”O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you . . .”
~ Matthew 23:37
I want to talk about dissenters today. Those who disagree with and challenge the status quo.
The word “dissenter” comes from the Latin dissentire, which means to disagree.
In the 17th century, those who broke away from the established Church were called the Dissenters. There were both Catholic and Protestant Dissenters.
Throughout history, there have been two main types of dissenters. I call them . . .
1) The disgruntled dissenters. These are angry, bitter, disgruntled people with their own personal agendas. Some of them aren’t mentally stable, being delusional or egomaniacle. They live their whole lives on the fringe, not because of their wisdom or prophetic insight, but because they’re just fringe personalities. These people are easily dismissed because they usually mix their dissent with “bizzaro,” even if they happen to stumble on some things that are based in reality. Think Mel Gibson in Conspiracy Theory.
2) The sober-minded dissenters. These are stable people with good judgment and extraordinary prophetic insight. They have great wisdom that exceeds their peers and they are able to predict outcomes. They may not be gifted in all areas (in fact, they are usually less gifted in many areas). But when it comes to discerning roots and offering solutions, they excel. Because of this, they are often regarded as radicals.
In 1965, Under Secretary of State George Ball broke with the conventional wisdom and all the other advisers to President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ).
A lone voice, Ball said to Johnson,
“Look, you’re going to lose in Vietnam. You’re going to end up with a protracted war that will divide America. At the end of three or four or five years, you’re going to be in Vietnam with 500,000 American troops and you’re not going to accomplish your political objective.”
Ball advised Johnson to walk away from the war and let the government of South Vietnam fall.
To his credit, Johnson took Ball’s concerns seriously. Because Ball was a sober-minded person with good judgment, Johnson was up all night contemplating his ominous warning.
But in the final analysis, Johnson decided to listen to his other advisors instead.
All told, the war in Vietnam ended up destroying Johnson’s presidency, casting a dark shadow on his “great society” to the point of nullifying it in the public consciousness, and it eventually broke his own spirit.
Had Johnson listened to Ball, history would have been different. And so would his legacy.
Out of all Johnson’s advisers, only one was ready to be a “troublemaker” and challenge the conventional wisdom.
George Ball was a sober-minded dissenter.
Note that Ball gave his dissenting counsel at the risk of being laughed to scorn by his peers. And his predication, though ignored, turned out to be true.
This same narrative has played out in politics and religion for thousands of years.
There have always been sober-minded dissenters in both realms.
In the former, they were usually executed. Just ask John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul of Tarsus, John Huss, and scores of others. In the modern West, they are usually ignored.
There’s no good reason to expect this narrative to change. It seems to be written in the bloodstream of the universe.
As one philosopher rightly said, “What history teaches us more than anything is that men never learn anything from it.”
It is for this reason that sober-minded dissenters are relatively rare in our time. They aren’t willing to risk the shunning, the loneliness, or the exclusion. It’s easier to support the status quo and be part of the good ole’ boy network. The price for dissenting is just too high.
But what does the Lord think?
We’d all be wise to remember George Ball and LBJ.
P.S. A few people will read this post and apply it to a “lay-person” (probably them) trying to urge their pastor or elder board to make a change about something in their local assembly. While this has some application of course, I don’t have this in mind nor am I speaking to such things. I rather have in mind large scale changes that affect the entire nation (politics/government) or the entire body of Christ (in the Christian world). So I wish to keep the conversation focused on those arenas.
Also, the best book that unfolds the act of God-inspired, sober-minded dissent is T. Austin-Sparks’ Prophetic Ministry. There’s nothing like it in print. I wish every Christian would read it.
See also An Audience of One and The Cost of Challenging the Status Quo.
In reading many of your blogs, Pagan Christianity, and preparing for “Reimaging the Church”. I’ve become rather quite at times. When there is a paradigm shift, you can’t really hide it, but its difficult to discern when you can and cannot speak truth when you know someone will not only disagree, but possibly be angry with you.
I’ve felt revolutionary since I was a child. Always labeled passionate and bold by my church family. As I reached my teenage years, jaws would drop hearing wisdom from a 14 year old. Well, all that changed when I left the church just a year ago. When asked why, I simply did not know. I was not angry or bitter. I did not leave out of hurt or frustration – I knew there was something else, but didn’t want to cause any confusion or trouble. Since then, as I’ve gotten a grasp on why this ‘fire-ball’ suddenly felt disconnected from everyone, I can finally answer the question to those who will listen.
Thank you for giving words to my convictions.
