The Mediocrity of Christian Discourse (Part 2)

Watch this clip of the recent debate between Hillsdale history professor D.G. Hart and Christian Nationalist author and PCA Pastor James Baird, which has been making the rounds on social media (transcript below).

Baird: So you’re saying that [John] Witherspoon’s wrong, because you don’t need religion in society for people to be virtuous?

Hart: Yes.

Baird: So, if society had no religion at all, you would still have virtuous people?

Hart: It’s conceivable. Yes.

Baird: What’s an example?

Hart: The characters in The Wire.

Baird: That’s a fiction show.

Hart: Yeah, but still.

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Firstly, in principle, Hart is correct. The entire basis of natural law—which, until Baird made this argument, was an ubiquitously postulated foundational argument of “Reformed” Christian Nationalist theory (see Stephen Wolfe’s book)—is that universal moral principles are discernible from nature and reason, and, therefore, it is possible for an atheistic society to be at least somewhat virtuous. After all, the law is written on everyone’s heart (Romans 2:15). This is the entire basis for Reformed scholastics’ use of Greek philosophy. That Baird would take umbrage with Hart’s position, in the first place, is evidence of how myopic his own position is.

That being said, Hart’s example of characters in a HBO show is ridiculous, especially considering Scripture and historical Christian thought are replete with examples that bolster his point; the parable of the Good Samaritan, Babylonian and Persian kings behaving honorably and Romans 13 serve as notable examples. Once again, we are shown, from all angles, how the Church of the Podcast has rendered Christian discourse mediocre, to put it mildly. I won’t bore you with the details of how Hart and Baird (but mostly Hart) have been childishly going back and forth on X for the last few months, only making this exchange even less serious.

I maintain that Christians will be better off in their walk if they put social media, podcasts and books of the month out of sight and mind, and focus on time-tested, responsible texts.