Greg Boyd is a Heretic

Greg Boyd is a heretic.

Does this make me sound like a heretic? Before you answer this question, have you ever considered the possibility that the information one man is shooting at you might simply be mythical and overly-contrived? Where and when was it determined that one man could make such discreet statements about concepts that are both improvable AND spiritually incomprehensible to the mere human?

I think Greg Boyd is scared. I think many who follow this “theology” and “philosophy” are simply scared. They understand the fragility of human life, and they look short of God to their own ‘answers’ to define the concepts they either don’t understand or don’t agree with.

A very frustrating question to me is:

If Greg Boyd and I believe in the same Book, why do we have such completely different views?

Boyd has an impressive track record, graduating from Yale and Princeton in theological studies. He also studied theology for 16 years at Bethel University and founded Woodland Hills Church. But when talking about God, what the heck does that even mean to me? Nothing.

Regardless of whether or not Greg Boyd went to Yale or was a complete bum on the street - if he and I believed in the same God, we should believe in the same God. But we don’t.

1. Boyd paints a “spiritual” setting in which God intervenes from time to time. Humans make their own decisions, and it is the result of these many decisions, combined with unseen demonic activity and spiritual warfare, that ultimately creates the “butterfly effect.”

My response to this? If Boyd and I agree that God created everything, then we should agree He created the concept of time. Time is relative; this is scientifically proven. Therefore, time is not some concrete linear movement in one direction. From our perspective, it is. From Boyd’s perspective, it is.

If God created time, it simply exists. It doesn’t develop as a series of progressions. It just is. It exists. And God knows all of it. Some people say “Well yeah. God knows everything that is happening, but he doesn’t control all of it.” This doesn’t make any sense.

I hate to quote a movie, but I will, simply because it has some surprisingly keen intellect:

Donnie: Could these wormholes appear in nature?

Dr. Monnitoff: That...is highly unlikely. You're talking about an act of God.

Donnie: If God controls time...then all time is pre-decided. Then every living thing travels along a set path.

Dr. Monnitoff: I'm not following you.

Donnie: If you could see your path or channel growing out of your stomach you could see into the future. And that's a form of time travel, right?

Dr. Monnitoff: Well, you're contradicting yourself, Donnie. If we could see our destinies manifest themselves visually...then we would be given the choice to betray our chosen destinies. The mere fact that this choice would exist...would make all preformed destiny come to an end.

Donnie: Not if you chose to stay within God's channel...


And while this is a little off from my point, it still parallels what I’m trying to say. In essence, if we determine much of our outcomes in life, we are, in essence, gods ourselves. We do not control time; in other words, we do not control events existing in time. It may appear to us that we do, but God has created those “channels” that create life’s events.

A common response to this is: So we are no longer responsible for our actions? We can just blame God then? I respond with: Well, do you feel prompted to go commit a horrible act? We don’t justify our actions by saying “God mad me do it,” because humans inherently believe we have the ability to make our own decisions, both good and bad. I live each and every day with the feeling of freedom in that I am able to make decisions. I also feel guilt and remorse when these decisions don’t always fall in line with God. But this is what it means to be human. This is how God designed me. In a much bigger picture, however, zoomed way out, something has already been planned. I only have a limited mind and I only really see the here and now.

2. Boyd also states, if God is love, then why do so many evil things happen in the world? Surely they aren’t acts of God.

My response is: How do you know? How do you, Greg Boyd, truly know what unconditional love is? For all the evil and horrible things that happen in the world, how are you so sure they aren’t part of a much greater plan? How do you know that a short, abused life here on earth isn’t part of a plan for reincarnation and eternal life in heaven?

When your mother took you to get your shot at the doctor, assuming you didn’t like shots, I’m sure you looked at her with the same confusion.

Sometimes, pain and suffering are required. It IS an evil-filled world. And while some of us, including Greg Boyd, have the benefit of actually living in a blessed country and can indulge in some of life’s beauty, others aren’t so lucky.

The book of Job is a perfect example that displays God’s sovereignty over all. The devil requests permission to strip from Job everything he owns and God grants permission. Now why would God do this??? My guess is that He wants to show Job that he is all-powerful, and it is He that should be considered over all; even before Job’s children and wife. Did this seem evil? Yes. But it was from God. And it was all in the name of goodness.

Ironically enough, Boyd renounces the book of Job as nothing more than an “epic poem.”

Boyd, I would challenge your mode of thought with perhaps the most atrocious event in the history of the world: the death of Christ.

