This post is dedicated to my friend . Better known as BJ.

BJ is young. Intelligent. And feisty.

About 10 days ago BJ jumped in a frenzy over my post on Osteen.

In that post I pointed out 6 things you’ll never hear out of Osteen’s mouth.

In a nutshell, BJ complained that Christians tend to treat Christianity at extremes.

Either rigid or fluffy.

I’ll confess: I have a rigid streak in me. I like God’s wrath. Notions of hell. Essays on judgment and our wretchedness.

Probably too much.

That’s why I refer to myself as a curmudgeon. And every thing I write the doctrine of a crank.

But, as BJ pointed out, there’s the other side. The warm and fuzzy side. Which I have a big problem with.

Introducing Katie’s Doctrine

Who is Katie? I wish it were easy to explain.

First off, I’m not even really sure what Katie is. All I know is she’s adorable. Fluffy. And bizarre.

But what I like best about Katie is that in the movie  she says one of the most memorable and :

In my world everyone’s a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies.

That’s the doctrine of Katie.

Why I Need People Like BJ

This doctrine shares space with what John Piper refers to as the : prayer is an intercom where we can call up God and ask Him to bring us a pillow and to turn the heat up.

That means Katie shares space with Osteen. The Copelands. Anyone who over-emphasizes or flat out distorts the blessings God’s promised us.

The , suffering or death. But neither does it refer to it exclusively.

So that’s why people like BJ are essential–they balance me out–by pointing through the fog of an Osteen ministry to the essential, biblical truths that underlie it.

In other words, BJ helps me to throw the bath water out. And not the baby.

What Do You Think?

First, do you know what kind of creature Katie is? Are you a ?

[I am.]

Do you find yourself leaning toward one theological extreme or the other? Can you recommend some writers, preachers or scholars you think are balanced? If so, tell me why you think they’re balanced.