I was disappointed this morning to read that crecmemes.com, the often-hilarious, always-dead on analysis of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), the denomination created by Doug Wilson when it became clear that reputable, established ones weren’t eager to embrace him or his curious theology, is suspending publication. While the 500 or so previous memes and the comments following them are still up and available, the site’s pseudonymous author, Jonathan Bitterness — a nod to Wilson’s tiresome assertion that every single person who’s ever confronted him is a veritable font of bitterness — says, in a final, poignant and potent essay, that it’s time to take a break. As always, I wish he weren’t using a pseudonym, but he clearly knows the price paid by those who’ve left Wilsonland and dared to criticize him in public. CRECmemes has provided a real service to its community of readers, and it’s been something I’ve looked forward to reading every day.
So I was saddened to read that, at least for the time being, the author isn’t planning to add any new memes. You can read his explanation here:
Why there aren’t any memes recently
I’m glad he’s keeping the site up, comments included; in fact, my next post will be a response to a CRECmemes opponent, Seth B., who challenged me on the site to explain my take on several verses that could, he says, support some of Wilson’s more controversial teachings — like his (execrable) defense of slavery in the Antebellum South. Although Seth’s comments were on the “memes” site, I don’t want to hijack someone else’s place on the ‘Net, and I’ve directed Seth and others to Prevailing Winds for my response.
In the meantime, though, I continue to recommend CRECmemes.com. And, in its discontinuation, and only for those with an iron stomach, I’ll direct you to two websites that convincingly and exhaustively demonstrate Wilson’s sordid ministerial history.
One is “Dougsplotch.com;” the other is “FoederoSchism.com,” named after Wilson’s curious Federal Vision teaching, which has caused predictable turmoil in Reformed theological circles. The comments in both sites are harsh, but supported by primary-source documents and first-person witness accounts. That takes them out of the realm of gossip and secures their place as necessary testimonies of this terrible man’s actions in the Moscow community and in the larger Church. I don’t know the authors — I am NOT the author of either — and, again, wish they weren’t anonymous. The sad thing is that, after checking them out, you’ll find yourself understanding why they are.
You’ll also find yourself very likely in tears, or fighting nausea, or enraged beyond what you thought possible. The sites are no longer being updated; indeed, most of Wilson’s critics have wound down their efforts. That doesn’t make their contributions toward understanding him and his work any less important, however. I appreciate their efforts, and I pledge to continue my own. Because this is a vile, dangerous, and disturbing man for whom the flock is a convenient punching bag, a smorgasbord to devour, and a captive audience for his gleefully belligerent rants.
So read up, stay tuned, and above all pray for Wilson — and for me. The stakes are very high, eternally so, and I contend that silence here is assent to a very great evil.