Hank Hanaagraff, "The Bible Answer Man" Converts to Greek Orthodoxy

[Sarcelle]

The word “smear” insinuates dishonesty. But those articles simply convey the mind of the author, and we as a culture need to stop sterilizing views we disagree with.

I did read the articles and they indicate not a dishonesty but a willful ignorance.

I agree with another poster about this being a smear.

If you are to criticize another denomination, at least take the time to learn what they really believe in. The articles do not show that any learning has been taking place.

If one learns and still disagrees, then that is fine.

 

[7_Sorrows]

This particular conversion has caused vulgar attacks on the Eastern Orthodox. Here are two that I happened to see:

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/21/an-apology-to-the-eastern-orthodoxy-community/

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/18/visiting-hank-hanegraaffs-new-greek-orthodox-church/

I am glad there was an apology.

Those links show a side to the protestants that is really an indication of their ignorance of the history of early Christianity. I don’t think I have read anything so hateful towards Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism when it comes to priests and Masses and incense and how the church was decorated. I wonder if Hank will write a response. Because one needs to be written by someone!

 

[7_Sorrows]

Below is the response to the articles above

theamericanconservative.com/dreher/fundamentalist-pulpit-pen-orthodoxy/

thank you. I am glad someone responded.

 

[john1513]

They reject the primacy of the Pope, and I believe they also allow divorce, among other things.

They are very close to Catholic, but still have very critical problems.

The above posters indicated there was a difference between “Eastern Orthodox” and Orthodox Church" and I don’t think there is.

 

[Cathoholic]

The Pulpit and Pen articles are ridiculous.

Consider their “Apology to the Eastern Orthodox” article (emphasis mine).

An Apology to the Eastern Orthodox Community
BY NEWS DIVISION · APRIL 21, 2017

As the owner and president of Pulpit & Pen, I feel that I need to issue a public apology to the Eastern Orthodox community in regards to my managing editor’s recent words. . . . .

So far so good. Then the “apology” degenerates into this (and the Pope and Catholicism is included in the rant naturally) . . .

Firstly, we would like to apologize on behalf of Protestants everywhere for overlooking the grave and damning heresies of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, compared to our stalwart protest of Rome. . . .
. . . .While we have rightly called the Bishop of Rome the “antichrist” in our Confessions of Faith, we have overlooked the many antichrists that have gone out into the world and settled in their positions as leaders in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. . . .

And this . . . .

Secondly, we are sorry that many Protestants have stopped protesting, sending the impression that our confessional doctrinal beliefs don’t anathematize you as not only being sub-Christian, but being anti-Christian. We are sorry that men like . . . all who should certainly know better, seem to have affirmed you in your superstitious and pagan religion. . .

Then a continuing downward spiral . . .

Thirdly, we apologize for making it seem, should you have perceived it that way, that you’re unchristian because your priests wear dresses and you burn incense. While true religion has little patience for pretentious pageantry, the issue for us concerning your doctrinal apostasy is your denial of Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, and Penal Substitution. The fact that you adorn your buildings in gaudy and sacrilegious, bedazzled idols is second to the more blatant soteriological heresies that damn your soul (although idolatry is damning enough). The fact that you believe that superstitious voodoo oil poured over someone’s head fills them with the holy spirit . . .

And finally . . .

I pray that you, as the Eastern Orthodox Community, will receive our apologies charitably.

Then (emphasis mine) . . .

There has been much confusion because of the inability or unwillingness to articulate what Protestants actually believe about those who deny Sola Fide and Penal Substitution. We aim to fix all that, and do better in the future. . . .
. . . .No amount of smells and bells, chanting absurdities, or calling out the gods of Ba’al and Asherah with much incense-burning, bell-ringing pomp and circumstance will change that.

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/21/an-apology-to-the-eastern-orthodoxy-community/

steve93. We as Catholics have our differences from you folks in Eastern Orthodoxy (albeit very few), but I feel your pain on this article by “Pulpit and Pen”.

 

[7_Sorrows]

The Pulpit and Pen articles are ridiculous.

Consider their “Apology to the Eastern Orthodox” article (emphasis mine).

So far so good. Then the “apology” degenerates into this (and the Pope and Catholicism is included in the rant naturally) . . .

And this . . . .

Then a continuing downward spiral . . .

And finally . . .

Then (emphasis mine) . . .

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/21/an-apology-to-the-eastern-orthodoxy-community/

steve93. We as Catholics have our differences from you folks in Eastern Orthodoxy (albeit very few), but I feel your pain on this article by “Pulpit and Pen”.

