Recent blog activity has been caught up in a discussion over the Manhattan Declaration. This is a statement coming from Catholics, Orthodox, and Evangelicals concerning three major points about our current culture in America. The debate is over whether this is just some right wing political move or it’s legitimate.
Some of the disagreement comes down to theology. How can an evangelical stand alongside a Catholic? Some objections (like from John MacArthur) raise up old lines of division that show the Body of Christ really has a hard time standing together for just about ANYTHING without an argument breaking out. (There’s a reason it’s called the “family” of God, I suppose.)
Some objections raised would be Catholics and Orthodox theology. Perhaps it’s also the veneration of saints and icons. There are fundamentalists and Evangelicals who have a serious problem with the saints and icons of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
This stirred my thoughts. In my own sordid sense of humor, I would present the idea that while we don’t have “icons” in the sense of the Orthodox Church, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Reformed and other Protestants do have our own versions. We take the “high” road and say it’s not worship. But I would argue there are times we fall into celebrity cults in the Church.
It’s a serious issue I’ve seen raised since the days of Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker. Now, it’s even hit the Reformed movement. The likes of Mark Driscoll and others raise serious questions about our tendency to celebrate certain people. I am NOT saying Driscoll and others seek worship! I am saying we tend to set these guys up in places they do not belong.
I would offer (in a sense of humor kind of way) some of our Protestant “icons” through the centuries.
Luther
Calvin
Graham
Hinn
Driscoll
Piper
Apprentice 2 Jesus 
Apprentice,
Nice take on the matter. Ah, we do have our own icons. I’m not sure this is altogether a bad thing.
But icon worship is another issue.
We just need to be careful of the culture of personality. I’m also grateful for Orthodox and Catholic friend who help me understand the use of icons and prayer. I’m not into it, but I also understand it’s not worship, either.
Well, a culture of personality was a problem in Paul’s Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10ff).
I can’t see the picture of Graham. Does that mean he’s fading from iconoship?
Not sure what happened to the Graham picture! Hopefully it’s not prophetic! I’ll try and get something back.
Good thoughts. I would add Dr. Dobson to the list.
John: agree on Dobson. Just too many to put up there!
Ha! This could be a meme: Top five protestant icons 😉
I am really showing my ignorance now… what’s a meme?
mmmmm It’s kind of a word game with a theme. You say you want to start a meme naming the top five Protestant Icons. Then you some people to follow you and then they tag some people and then it dies because everyone who knows someone has been tagged (or doesn’t participate because they don’t know they were tagged or got busy or the topic is of no interest to them :P)
I’ll see if I can find one.
Here’s one that Matt started: Bible Movies
Here’s one on Haikus that I was tagged for by that sweet Jeff over at Scripture Zealot.
I want an edit button please!
Then you TAG some people to follow you . . .
The verb is TAG, not some. New meme: top grammar mistakes you make!
oh wait, we just did that one!
How do you “Tag” people?
you just pick someone and link their blog in the tag line:
I tag apprentice2jesus, Peter, and Jeffto write the next haiku
So, how does everyone know they are tagged? (I tagged you, by the way, Bitsy.)
OK 😀 thinking about them now!
Also – chose people who read your blog! That helps tons. There is suppose to be a link from wp to wp that shows up on your stats page, but it’s iffy at best.
Thanks, Bitsy.
that sweet Jeff
awwww. I just happened to see this. That was nice.