Not in the sense of Protestant. In the sense that Jesus is my personal friend. Actually, friendship better captures what’s happening in the Scriptures than anything else.
A lot of people are giving up the label. Lots of reasons for this. Sex. People want to be liberal about sex. Maybe they are sinners themselves, and the guilt of believing something else while living differently is too much. Maybe they’re just sentimental and really liked “Will & Grace.” The reality of the lives depicted there is sadder than a sitcom.
The true nature of Sola Scriptura and Reformed claims about the Fall work together to make every argument an argument not about what the Bible says, but what it means. There remains a chasm between faith and reason, and under this regime, conscience and history and experience means nothing. We always thought “Where is that in the Bible?” would lead in one direction; it doesn’t. And it’s not really a question, it’s a direct challenge to any purported authority.
People think that if someone drinks coffee out of a tasteful mug and lives in a safe neighborhood, that person is trustworthy. It doesn’t work that way. Whether it’s racist men with podcasts, or today’s version of Rachel Held Evans, it’s “Did God really say…” all over again.
By the way, pay attention to the people who are “just asking questions.” Genuine questions deserve genuine answers. But some people assert things with questions, in the hope of avoiding the consequences of asserting things in the places where the truth still matters. It’s ignorance weaponized and monetized. For example, Candace Owens. Actually, it’s a good time to bring up Candace, because an authority doesn’t function if you ignore it. See also Matt Walsh.
Whether you know it or not, the Catholic Church is preserving what is good about “evangelical.” Take all the time you need. I didn’t bring the Spanish Inquisition this time.
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