Wasn’t one article a definite sarcastic and malicious attack against the Eastern Orthodox church and specifically the Greek Orthodox that Hank joined and the other link was a sincere apology for the rotten one?

 

[Fiasco]

Wasn’t one article a definite sarcastic and malicious attack against the Eastern Orthodox church and specifically the Greek Orthodox that Hank joined and the other link was a sincere apology for the rotten one?

The “Apology” was nothing of the sort. It was just a confirmation of the original rant, but more blatantly sarcastic.

The name: “Pulpit and Pen” surely has to be an echo of Poe’s Spanish Inquisition fantasy: “The Pit and the Pendulum”.

Since Jack Chick has left us, someone has to slip into his shoes.

 

[Cathoholic]

Here is from the April 18th article by Jeff Maples . . .

. . . This is what Hank Hanegraaff has apostatized to. He knows the Bible, he has taught it his entire life. He now rejects it. The bible clearly teaches against the wickedness and error found within the manmade traditions and **doctrines of demons **in the Orthodox church.

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/18/visiting-hank-hanegraaffs-new-greek-orthodox-church/

Here is the April 21st Pulpit and Pen “apology” that I discussed extensively in my last post (here).

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/21/an-apology-to-the-eastern-orthodoxy-community/

7 Sorrows. You asked me . . .

Wasn’t one article a definite sarcastic and malicious attack against the Eastern Orthodox church and specifically the Greek Orthodox that Hank joined and the other link was a sincere apology for the rotten one?

Maybe I missed something? (The good Lord knows it would not be the first time).

Or maybe I am being over-protective of Hank Hanegraaff (my heart breaks for him with all the inappropriate attacks he is getting not to mention his job loss for Christ) who really earned my respect with the way he handled the radio debate with Jimmy Akin and James White.

I have a lot of admiration for Hank Hanegraaff (despite some theological aspects that we would disagree on) and so perhaps I overlooked something conciliatory from Pulpit and Pen?

 

[Fiasco]

.
**Maybe I missed something? ** (The good Lord knows it would not be the first time).

I have a lot of admiration for Hank Hanegraaff (despite some theological aspects that we would disagree on) and so perhaps I overlooked something conciliatory from Pulpit and Pen?

No, you did extremely well, and i don’t think you missed anything conciliatory from P & P.
The problem lies on our side…how many normal, fair-minded Catholics like 7 Sorrows would see the heading: “An Apology to the Eastern Orthodox Community”, and expect to find a diatribe dripping with such sarcasm and venom?

 

[steve93]

The Pulpit and Pen articles are ridiculous.

Consider their “Apology to the Eastern Orthodox” article (emphasis mine).

So far so good. Then the “apology” degenerates into this (and the Pope and Catholicism is included in the rant naturally) . . .

And this . . . .

Then a continuing downward spiral . . .

And finally . . .

Then (emphasis mine) . . .

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/21/an-apology-to-the-eastern-orthodoxy-community/

steve93. We as Catholics have our differences from you folks in Eastern Orthodoxy (albeit very few), but I feel your pain on this article by “Pulpit and Pen”.

I know there are differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. His off-the-wall attacks could apply equally to both though.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Here is from the April 18th article by Jeff Maples . . .

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/18/visiting-hank-hanegraaffs-new-greek-orthodox-church/

Here is the April 21st Pulpit and Pen “apology” that I discussed extensively in my last post (here).

pulpitandpen.org/2017/04/21/an-apology-to-the-eastern-orthodoxy-community/

7 Sorrows. You asked me . . .

Maybe I missed something? (The good Lord knows it would not be the first time).

Or maybe I am being over-protective of Hank Hanegraaff (my heart breaks for him with all the inappropriate attacks he is getting not to mention his job loss for Christ) who really earned my respect with the way he handled the radio debate with Jimmy Akin and James White.

I have a lot of admiration for Hank Hanegraaff (despite some theological aspects that we would disagree on) and so perhaps I overlooked something conciliatory from Pulpit and Pen?

I reread the links. You are right, I guess I must have forgotten exactly what I had read.
From the picture at the top of the page about Hank’s church, it looks like a beautiful
church to worship in. How could they not see the beauty?

 

[Tomyris]

Pulpit and Pen are not representative of 99.99999% of Protestants.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Pulpit and Pen are not representative of 99.99999% of Protestants.

I hope that is a true statement because both those articles were disturbing!

 

[Cathoholic]

7 Sorrows:

I reread the links. You are right . . .

