The Christian world is shocked at the news that Joshua Harris has come out as an apostate so soon after announcing that he is divorcing his wife Shannon Bonne.
Now personally I don't have a dog in this fight, I've never heard of Joshua Harris before, I've never read his 1997 book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, nor have I heard any of his sermons. As for his former wife Shannon Bonne, I have heard her song Don't Forget Me and I'm thinking maybe she should concentrate on writing books. (Sorry, I don't like weak and wispy voices on people being passed off as professional singers. Here's a great singer, and here's two outstanding singers. The difference between a singer and a great singer is that a singer just signs, a great singer can be heard loud and clear in the cheap seats and can make it look easy)
But what is the importance of Joshua Harris' book, divorce, and apostasy to us? Other than another sad spectacle, it's an object lesson on flying too close to the sun and flying too far from the Son. Part of me wants to say that his being kicked out of the house is due to his rejection of Jesus, but another part of me wants to say that his rejection of Jesus is due to getting kicked out of the house. And statistically chances are pretty good he really was kicked out of the house. According to a recent study, two thirds of divorces are initiated by women and that 90% of divorces are initiated by college-educated women, and the vast majority of of these divorces are not initiated for biblical reasons at all, the number 1 reason why a woman demands a divorce is that she feels like she's not being appreciated.
Speculating on why they are now divorced is none of our business, but we need to look at this fellow and hold his life going forward up to a magnifying glass to watch what happens. Yes, it is like watching a train wreck, but watching trains wreck teaches us not to wreck trains. Harris has changed his mind on almost everything he had based his life upon; he called his 1997 book "a big mistake", he denounced the purity culture, he lost his family, then he turned his back on God. I'm not encouraging anyone to pop some corn and grab a cold soda, what I am saying is watch, pity, and learn
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. (Proverbs 24:16-18)
We attended a home-school conference at which he spoke, and I read his first book. He had a lot of good things to say, but I felt he was too dogmatic with HIS ideology being THE biblical way, and he was too legalistic.
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