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Episode 463: Huckabee in the Hot Seat, Crisis at Cru, & Navigating Change with D. Michael Lindsay


Tyler Huckabee, senior editor for Relevant, joins the Holy Post crew to defend his recent article about VeggieTales. Did Phil’s mom trick him into creating vegetable characters who are beyond God’s salvation? Then, over 1,000 Cru staff members say the parachurch ministry’s focus on diversity and racism has resulted in mission drift. Are they right or is it another example of paranoia over CRT?


Then, Christian college president D. Michael Lindsay shares about his new book “Hinge Moments: Making the Most of Life’s Transitions,” and the unexpected changes in his own life. Have we misunderstood what it means to follow God’s will, and what can we learn from the best leaders about how to change directions? All that, plus Skye’s cramped cross-country road trip.




10 Comments


jediqb
Jul 19, 2021

My name is Jason Joyner - didn't know the first part of my email would be my user name.

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jediqb
Jul 19, 2021

I love the Holy Post. However, in this case I felt like the Cru issue wasn't addressed fully or fairly. I have two friends in Cru. One is very supportive of the way Cru is doing things with diversity and reconciliation, but the other has sincere concerns about the possible drift of mission and focus. Both men love the Lord and want Cru to do well. This episode felt like it didn't talk about the issue with the nuance that it required. I was looking forward to listening to it, but in this case it felt like the specific item was short-changed. (The reminder by Skye of leaving comments here prompted this - thanks for words of sanity in the…

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Phil Vischer
Phil Vischer
Jul 20, 2021
Replying to

You're right - it wasn't an attempt at a deep dive into the issue at Cru. Just mentioning that there WAS an issue, and that it seems to reflect the current cultural moment we find ourselves in. (The general anti-CRT hysteria.)


Obviously, long-lived ministries can shift or supplement ministry focus over the years. Focus on the Family started out focusing on families, then shifted into politics, then tried to shift back to families. To some, the political shift was "mission drift." To others, it was responding to the needs of the cultural moment. (Some no doubt now complain that the new deemphasis on politics is "mission drift.") Whether focusing on anything but Bill Bright's original vision represents "mission drift" or…

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Dave Oldenkamp
Dave Oldenkamp
Jul 02, 2021

Hey All, I have one minor quibble with the discussion today (besides the fact that I still don't know if Tyler is one of "those" Huckabees). My concern is with the way your were framing CRT. It almost sounded like you were accepting the right wing media framing that basically any teaching on race in schools is CRT. CRT is something that is the topic of graduate seminars and PHD dissertations. It's not something that is discussed in 9th grade history classes. The problem is that the right wing outrage over CRT describes it as anything taught in schools that they don't like. Teaching the truth about history...slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow, etc is NOT CRT. Phil, according to …

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Phil Vischer
Phil Vischer
Jul 02, 2021
Replying to

Agree. It's a bucket term that is being used to describe anything we don't like about social activism that comes from a more progressive perspective.

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dedejonge
Jul 01, 2021

In your podcast you asked for examples of how CRT might hurt people. Because of CRT, my son has left the church and the faith. He is a white young man in his mid-20s and has embraced CRT. He has said that CRT proves to him that the Bible is not true. The Bible says that we are wonderfully made. CRT says all light-skinned people are racists--privileged oppressors. He is ashamed of who he is just because of the color of his skin, even though we have never been a racist family. Since he can't love himself, he can't believe that God could love him either. He has many friends who have dark skin. He loves others and…

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Phil Vischer
Phil Vischer
Jul 01, 2021
Replying to

Hi - that would be a very unusual reading of CRT (concluding the "Bible is not true.") I'd say he might be coming to some incorrect conclusions about what CRT is and how it's used. The Bible says we're all sinful, so discovering that we can build sinful structures shouldn't be theologically destabilizing.

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Dark Hei
Dark Hei
Jul 01, 2021

I was part of the Cru ministry years ago. Nowadays I am still supporting their staff financially.


I am also from the far east, in the South East Asia region.


Personally I do agree that this compulsory-CRT is distracting and not central to the gospel message. Just like evangelical Trump support, these are American-Western cultural constructs. They are perhaps universally applicable for America. They don't make any sense here at all. They can be contextually applied but cannot be a core tenet. CRT also place emphasis on "calling out". That sounds right except when played out on the ground instead of respect what we foster is intolerance.


CRT is also not just about race. It is also a tool that…


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