Eric Barger

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Eric Barger is a Christian apologist for Take A Stand! Ministries, who despite the times we live in is still an anti-rock activist,[1] despite it falling out of fashion back in the 1990s. Just like many others who are stuck in the past, he continues to rail against Pokémon,[2] despite it not being cool to do so anymore.

Heresy Hunters, Inc.[edit]

Eric is constantly on the look out for "New Age" influences within the Evangelical community from "liberals" and "emergents". He likes to encourage his followers to call out various churches with these "tests":

Questions like:[3]

  • "Do you believe in a literal hell, yes or no?"
  • "Is that a Brian McLaren book on your shelf?"
  • "Why did you quote Nouwen and Merton last Sunday without telling the church they are dangerous?"
  • "Have you attended a conference at which Leonard Sweet or Richard Foster spoke?"
  • "The word 'missional' was in the church newsletter this week; don't you check for things like that?"
  • "Are you aware that in the young adults class last Sunday, the teacher talked about social justice instead of the Gospel?"
  • "Why don’t you preach against evolution?"
  • "Are you aware of Rick Warren's universalist leanings?"

These questions were all apparently encouraged by Barger for his followers to use against their pastors, it's enough to make a person quit preaching in general.

Psychology is of the Devil![edit]

He refers to psychiatry as "[attempting] to deal with spiritual issues by using completely worldly means."[4] He is upset that psychiatry is "the first remedy the world around us employs when someone exhibits signs of demon possession"[4] is what he refers to as "Secular psychiatry." He believes that psychiatric medications do not fix this problem, claiming that they simply "disguise the symptoms but [do] absolutely nothing to alleviate the cause." "Secular psychiatry", Barger claims, "cannot cure the demon possessed and can at best only rearrange a person’s emotional and mental problems. Doctor Jesus can cure them completely, set them free, and make the broken soul whole!"[4]

Lord of the Rings too?[edit]

Its not just Harry Potter and Pokémon that Barger has a problem with, but even Lord of the Rings and Narnia despite Narnia being commonly endorsed by Christian leaders. He would attack these for desensitizing people to the occult and for using "unbiblical themes", or that their ideas of God were not sufficiently Christian.[5]

Crank magnetism[edit]

As one might expect he is attracted to fellow fundies which is why he can also be often found on Jan Markell's fundamentalist radio show ranting and raving against the occult and against "occultic" influence in the church.[6]

External links[edit]

References[edit]