Talking Out Of Turn

I am lifting this out of my shared links to point out an opportunity to think about worldview and apologetics.

The headline is “Man Finds God, And It’s Not ‘Doctor Who.’” I like SyFy Portal, but I admit that I don’t agree with the author of this piece, Michal Hinman, about much outside of science fiction. He’s commenting on this piece from the Wiltshire Times, about a man named Simon White who built up an impressive Doctor Who memorabilia collection (apparently mostly pieces that he constructed himself, including a life-size TARDIS, presumably the same size inside and out though). He had lifesize models of memorable robotic or metal-encased characters from the show which he had made or bought. He’s valuing the collection at around £7,000.

It turns out that Mr. White sought refuge in this extreme-fan lifestyle to keep himself going in the face of bipolar disorder and alcoholism. Then, quoting from the newspaper article:

He said: “God delivered me from the evil that is Dr Who, materialism and alcoholism.

“Through my relationship with Jesus I saw that none of this was making me happy and I was born again like Lazarus.

“It’s a timely tale as we come up to Easter. I wanted to tell others that no matter what trouble you are in God can deliver you from the evil. If you are prepared to have a relationship with him then God can help. I have been resurrected. My old life is dead, my new life is alive.”

Obviously I would personally say that not everybody has to choose between an interest in Doctor Who and their relationship with Christ, but Paul does tell us:

1 Corinthians 6:12 Listen

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. (ESV)

In this man’s case, he had turned to Doctor Who to escape his problems. Having then turned the lordship (or mastery, if you prefer) of his life over to Jesus Christ, he had to stop relying on his obsession with Doctor Who. He saw it as a stumbling block, and he decided that it was better to be rid of the stumbling block than to stumble over it. And I absolutely commend him for that. I applaud him. I think that everybody should take every area of their lives that is not Christ-centered and throw it from them, or submit it entirely and directly to Him. (See my sermon from this Sunday for more about that.)

Am I going to argue that Doctor Who was evil for him, but is not evil for me? No. There is no question that Doctor Who is the product of a completely man-centered philosophy. I have in the past discussed how it is better than Star Trek or Star Wars in terms of philosophy, but it is firmly in their camp when compared to the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to be found in Christ. Doctor Who is about the triumph of humanity, and the power of science and logic combined with morality and perspective… but it is entirely godless. Make no mistake. I find it entertaining, and I find it a useful tool to compare the “best” of the humanistic worldviews with a Biblical one, but ultimately we are always left pondering the fact that the Doctor is a failure in every way that Christ is a success. There is nothing glorious about losing or about one who is merely human sacrificing everything (I know this is just the sort of thing that makes the man-centered angry to hear, but there it is). Rose’s end was some of the most poignant and exquisitely sad television, or indeed filmmaking, I have ever seen, but in the end it does not compare to the God-Man dying to save me, and then rising from the dead to claim me for His own, never to be apart.

But now back to Hinman’s comments:

“God delivered me from the evil that is ‘Doctor Who,’ materialism and alcoholism,” White said. “Through my relationship with Jesus, I saw that none of this was making me happy and I was born again like Lazarus.”

Except Lazarus never had to give up his life-size Tardis or find something else to do on Saturday nights when “Doctor Who” is on BBC to earn rebirth.

The whole article is snarky, but I laughed when I saw the last paragraph, because it sums up the problem with Michael Hinman’s concept of the gospel, or, indeed, any unsaved person’s concept.

“Earn rebirth,” he says. Hinman thinks that White gave up Doctor Who to justify himself before God. He is wrong. White, if he is justified before God, is justified as a result of the death of Jesus Christ, in which His blood atoned for White’s sins. It is a free gift from God, not a result of works, so that no man may boast.

If Hinman believes in a god, he believes in one that expects you to do good things to be saved. And “good,” as defined by Hinman, probably means “not hurting people, as far as you know.” Unfortunately for him, the God Who justifies does so unilaterally, as a gift, because of His grace. If He were to judge us, He would do it on the basis of His morality, His perfect good… and that is quite a bit more stringent than anything Hinman, White, or I could ever come up with. It includes the First Commandment: “have no other gods before Me.”

If White put Doctor Who ahead of God in his life, then the Doctor must get into his TARDIS and go.

If Hinman puts his self-congratulatory smarter-than-thou shtick ahead of God in his life, then it is time for him to close his mouth and submit to the One Who made heaven and earth, and acknowledge that he (Hinman) is totally unable to save himself.

And this goes for everybody who thinks they can take on Christianity… know your target. Christians don’t earn rebirth, or think that they have to do so. Stop with the straw men.