buddhism because it’ll bring the Scriptures to life? Really? Is that what we see Jesus doing? Did the Master teach by encouraging people to read the literature of Jewish mysticism or of Greek and Roman mythology as an assist to the Holy Spirit to “bring Scriptures to life?”

You see apparently in Rob Bell’s “narrow funnel” God the Holy Spirit isn’t enough to bring illumination to the Holy Scriptures so we need to turn to occultic sources like Buddhism for our “enlightenment.” Bell even tries to make this appear to agree with the Bible – “Ephesians 1, enlightenment.” Well I have news for you pastor Rob this satori (“enlightenment”) you speak of here in the context of Buddhism certainly does not come from meditation on Holy Scripture. I have spent the past months studying Zen, transcendental meditation, and so-called “Christian” mysticism, and when these people reach enlightenment it most assuredly ends up here.

I cover this more thoroughly in my series on The Transformation Of The Emergent Church, but for now I suggest that Rob Bell turn off the Letterman show, forget reading about Brian Warner (aka Marilyn Manson), publicly repent for your involvement in the horrific punk music scene, stop idolizing those unregenerate so-called “ancient” Jewish rabbis and spend some prayerful time on your knees reading the Bible.

You would also greatly benefit using your voracious appetite for reading by spending your time more wisely “inhaling” some Spurgeon and MacArthur as well. You see there Rob each of them has taught the historic orthodox Christian faith to their cultures and God has blessed their labor for our Lord by filling their churches to overflowing. But not only that neither of them compromised seeking some alleged “culturally relevant” message but instead they’ve led people into the Kingdom of God rather than slamming the door shut in their faces with a false social gospel which allows them to think they are pleasing Jesus with their “good deeds.”