If it takes at least three examples to make a trend, as the saying goes, I've been noticing a trend lately that disturbs me. I'm speaking of the video clips that keep popping up online of pastors insulting various groups within the Christian church.

The Boundless team has a kind of genius for finding these things. Yesterday they had this gem: Pastor Phil Johnson declaring that "the typical evangelical church has become weak and womanly." (Look for comment #3 to get my take on his remark.) Before that there was Pastor Bob Thune's "If you're single, you aren't busy." And before that, there was Pastor Mark Driscoll making disparaging remarks about stay-at-home dads.

You could say that I'm isolating, and getting offended by, just little bits of longer messages, and you would have a valid point. The thing is, I have a sneaking suspicion that that's the very reason why at least some of these pastors insert these comments into their messages -- to cause offense and controversy, and thus to gain attention. Which would be all very well if they were genuinely trying to gain attention for the gospel. Yet I can't fathom how the person or teachings of Jesus Christ -- you know, the One who called Himself gentle and lowly -- could possibly be honored by these stereotypes and putdowns. Are we now supposed to rewrite the Sermon on the Mount to read "Blessed are the macho," or what?

Obviously I have no experience as a pastor to draw on, but surely there's a better way to shepherd and exhort a flock than to encourage them to play games of can-you-top-this and act holier-than-thou.