If you missed it recently, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was interviewed by his girlfriend Danica Patrick for her podcast, and told his tale of leaving behind the Christian faith.
In the five minute segment I saw, Rodgers spoke of his upbringing in the church and delight in attending Young Life during high school, but how that early faith was pushed aside during college days as he met new folks (to include eventually the Dalai Lama) and found himself moving away from the simple “binary” faith of Christianity. You know, Christian and non-Christian, Heaven and Hell, light and dark, etc.
If the “binary” term is new to you, you should know that Rodgers (undoubtedly no intellectual slouch) was espousing postmodern theory. Postmodernists hold that binaries are exclusive (“Us four, no more”, “I’m in, you’re out”), and therefore bad…though that is a somewhat binary way to sum up their thinking, and therein lies the problem.
For all his attempts to be open and non-judgmental, it was hard to miss that Rodgers was nicely declaring his old faith passé, a fine point to make if it’s what you believe, but a little disingenuous if you are at the same time saying you are against binary thinking.
As Terry Eagleton writes in The Illusions of Postmodernism,
“For all its vaunted openness to the Other, postmodernism can be quite as exclusive and censorious as the orthodoxies it opposes…It is a thoroughly orthodox heterodoxy, which like any imaginary form of identity needs its bogeymen and straw targets in order to stay in business.”
Against being Against?
To put it plainly, there is a certain nonsense in declaring, as Rodgers did, that you are against being against things.
And Jesus (that guy who was either risen from the dead…or not) had no problem at all with binary thinking:
“Whoever believes in (Me) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. John 3:18, 19 (ESV)
The Real Reason Rodgers Left…
Uncomfortably binary, I know, yet our Lord points to what is likely the real reason Aaron left behind his faith; and so, as for me, I’m praying that his thinking off the field will become as clear and lucid as it usually is…on.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/aaron-rodgers-opens-religion-danica-200501823.html
Entrusted with the Gospel 
Randall. Drezdon
January 24, 2020 at 2:34 pm
Wow !! Great Job Rog !! 🙂
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Thomas J Johnson
January 24, 2020 at 2:36 pm
Roger,
Sue & I saw the interview with Rodgers — we were not impressed!
You “nailed it”, in pointing out the irony of his being against the “binary” nature of Christianity.
His so-called philosophical opposition to a binary concept is, in itself, binary. Great job in pointing that out.
Keeping the faith!!
Tom Johnson
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Roger Knowlton
January 24, 2020 at 6:15 pm
Thanks Tom! You would (in contrast) be blessed by this…
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Thomas J Johnson
January 24, 2020 at 8:05 pm
WOW! Thanks Roger — what a contrast! I really like how Kirk comes across with such a peaceful deportment due to his resting in his faith! His confidence in the Lord’s direction is so very obvious.
T.J.
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Scott and Faye Roen
January 25, 2020 at 3:48 pm
Very well put, Roger. Actually, profoundly put! Way to go! Scott and Faye
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Thomas J Johnson
January 25, 2020 at 9:26 pm
Hey Roger,
Just another follow-up thought on Aaron Rodgers’ rejecting Christianity because of its “binary” nature. He stated in the interview, “Rules and regulations and binary systems don’t really resonate with me.” I think he should, perhaps, reconsider how he makes his living.
Having been a Coach and a Sports Official for many years, I can truly say that “rules and regulations and binary systems” are how competitive sports are conducted. Officials enforce the “rules and regulations”; and athletes must compete within these. Concerning the binary systems in sports — it’s either a “fair ball” or a “foul ball” — in-bounds or out-of-bounds — a completed pass or an incomplete pass — a made field goal or a missed field goal — a false start or a fair start — (in baseball) “safe” or “out” — mmmh, kind of like “saved or unsaved”.
Tom
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hank snyder
January 26, 2020 at 12:25 pm
Thanks. I pray he comes back to the basics….We sin, we need Christ.
On Fri, Jan 24, 2020 at 2:13 PM Entrusted with the Gospel wrote:
> Roger Knowlton posted: ” If you missed it recently, Packers QB Aaron > Rodgers was interviewed by his girlfriend Danica Patrick for her podcast, > and told his tale of leaving behind the Christian faith. Photo by Dave > Adamson on Unsplash In the five minute segme” >
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Bob Hansen
February 6, 2020 at 11:24 pm
Very well written Roger, as are the previous responses. I wish to point out that Aaron talked about his college years as being the time in which his Christian faith was pushed aside. The fact is most university campuses today are the harshest, most difficult environments in all of our culture for a Christian to step in to. Especially a young 18 year old away from home for the first time. I have known a number of people thru the years who entered college from a Christian upbringing and who professed faith in Jesus but graduated college as an avowed atheist. The cost of education is in the news these days. Student loans etc. Seems to me the REAL cost is the price to be paid for disavowing Jesus. That far exceeds any dollar figure. We need to pray for all our kids who are college students.
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