Progressive Christianity is not progressive, and it's not Christian.
— Frank Turek (@DrFrankTurek) November 21, 2022
Frank Turek‘s behavior in this tweet is evil. The term “progressive Christian” is every bit as diverse in lexical range as “evangelical” and has been used to refer to Christians who are demonstrably orthodox (e.g. Brian Zahnd who is a creedalist) as well as those who are not (e.g. John Shelby Spong). Likewise, some individuals identified as evangelical are orthodox, and others not. Thus, to say “progressive Christianity is not Christian” is as absurd and irresponsible as saying “evangelical Christianity is not Christian.”
Turek has been repeating this falsehood for years now, and I am one of many who has called him out on it. The fact that he continues doing so demonstrates that he is not merely non-culpably ignorant but a deceiver. He eschews truth and seeks to sow division among Christians, in this case by utterly irresponsible sloganeering against a vaguely defined out-group. It’s utterly deplorable, unchristian behavior.
But then, this behavior is also how this man treats other out-groups like atheists and gays. He rails against charity and nuance, instead promoting falsehoods to fear monger and, presumably, raise the profile of his “ministry.” As I said, this is evil. And if you consistently behave in an evil manner what does that make you other than an evil person?
