"I am a Christian"
This brief and heated exchange between Dr. Jordan Peterson and a young atheist - beginning here - is interesting.
I have not watched the entire video, but the premise of the program seems to be to pit one person against a mob of 25 other people for a series of speed-debates. This particular episode was apparently intended to pit a Christian against a group of atheists - with Peterson representing the former. When asked point-blank if he were a Christian, Peterson’s equivocation is telling.
Dr. Peterson is an interesting scholar, and his courage in standing up to cancel culture is inspiring. Much of what he writes is intriguing, and he is even friendly to Christianity (it seems that his wife is a practicing Roman Catholic). While much of what he says is a helpful window into our culture - and his popularity signifies a welcome rejection of woke ideology by his readers and auditors - especially among the younger generations - lest we forget, he is a Jungian. And much of what he teaches is right out of Gnosticism.
So Christians should beware of this fact before they decide to listen to Peterson lecture on the Bible - especially the Book of Genesis - which is, of course, foundational to Christianity. When asked point-blank: “Either you’re a Christian, or you’re not. Which one is it?”, Peterson replied: “I could be either of them, but I don’t have to tell you.”
Maybe he himself doesn’t know the answer. Maybe his beliefs are in a state of flux right now. Maybe he is wrestling with some of our doctrines. But for someone who is revered for his ideas and his boldness to put them on the line, as well as his cut-to-the-chase bluntness - he should at least be able to let his “yes” be “yes” and his “no” be “no.” He could have said something along the lines of, “I’m still working out what I believe about Jesus,” or “I am friendly to much of Christianity, but I’m not myself a Christian.” He could have said, “I am a Theist, but not a Christian,” or something along those lines. But to say, “Maybe I am, and maybe I’m not, but I’m not going to say which” while debating an atheist - who is expected to debate not knowing what his opponent believes - is telling.
What a contrast to St. Polycarp, whose manly testimony upon being arrested and accused of being a Christian by a hostile government, is recorded in The Martyrdom of Polycarp, Chapter 10:
And when the proconsul yet again pressed him, and said, Swear by the fortune of Caesar, he answered,
Since you are vainly urgent that, as you say, I should swear by the fortune of Caesar, and pretend not to know who and what I am, hear me declare with boldness, I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn what the doctrines of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and you shall hear them.
While Peterson’s defiance against the University of Toronto’s language police and their insistence on compelling the use of fictional pronouns was inspiring, and while his rejection of feminism is refreshing, we have to keep things in perspective. We have to receive the teachings of Jordan Peterson cum grano salis, especially when he lectures on the Word of God.
And while Peterson may be a hero among many of our young people - especially our young men - we would be remiss if we did not teach our young people about our true heroes who did not equivocate, and who were willing to confess “I am a Christian” before friend and foe alike, even when the stakes were much higher than winning or losing a YouTube debate.