MYRNA BROWN, hosted on October 7, 2022.
Thank you for visiting today’s issue of . the world and everything in itGood morning, Myrna Brown.
NICK EICHER, Host: I’m Nick Eicher. It’s Culture Friday!
Andrew Walker is now on board. He is Professor of Christian Ethics and Apologetics at Southern Theological Seminary and Editor-in-Chief of WORLD Opinions.
Well, Andrew is traveling today and doesn’t have his usual broadcast gear, so I apologize in advance for the sound quality. He makes do with his earbuds and his iPad, so the quality of the conversation is better. should be enough. I am happy to be with you today. Good morning, Andrew.
Andrew Walker, Guest: Nick, Myrna, it’s always a pleasure to have you with us.
BROWN: With one month to go until the midterm elections, the mud is in full swing.
According to recent reports, Georgia’s US Senate candidate Herschel Walker allegedly paid for his girlfriend’s abortion in 2009. Walker, a pro-life, called the report a “complete” lie.
Now we already know where his opponent, Senator Raphael Warnock, stands. Republicans reportedly stand behind Walker. Listen to a clip of conservative radio host Dana Loesch.
Spoken: How many important four words did I say? Those four words, winning is a virtue…so why Herschel Walker paid to abort a baby of an endangered eagle. I don’t care if it does. I want to rule the Senate.
Andrew, you call this disrespectful conservatism. What does that mean? And what would be a more Christlike response?
WALKER: Well, thanks for asking, this was a really complicated issue.
The first thing we want to start with is understanding that these are allegations at this time. Regarding Dana Loesch’s particular point, what I find problematic about her statement is that she pursues a “win at any cost” mentality. Ethically speaking, she has a very utilitarian and consequentialist way of thinking about politics.
Now, on the one hand, we have to admit that voting is somewhat important in terms of how we analyze it, and it turns out that voting always has consequences that affect X, Y, or Z. However, if there are justifiable offenses or justifiable mistakes, then excuse them, put them down on paper, or look elsewhere. Again, I don’t know what Herschel Walker did. For the sake of conversation, let’s imagine it to be true. In this particular situation, perhaps over a long period of time, we can expect him to have a change of heart on the matter. We can hope to inflict it and call it to repentance.
But going back to Dana Loesch’s comment, I think it’s just this kind of pragmatic, “win by all means” perspective. To win at any cost. Moreover, when she presents the idea that winning is a virtue, I do not think it is a Christian virtue. And although I teach ethics for a living, I don’t really consider victory a virtue in the ethics tradition. I think that there.
EICHER: I would like to follow up on what you just said.
It means that his highly strenuous denial is false and that Republicans are wagoning around Walker. If so, are they acting unethically?
WALKER: Again, that’s the whole problem we’re in right now: No one has access to incontrovertible evidence in any way. I think it’s just another example of how complicated it is. Let’s imagine that Herschel Walker is lying. It is morally reprehensible. Is that morally disqualifying him from being a Senator? I think this is a question that many have to grapple with. Because when it comes to picking a candidate, he has only two options left. And many are left with less-than-perfect options.
What we want to be very blunt and clear about is that when there is evidence of wrongdoing, we don’t just ignore it or act like it’s no big deal. It’s important: listen, we’re dealing with the facts on the ground right now. Really annoying and really uncomfortable. We need to find out the truth. If Hershel Walker is wrong, paying for abortions and lying, I think voters will have to consider that next time.
EICHER: Alright, big story from Australia. There was an article in his WORLD Opinions by Albert his Moorer about this. This story has to do with the executive of the Australian business who took the reins of his Rules football club, a very popular Australian. He lost that job after just one day in his corner office because of his affiliation with the conservative Church of England. He was the chairman of the church’s board of directors, so he could not really deny it, as well as attend occasionally. It was made. My question is different so I won’t go into that. It’s an important read, and I’ve included a link in today’s transcript.
But, Andrew, you’ve heard John Stonestreet on this show talk about the need to develop a “getting fired theology.” This seems perfectly spot on. So, as Andrew’s Professor of Christian Ethics, could you elaborate on this point? What is “fired theology”? How does it look, how does it sound, how does it feel?
Walker: Good question. I think we need a “dismissal theology”. And I think we probably need the theology of being ready to go to jail someday, and for good reason. But that’s probably another conversation. I think “dismissal theology” is about recognizing that when we try to stay true to what we believe to be true in Scripture and true based on nature, it has consequences. . And that means not just rolling over and pretending to be dead, accepting suffering, needlessly accepting martyrdom and persecution. I think we should really pursue whatever means we have at our disposal to combat this kind of situation. To understand that there may come a time when your dependable abilities reach their last resort, we must return to the biblical promise that Christ cares for the birds of the earth. Mm. air and lilies of the field and a father taking care of his children. I think it’s kind of a top-level theological principle and how the body of Christ can support individuals in situations like this, we have to be really creative and entrepreneurial. I think it also means
I have a businessman friend who tells him that when individuals like this are faced with a choice between their work and their souls, there is basically a Christian GoFundMe type device where Christians can rally. And in the same way the time is approaching when churches must budget a kind of charitable foundation to help if someone is having trouble paying their electricity bill or paying for groceries. I think the church needs to think about how to serve people who are in jobs that they cannot conscientiously continue to participate in.
Soon, a friend contacted me and told me that one of his butlers was the HR manager of his company and that he was now facing a very difficult situation. And my friend said, “What is the future of this person in this role?” And I can honestly and tragically say that as the scrutiny on the issue of protection of conscience and religious liberty increases, it will become increasingly difficult for Christians to hold positions such as those in charge of human resources. I got
BROWN: So Andrew, I’d like to ask you about another story in the news that’s very tragic. This 22-year-old woman was arrested for improperly wearing a hijab in public and she was killed while in Iranian police custody. Police deny her wrongdoing, but her witnesses say she was beaten inside a police van, which she hasn’t heard much from Western feminists. there is. What do you think of that silence? And how should we as Christians respond?
WALKER: Frankly, that means you don’t really have a truly principled account of feminism in our country.
I have a lot of my own skepticism and concerns about the labeling of things like feminism. You think you are. But this is where feminism’s insistence on equal protection for all women collides with restrictions on political correctness and religious criticism, which is inconsistent.
This is one of those instances where having a coherent worldview requires a principled foundation to build upon. And this is also seen in transgender issues.
Feminism means that there is a static, stable category of women. The transgender issue explodes that paradigm to pieces, stating that being a woman is really just a matter of psychology and identity. A profound point, I think. It’s a coherent account of femininity and appraisal of femininity, without unhealthy philosophies or political correctness running amok.
BROWN: Andrew Walker is Professor of Christian Ethics and Apologetics at Southern Theological Seminary and Editor-in-Chief of WORLD Opinions. Thank you Andrew!
Walker: Thank you.
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