Hiding Behind the “You Do It Too” Cop-out

Frank Turk had an interesting post this morning: provide an open forum for all of those that dislike Calvinism and Calvinists to air their grievances.  He advised us Calvinists to stay out of the argument and just listen (at least I think that’s what he advised).  Unfortunately, most of those commenting are Calvinists and I remain discouraged by what transpired.  I was really looking forward to hearing “the other side”. 

There is one comment that I wanted to bring over here to make a point.  A blogger with the handle That Crazy Christian summed up a great response with these words:

But at the end of the day, it was "Calvinists" that caused me to not embrace the doctrines, not "Calvinism". And that is something I am forever mindful of now that I am a Calvinist. I encourage my Calvinist brothers and sisters to be mindful too.

My reformed brothers, we are full of pride and arrogance as a whole. We are so smug and sneering in our intellectual superiority that we forget that we ought to lay down our lives for those God has placed in our paths. Please brothers, I see this attitude from some on this blog (bloggers included) and I beg you to stop it. You don't honor your Lord by sneering at others or being proud of what you've figured out and others have not.

Please brothers and sisters, think about your attitudes.

I pull that comment over here because I have heard that accusation numerous times.  And you know what, it’s sadly too often true.  But that is not what I want to briefly discuss today.  I want to discuss the typical follow up comment to this great word from The Crazy Christian. 

Typically what you see after this is a comment like, “And it isn’t prideful and arrogant to call other people prideful and arrogant?  Your ‘humility’ reeks of pride when you call others to look at your attitude.”  Now, I am very thankful that I did NOT see this comment as a response on this particular thread.  But it is frequent enough that I was expecting it. 

This is the “You Do It Too” Cop-Out that creeps up frequently when people get called on something.  And it always works because its generally true.  Sinners rebuke sinners but it doesn’t make the rebuke any less true, any less redemptive, or any less hopeful. 

The truth is there is a ton of that pride, arrogance, and smug attitude of intellectual superiority that prevails in the blogosphere (often from us that adhere to the doctrines of GRACE).  But it also resides in my heart and I know that my gut reaction to being called out is to size up the other person and say “you do it too”. 

I guess I just want to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to listen to the truth in The Crazy Christian’s statement and find refuge in Christ.  I’m guilty what about you?