There were many who gathered to discuss their pain and why they left (our church at the time). We seemed to bump into each other at different church activities and gatherings, but I knew… even though there were things wrong in my home church, I didn’t want to be a part of that. And, since a few of my close friends have been hurt deeply, I tend to get lumped in with the disgruntled ex-members and the truth I stand for is assumed to be from some anger I have.
My church family (though I don’t attend there I still very much consider them my family) seems to have shut me out already. Encounters and replies to what they hear about me are rattled with distaste and anger that I could ‘find such heresies on the internet’. I wonder, how did all the respect I had as a sound, wise young woman get thrown out the window over a few disagreements in doctrine? I know I simply have a different purpose and must carry on, but the relationships that seem to have faded or dissolved hurt deeply.
Thx. for the comment. I’m curious . . . how did you find this blog post?
Good discussion. I have a love/hate relationship with dissenters. The the disgruntled whiners drive me crazy, but I treasure my friends with true prophetic insight. The trick is in discerning between them, which can be be a dicey proposition. I’ll check out Sparks’ book. Thanks for the recomendation.
Great story about Ball and Johnson. I didn’t know all that but it doesn’t surprise me. What bothers me is that the sound minded dissenters as you call them are rarely or never featured in magazines like Christianity Today, Leadership or Charisma. These magazines just uphold the status quo. They don’t report all that’s happening in the church. Why is that?
Congratulations on your blog making the number 6 ranking. I was surprised when I saw it ahead of Desiring God. Maybe the tide is turning.
I agree totally.
Good thoughts with applications outside of church.
Some dissenters disagree destructively while others disagree creatively. Destructive dissenters struggle to move on until the thing they oppose is out of commission. They’ll even stoop to sabotage so that they can move on.
Rather than destroying a vision, creative dissenters direct their energies toward refining and realizing an alternate vision that fills a unique need or even eclipses the influence of the original movement.
Clay Christensen’s book The Innovators Dilemma documents this dynamic at work in the technology industry, and he’s applied the principles of disruptive innovation to the fields of healthcare and education as well.
Excellent point. I address some of this in my post, “How (Not) to Leave a Church” – http://frankviola.org/archives
Just reading Proverbs 1 this morning. The Bible definitely validates the conclusion you mention regarding learning (not) from history. Your mention of “… I rather have in mind large scale changes that effect the entire nation (politics/government) or the entire body of Christ (in the Christian world)….” is relevant to what the Holy Spirit seems to be having us wrestle with in our house meeting group. Something like, where does Jesus want us to stand in the face of violence toward us or toward the dark side in our government…is the Kingdom of God separate from the world when it comes to defending ourselves, our country etc. Do we leave defense to the “others”. Speaking out brings lots of turmoil, definitely can impede success in business it seems…i.e. Chic-Fil-A folks. What about guns…self-defense, did Jesus ever condone the use of weapons against others? Well we are all trying to hear what the Lord wants us to hear from Him…so things that relate in any way seem to catch my eye. Not a pacifist myself, but am trying to stay open to not being rigid in my beliefs if the Lord is wanting to give me new insights. Some in the group are very wounded by military exposure and have strong emotions and opinions.
One issue with the disgruntled dissenter is that they rarely offer any better solution. They get “stuck” in the bitterness and anger and often lose the perspective needed for wise discernment. Eventually there is nothing that pleases them and they become an island unto themselves.
Super observation. In my experience of meeting a few disgruntled dissenters, they are quick to criticize, but they don’t point to anything better. And they certainly haven’t built anything better.
Mark, don’t forget though that some dissenters are labelled as disgruntled only because they are a nuisance to those who rank higher. There are times when they do have solutions but are rejected because of various reasons; it usually has to do with rank or jealousy. I’ve seen it happen often, sad although to say.
The classic response to dismiss a sober-minded dissenter is to say, “this person is bitter, angry, and has their own agenda.” While this description fits disgruntled dissenters, sober-minded dissenters are never bitter or angry and they do not dissent for personal reasons. So in essence they are misrepresented and ignored by those who aren’t interested in hearing their counsel.
I understand and agree.
So true. Perhaps on a larger scale, you Frank are considered a sober minded dissenter. How many sober minded dissenters have lost their lives for speaking out about church traditions that obscure the true message of the gospel, or teachings of Christ? (Rhetorical question) Killed by other professed believers.
Very true, Nancy. That certainly happens. I’m thinking of specific people that are truly disgruntled and are more interested in spreading their anger to others instead of working towards a better solution. As Frank points out, dissention can be very valuable if we keep our wits (and keep walking in the Spirit for Christians).
I suppose this emphasizes the importance of guarding our conduct when we feel the need to take a stance on something that is against the mainstream. Some sober-minded dissenters will still be accused of anger and bitterness, but hopefully they won’t be seen that way if they are met in person.