The birth of Christ was part of a plan by God to bring salvation to everyone on earth. Did we deserve it? No. Do we really deserve anything? No. But God did it anyways. And it was prophesied time and time again that Christ’s death was imminent. All events occurred as part of a plan leading to the crucifixion: Peter’s denial of Jesus, Judas betraying Jesus, Pontius Pilate giving into the pleas of the people.

Imagine if you were in that crowd of people. You’d be wondering how such a horrible act could happen to such a holy being. From your perspective, it would without a doubt be the most evil thing you had ever seen. But behind the curtains, behind the entire scene, God had a plan. He was in control of it. From Peter’s denial to Judas’ betrayal, God controlled. And He prevailed. And why shouldn’t He? If God isn’t in control of everything, the term “god” is stripped of its meaning. He isn’t a God anymore. He isn’t omnipotent. He is simply a man-made concept with limitations. And why would I want to believe some fictitious figure conceptualized by some scholared, whimsical man who includes the Fibonacci sequence on his website as a sign of some supposed intellectual depth? Give me a break.

3. When I had this brief discussion with Boyd, he also said “What’s the point of glorifying God if He determines when and how it will be done? Doesn’t that make us robots?”

Robots or not, read my statement above regarding decision making. And I hate to break it to you Boyd, but God doesn’t necessarily need us. And he certainly doesn’t need us to “glorify” him.

I would also challenge you to think about terms like ‘love’ and ‘glory’ and ‘praise.’ Do you really know what these mean? When you say that there is no point of bringing God glory if he’s already determined it, how do you know that this isn’t a part of what glory really is??? How would you ever know that Boyd??!? You wouldn’t!! And you won’t until you get to heaven. You won’t understand “unconditional love” until you get to heaven. If you say you know what it means now, you are a heretic. Because God is Love, and we all know that you don’t fully know God.

Again, I think Boyd is scared – scared that God is really in control of his entire life. It isn’t easy for a human to relent his or her own self-power or sense of control. (Keep in mind that I use this statement from a worldly view. From a much larger perspective, any perceived power we feel we have has ultimately been determined).

Boyd, you may think this concept completely eradicates all joy from the concept of faith, but I truthfully think it brings about a completely refreshing outlook. I trust that God controls all, and even when bad things happen, I know God is at work behind everything and there is a purpose for it all. . .even if I don’t see it on earth.

Also, I don’t feel justification in giving up my own self-perceived responsibilities because I am still a Christ follower, and I feel prompted to take action. Likewise, I feel blessed that God has planted this “freedom of thinking and acting” within me, but I also understand that it’s because He created my mind that I feel such freedom.

4. There is also mention of God changing His mind in the Bible, something Boyd emphatically uses as evidence to support his free-will claim.

But even if this information is relayed from God Himself, it’s only in the concept of relative time. In our timeline, it is said that God changed His mind. Perhaps this was said because it’s a concept we understand: God didn’t like outcome, changed His mind, changed outcome. But how do you know that God didn’t have the altered outcome already determined when he laid out all of “existence?” From His perspective, He knew His “mind change” would happen all along. From our perspective, He changed his mind.


What disturbs me about Boyd and his arrogance and “deep theological insight” is that he picks and chooses text to believe. When was Christianity EVER about theology and philosophy? Why do you have to analyze these things and discern which is believable to you and which isn’t? To me, it’s a cop out. Christianity is no longer demanding of you; you can make it out to be whatever you want it to be.

And to the rest of you who think Christianity is some “feel good” faith meant to help you solve your personal problems and achieve inner peace, maybe you should take up Buddhism instead. THE UNDERLYING THEME IN ALL OF CHRISTIANITY IS HUMILITY: THE DENIAL OF “SELF.” Rare is a man or woman who lives this idea to its fullest, including myself. The only one who ever completely did this was Jesus.

I realize that, after so many years of preaching and philosophizing about a certain view, it may be extremely difficult for Boyd to relinquish his theology. . .even if he knows it’s wrong. When I had a brief discussion with him some 3 or 4 years ago, he rudely and abruptly ended the conversation when he discovered I hadn’t read one of his books. Oh please Boyd. Please forgive me. I know where you stand. You stood up as a volunteer speaker at CPC and preached your heresy, then proceeded to retreat to a pew and sing words, along with the congregation, that completely opposed everything you just spoke about.

And then you pushed me aside.

Thank you.


Grandpa C