Miller on Bush: We Like Him Because We Created Him
Over on my buddy Bryan’s donmillerfans.net, pomo poster boy Don Miller has written a provocative post outlining his take on Double-yuh. He asks why evangelicals stick with this guy, now at his lowest approval rating ever. Don first ticks off the obvious reasons, the ways in which Bush is like his fellow evangelicals. By contrast, he lists the many ways in which, in his opinion, Bush is not like evangelicals (or, more accurately, ways in which Bush acts that controvert things for which Miller thinks evangelicals should stand).
Miller’s conclusion: evangelicals like Bush because they created him. He is the product of the true values of modern American evangelicalism, values that Miller sees as often at odds with biblical values.
Share on Facebook
May 14th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
I respect NT Wright, Yoder, Hauerwas, et al who can formulate a truly biblical, theological, scholarly, well thought out doctrine of government and public policy — regardless of whether I agree with them.
Miller should stick to personal reflections about his own life. However, that’s the trouble with being an “author” or “speaker” for a living. You have to keep talking or get a new job.
May 14th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
I don’t take Miller any more seriously than I would take a blogger…including myself. That is, I don’t assume he carries special authority just because he writes things people like to read. On the other hand, because he writes well, I’m at least interested in what he has to say.
My only concern about my friend’s site, on which Miller daily answers questions from fans, is those fans taking his word as something especially authoritative. Not that I would stifle him from expressing an opinion on anything from theology to politics, but one should take it for what it’s worth. Which is exactly how anyone should take anything I write here!
I linked to this particular post not because I necessarily agree with everything in it, but because I was intrigued by the idea of Bush being, at least in part, not only the object of conservative evangelical ardor, but in some way its own creation.
May 14th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Exactly, Mark. I probably put less stock in Miller’s words than I do yours, mainly because I’ve broken bread with you before [although the last time was at a Denny's in Maryland, and ... yeah]. I agree with much of what Miller has to say, although I voted for Bush primarily because I wasn’t really given an appealing alternative.
I think Don’s desire was to get people to think, and those who’ve commented with knuckle-dragging reactions unfortunately aren’t doing much of that, at least for our eyes.
May 14th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Actually, as I remember it Geof, we broke a bottle of ketchup over a napkin at that Denny’s!
Ditto to all your comments.
May 14th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
Wow, Geof. I just went over to look at the comments from Don’s post. I expected there to be a lot, but you were right…there are a lot of scraped-up knuckles out there today!
May 14th, 2006 at 6:35 pm
What’s this “we”? That was all Joe Bassett!
May 14th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
No, I don’t think you guys put too much stock in him, but there is a crowd of folks who do (e.g., my sister-in-law and her collegiate peers), and I think one ought to be very careful about what puts into print. Some great writers (esp. theological) are easily marginalized by audiences who really need to read them because of shabby comments made on a totally different topic.
Case in point: I just finished Wright’s Simply Christian, which is a phenomenal book. I think it can help pastors, campus ministers et al, reach out to the postmodern generation of students with the true gospel (as opposed to rock music, etc). Unfortunately, I fear that many in my own denomination (PCA) won’t consider it because of what Wright has said (or hasn’t said) about Justification.
May 14th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
All too true, Mike. But in the end, what can we do about it? Tell Don Miller not to express political opinions because the religious right will turn on him? Tell Wright he can’t expound what he thinks about justification because it makes some in the PCA nervous? Hardly the right solution. In the end, you’ve got to write the truth as you see it and trust that God uses it where it can be used. Jesus didn’t worry about being politically correct with the Jewish power structure so he could get on their radio talk shows.
May 14th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
“In the end, you’ve got to write the truth as you see it”
Do we? I guess this was my original question. Just because someone writes one or two good books, doesn’t mean he should continue writing everything that comes into his head. I think this is more about our culture than Donald Miller. Celebrities feel free to comment on anything and everything, and I think it’s irresponsible as they have great influence but little expertise. James tells us that few should aspire to be teachers and we should be careful of what our tongue (or keyboard) do.
As for the Jesus card: he had a divinely-appointed mission to do the Kingdom-bringing ministry that God was bringing about and centering on Christ. Miller is joining the long line of “intellectuals” who are repeated the *exact same* arguements as Bush’s political opponents. Remember my original statement about Wright, Yoder, etal. Make political statements; being Kingdom-centered is very political. It’s just sad to see Donald Miller and other emerging authors become the equal-and-opposite force to the Religious Right.
May 14th, 2006 at 9:50 pm
I was about to reply, and then I read Mark’s bit. I think the error only comes when society gives folks’ opinions any more weight than our own. Were Mark to suddenly express his opinions on, oh, NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration, I’d evaluate them appropriately: as those of an interested layman who doesn’t have any real background to comment. [I say that as an oh-so-snooty aerospace engineer who does have just enough of a background to comment; I probably look the bigger fool by doing so.]
If there is any extra special value to be placed on Miller’s political diatribes above my own, it is that Miller’s voice reaches a little farther than mine does in expressing the sentiment that we evangelicals are not necessarily in lock-step with the Administration [even if I did vote Bush a second term].
May 14th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
The Value of Celebrity
Mark Traphagen, a friend and brother in Christ, recently addressed Don Miller’s highly political take on George W. Bush. [Full disclosure: I am the technical support behind [donmillerfans.net], and I’ve ended up as the administrator of the…
June 7th, 2006 at 9:58 am
i know this horse is beaten, dead, and rotting, but i appreciated the comments. i think Don should be free to “write the truth as he sees it”, even if it is about politics, chess, or NASA. Having had a bit of interaction with him, including dinner at Cracker Barrel, i can also say with confidence that he doesnt put his opinion on a pedestal. the problem arises when folks who appreciate his ability to write, place that writing ability on a pedestal (where it might belong) and along with it place ALL of his opinions on a pedestal (where even he would say that they dont belong). we see this all the time with political rants from actors and actresses. so should Don stop expressing his opinions because others will place them on a pedestal? i dont think so. it does make me glad that noone puts my thoughts on a pedestal, i’ll say that.
June 7th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
If Don Miller starts writing about NASA, I’ll be all up in his grill.