A reader (Paul Anthony Preussler) has been making a number of comments on my blogs. Paul has made me aware of a popular postmodern (Emerging/Emergent) UMC blogger, Rev. Jeremy Smith, who goes by the handle of UMJeremy. I realize UMJeremy is just one of many postmodern voices in the increasingly liberal UMC, but he is a loud voice that well represents where the UMC is heading. To put it another way, UMJeremy is one small but very noisy cog in the huge wheel of postmodern United Methodists. (Yes Jeremy, you can take this as a compliment if you wish.)
I realize that to many I come across as attacking individuals, but this is not my intent. It’s likely that, if I met UMJeremy on the street, I would view him as an amicable, sociable fellow. But brotherly love, human fellowship and Christian unity should never trump biblically sound doctrine. If an individual is spreading postmodern heresies and thus tearing down the true, born again Body of Christ, I will call that individual out no matter who he or she is.
UMJeremy has a blog named “Hacking Christianity”. His blogs strike me as typically postmodern musings. They fit the mold of postmoderns Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, etc. etc. Click here for his Manifesto.
Also, click here for UMJeremy’s church bio page. And click here for his Hacking Christianity Facebook Page.
Since I haven’t seen a doctrinal statement yet by UMJeremy (postmoderns are infamous for denying the need for doctrinal statements), I have been surfing a bit for objectionable material. There is plenty to object to, as a born again “fundamentalist right wing Christian”.
Looking through UMJeremy’s Twitter account, I found a number of offensive photos and comments:
1) Nov. 21, 2013 – He posted an image with the following quote. Although unnamed, this is Paul Anthony Preussler commenting on one of my blogs here. UMJeremy captioned the image with this comment: “Looks like I’m winning. This was posted in a “Christians Against Apostasy” group.” UMJeremy claims that he’s winning – but this must have gotten under his skin – why else would he post this on Twitter? What do you think?:
Question – what does UMJeremy mean by “winning”? Note that he doesn’t deny “advocating acts of theological violence against the scriptures and church tradition”. Nor does he deny his lack of reference to Scripture.
2) Nov. 22, 2013 – UMJeremy quoted Fr. Richard Rohr – many articles have been written about Rohr’s heresies:
3) Nov. 17, 2013 – He posted the following photo from the Explo 13 Sacred Space area, which refers to God as “(s)he”. The UMC – like many mainline denominations – is getting heavily into goddess worship – click here for many articles on this.
4) Date unknown – UMJeremy attempted to post a video about Bishop Talbert’s “homosexual marriage” breach of the UMC Discipline. Click here for a UMC article about the incident. Here is UMJeremy’s posted photo [with a broken link to the YouTube video], entitled “Good News President on Talbert’s Breach of the Discipline”:
There are many more offensive materials I’m sure – I plan to add more as I locate them, so readers can get more of a “handle” on where UMJeremy is coming from, and is headed…
This is an excellent post, but the picture you post is not the same Jeremy Smith. According to his bio page on UM Insights (a site that has a lot of post-modern apostasy, btw), he is “minister of discipleship at First United Methodist Church in Portland, Ore”
Thanks for the info, Donnie – I’m making the correction. God bless you.
I suspect he posted the quote because it showed that he is getting under the skin of traditionalists. He believes himself to follow the spirit of the Law rather than simply the letter. Death will decide who is right and who is wrong in the end I suppose. I believe the Apostle Paul was actually an apostate and the greatest profaner of Christ’s teaching, though, so I am hardly in your camp. Still it is nice to see how the politics in various faiths play out as more and more turn their back on the empty legalisms of the great Golden Calf of tradition.
Some interesting thoughts, Nathaniel. Thanks for giving your opinion of Rev. Jeremy Smith.
I Googled on [“Apostle Paul” “apostate”] and found articles such as this: http://projectemmaus.org/paul-apostle-or-apostate/ This view is new to me.
I have heard of hyperdispensationalists, who elevate the teachings of Paul over the teachings of Jesus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperdispensationalism
To me all 66 books of my Bible mesh together perfectly- I see no conflict between teachings. Yes, there may seem to be different nuances of doctrine, but interpreted in context I believe every word from Genesis to Revelation fits together perfectly and is literally God’s inspired Word to mankind. (The writers of all 66 books of my Bible were inspired by God – their words were “God-breathed”.)
God bless you – Dave