David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade and evangelist for the Assemblies of God, was killed this week by smashing head-on into an oncoming truck, while driving the wrong way down the freeway. His wife, who was wearing her seat belt (Rev. Wilkerson was not) was airlifted to the hospital but survived with serious injuries.
Despite his apparent community service by working with inner city gangs, Rev. Wilkerson continued to spread Christian lies & pro-apocalyptic propoganda – his final blog post, from March 2009, claims that “an earth-shattering calamity” is about to happen, with “riots and fires and looting worldwide, especially in New York City.”
We’re still waiting.
So…how should wise people react to this apparent tragedy? Should we grieve because he’s only human, or should we be thankful that the number of dangerous Christian nutjobs in this world has been reduced by one? Would the decision be any easier if he were Hindu (ref. Sathya Sai Baba), Buddhist, Muslim, New Age, or even Mormon?
“Celebrate” is going a bit farther than I would*. Mild gratitude that he personally won’t do any more damage. Someone else will step forward to replace him. Besides, he was quite old; he’d have died fairly soon anyway.
In large part because I haven’t been personally harmed; if, say, I had some relative turn on me because of this guy’s propaganda I would celebrate his death.
If he was a dangerous nutjob, then I might be willing to go as far as being relieved at his passing. In general though, just because I believe him to be demonstrably wrong doesn’t mean that I wish him harm.
I’ve always been skeptical of that whole Nicky Cruz/Cross and the Switchblade story. It smacks of the penchant so many BAC’s have (especially males) to create ridiculously exaggerated stories of what evil badasses they used to be before they found Jesus. They were always the baddest around. The leader of the gang/cult/drug ring, etc. The more macho swagger they put into their backstories, the less I believe them. Maybe Cruz was in a gang, but I doubt he was the “Warlord,” or anything. The worst thing he ever did was probably steal a pack of smokes or break a window. That doesn’t make for a good story or impress the chicks, though.
The only aspect of his ministry that might be arguably characterized as “dangerous” was that he was pretty virulently homophobic. I’m sure that corrupted his ability to minister to young people, but it’s also SOP for evangelicals.
I read The Cross and the Switchblade years ago, and liked it. Just now I read Rev. Wilkerson’s blog, and do not see what the problem is. He did not tell his followers to kill the ungodly. He did not even tell them to vote Republican. All he told them to do was to store up food. Why is that a dangerous message?
How spacey do you have to be to get on the freeway going the wrong-way? Don’t really care about the guys death one way or another, but he seems a good example of why the DMV should be a little stricter in renewing the drivers licenses of the elderly
Where did you get that he was driving the wrong way? I couldn’t find it in the article you linked to, although I found a CBS news article that reports “Wilkerson’s car smashed head-on into a tractor-trailer rig after veering into another lane.”
Serious questions, since I’m not familiar enough with Wilkerson and his work to know the answers:
How is his community service only “apparent”?
How was he “dangerous” and a “nutjob”?
From what perspective did he do more harm than good?
Is there any reason not involving anti-Christian bigotry to be glad he’s gone?
Greive because he is human. I feel he honestly believes in that end of times twaddle, but it is his right to do so. I will feel very sad for his wife, and hope she recovers quickly.