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RC Sproul Jr's Ligonier Tales, Back By Popular Demand


"It was once my habit in this space to devote some prose to the glories of nostalgia. That habit happily evolved into the Ligonier Tales, a venue I pray I’ll soon get back to. A recent trip back to Ligonier has reignited that fire, but alas, it’s not time yet to go back with my keyboard. But nostalgia is still now in my sights… We are tapping into a homesickness for when we truly were young, for Eden." RC Sproul Jr, Old Men Dancing


For RC Sproul Jr "the glories of nostalgia" and "Eden" is largely about raging hormones, chasing girls and drinking binges. RC Sproul Jr has memorialized his nostalia for the whole world to see in "Ligonier Tales," a seedy and shameless walk down RC Jr's debauched memory lane.
RC Sproul Jr grew up in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, which is also the name from which his father's Ligonier Ministries came from.
It's hard to understand what RC Sproul Jr was thinking when he posted this trashy "novella" on his "ministry" web site, the Highlands Study Center. Some things are just better left in the past. But not RC Jr. No, he seems real proud of his depraved past, and in no way repentant about it either.
Here's a review of Ligonier Tales from "Dabney." The only problem with his review is that it's a little dated since he refers to RC Sproul Jr as "an ordained Presbyterian Pastor." RC Sproul Jr managed to get himself defrocked in January 2006:
The other day I read the Words Of Wit With RC Sproul Jr page at Drinking With RC Sproul Jr. It’s hard to believe that a gospel preacher would actually say that kind of claptrap and then be proud enough about it to publish it for the whole world to see. One of the things quoted from at that site is RC Jr’s Ligonier Tales, a shabby piece of trashy dime store drivel.
As repulsive and degrading as I found the whole process to be, I went to the Highlands Study Center web site and read every one of the eleven chapters of RC’s “novella,” Ligonier Tales (yes, I do deserve the Purple Heart). I don’t recommend that anyone do this right after eating. In fact I don’t recommend you do it on an empty stomach even after taking Dramamine. Why an ordained Presbyterian Pastor would publish such twaddle on his ministry’s web site for the whole world to see is sure beyond me. He ought to be ashamed, but obviously he’s not.
A lot of us grew up doing things that we’re plenty embarrassed about. But most of us have got enough horse sense to not talk or write novellas about it. Maybe what RC Sproul Jr. is trying to tell us all is that just because he’s the son of a famous theologian he didn’t grow up any different than any of the rest of us. But if that’s what he’s trying to say, he could do it without giving everyone the lurid details. RC Jr’s communicating a lot more with his trashy novella than “I’m nothing special, I’m just like all the rest of you.” Anyone who grew up acting as foolishly as RC Jr did ought to be embarrassed enough about it to not memorialize it for the whole world to see. A son who cares to keep the fifth commandment ought to know that publishing his spectacular adolescent moral failures could in no way help his father’s reputation. Not RC Jr! Indeed, all RC Jr is effectively doing is saying, “My dad was a failure as a father.” He even seems to be real proud of his foolish adolescent years. Nowhere does he express any regret, remorse or sense that he has anything to apologize for. If anything he seems to look back with fondness on those good ‘ol days.
In Ligonier Tales RC fancies himself as a rough and tumble hard-drinkin’ beer-guzzlin’ jock, and a regular Casanova ladies-man. My impression about RC from reading Ligonier Tales is that he was horribly insecure and was constantly seeking attention and trying to impress his peers. Not one word is ever mentioned about trying to please or impress his parents or be an obedient son. In fact hardly a mention is made of his parents, other than the fact that they referred to RC Jr as “Precious.” I’ve heard said that RC Sproul Jr is referred to by family by the pet name “Precious” to this day.
His novella ends in an anticlimactic fast-forward a couple decades “here I am today a happily married-with-kids successful preacher-man” non-ending. No lessons are taught, no lessons are learned, no value or benefit of any kind is conveyed by the writer to the reader for expending the time to peruse this literary swill. Reading RC Jr’s novella is much like sitting down to watch a bad movie that a friend told you is actually a good movie. You sit there minute after minute thinking, “At some point it’s gonna get good.” But it never does, and you’ve just wasted your evening. You feel cheated. That’s how it feels to read Ligonier Tales. You can easily reckon that the only reason RC Sproul Jr. wrote it is to cover for some deep seated insecurities. Maybe he wrote it as a personal catharsis, but that doesn’t mean he’s got to punish the rest of us with it.
The part that I kept waiting to read was the part where he talks about his mom and dad — the part where he honors his parents — the part where he obeys the fifth commandment. It never comes. RC’s entire novella is the biggest piece of self-obsessed bilge I’ve ever read. It’s only redeeming quality? It’s short enough that the nausea doesn’t last very long.
Before immersing yourself in Ligonier Tales we recommend that you get yourself good and liquored up, unless liquor makes you nauseated. In that case take some Dramamine instead.
The index page of Ligonier Tales begins here.


This post first appeared on Spinderella Sproul: Lessons In Spin With Spinmeist, please read the originial post: here

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