Looking at the article, I wish I were wrong.

---

steve93.

I know there are differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. His off-the-wall attacks could apply equally to both though.

I get it.

But I’d like to think I would be irritated by an article like this even if if didn’t mention Catholicism.

Like I said steve93 . . . “I’m feeling your pain” over this attack on Eastern Orthodoxy.

---

I’m OK with people who may disagree with Catholicism. But I take issue with when someone gets it wrong, get’s corrected, gets SHOWN why they are wrong, then keep putting forth that false-Catolicism point(s) to me anyway.

John Martignoni defines anti-Catholicism this way (here).

I suppose the same principle would apply to Eastern Orthodoxy, especially where the EO Hank H is at.

 

[tvknight415]

I think the complaints/bashing/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is as much emotional as anything, and it makes some sense why they’re reacting the way they are. In their minds, someone who has championed protestantism has left to settle in with the enemy. They don’t want to accept that a deeper understanding of the Bible could’ve led to this, because in their minds, deeper appreciation of the Bible is the antidote to ancient versions of Christianity, not the pathway to it. They have no place teally to go theologically that could accept the move.

 

[tafan]

Years ago, I used to occasionally listen the Mr Hanegraaff’s radio show. I enjoyed it. Yes, he often was wrong, like all protestants, about the Catholic faith, but he was always charitable and kind about it all. At least that’s how I remember him. And I did learn some things, I remember more than once going to my pastor and asking about something he had said on the radio program and finding out he was right.

I pray for him now, he is not being shown the kindness and respect that everyone deserves, and he seems to have actually earned.

ETA: I have to wonder if the vitriol he is being shown by many protestants is not a long time pent up anger, that they now feel they have an excuse to vent. I remember when I listened to him, it was during the Left Behind series were popular among Protestants (and unfortunately more than a few Catholics), and he was rather relentless in arguing against the dispensationalist theology they were based on. IIRC, he even wrote an alternative novel representing a more orthodox view of the end-times. And there many callers who took exception to this.

 

[Fiasco]

From the picture at the top of the page about Hank’s church, it looks like a beautiful
church to worship in. ** How could they not see the beauty?**

You’d have to ask Oliver Cromwell, unless you can think of someone more miserable. There’s more than a bit of puritanism in some Fundamentalists. Their concept of God, and their ideas about how they should live their lives on this Earth, have to be skewed. They remind me of the painting “American Gothic”.
A touch of Manichaeism in Puritanism.

Is envy at least sometimes involved?

 

[Fiasco]

ADDENDUM to previous post.

7 Sorrows:
Came across this short article by Hilaire Belloc after the edit time had expired:

oldthunderbelloc.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-puritan-and-manichee.html

The last paragraph says:

The sentiment, rather than the conviction, that the material world is evil and, therefore, that all sensual joy is, in essence, evil, lies at the root of Puritanism, Joy in the arts, delight in beauty, and the rest of it, are the Puritan’s object of hatred. He sees them all as rivals to the majesty of God, and obstacles which deflect the pure worship of that majesty.

Emphasis added.

We see beauty etc as a foretaste of the ultimate joy, beauty etc which can be found only in God. Their God is more like a tyrant.

 

[7_Sorrows]

ADDENDUM to previous post.

7 Sorrows:
Came across this short article by Hilaire Belloc after the edit time had expired:

oldthunderbelloc.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-puritan-and-manichee.html

The last paragraph says:

Emphasis added.

We see beauty etc as a foretaste of the ultimate joy, beauty etc which can be found only in God. Their God is more like a tyrant.

Thanks for posting this. I have heard Hilaire Belloc mentioned a lot. I think I will have to add him to my reading list.
I think the Puritans didn’t like anything that stirred the senses. Not sure what their hymns were like, but, as you say, feeling joy at witnessing beauty must have been a
no-no.

 

[Tomyris]

ADDENDUM to previous post.

7 Sorrows:
Came across this short article by Hilaire Belloc after the edit time had expired:

oldthunderbelloc.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-puritan-and-manichee.html

The last paragraph says:

Emphasis added.

We see beauty etc as a foretaste of the ultimate joy, beauty etc which can be found only in God. Their God is more like a tyrant.

Thanks for posting this. I have heard Hilaire Belloc mentioned a lot. I think I will have to add him to my reading list.
I think the Puritans didn’t like anything that stirred the senses. Not sure what their hymns were like, but, as you say, feeling joy at witnessing beauty must have been a
no-no.

Have you read any Puritan literature? You may simply be responding to a caricature of them.