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A Facebook friend of mine posted quotes from Mike Ford’s Goats on the Left. Here is a sample:
[In Matthew 25, t]he sheep are given eternal life, but the goats are cast into the Lake of Fire. It is clear from this section of Scripture that we want the attributes of sheep and not those of goats!
What is it about goats that causes God to use them in such a negative light? Goats are capricious. They are impulsive and unpredictable, devious and contrary. If they are not poking their heads through fences, they may be standing on their hind legs, stretching for those tender leaves just out of reach. Goats are never content with what they have.
They are experts in opening gates and squeezing through small gaps because they hate to be confined. Fences that will handle sheep, cattle, and horses will not hold goats. They will work tirelessly to spring themselves from any situation they deem inhibiting.
Consequently, goats are not very good followers. “Gregarious behavior” is a term that refers to the flocking or herding instinct which is found strongly in sheep, cattle, and horses. Again, this quality is rather weak in goats; they prefer leading or going off on their own. Meat packers use this instinct in sheep and goats to their advantage. They will train an old goat, appropriately called a “Judas,” to lead sheep to the pens for slaughter. A well-trained Judas will lead group after group of sheep to the slaughter all day long.
A sheep follows its Shepherd, peacefully moving forward with the flock. He is content to be led because he has faith in Him. A sheep responds to his Shepherd’s voice and goes where He directs. On the other hand, a goat follows only its own lead, creating disunity when he comes in contact with others in the flock. Because of his independent nature, he often finds himself in contention with the Shepherd for leadership of the flock, leading some astray. A goat often eats things—a symbol of ingesting spiritual instruction—sheep would avoid because they have no real value and cause sickness.
Goats are not inherently evil, but some of their traits could be deadly—spiritually—if found in a Christian. A Christian who is unpredictable, who thinks he is above it all, who independently does his own thing, who wants to take over, has trouble functioning in a group, or does not want to be led, is exhibiting the characteristics of a goat—one Christ says will be cast into the Lake of Fire!
But Matthew 25 says what’s bad about the goats: they don’t help the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger, and prisoner. It has nothing to do with being a loner, wanting to be free, or being reluctant to follow the group-think of the herd (or flock).
Don’t get me wrong. I agree with some of what Ford says here. I think that trying to cooperate with people is preferable to attempting to dominate a group against its will. And there are times and places to be a team player rather than someone who absolutely has to have his own way. Real life teaches you that! I also agree that we should be content with what we have, rather than jealous of others or materialistic. But my impression of Ford’s quote is that it’s hostile to independent thought: that it’s saying we’re supposed to be going with the group, all docile and gregarious. (What about those who have social difficulties?) And the stakes are pretty high for those who fail: they’ll go to hell!
Has Ford ever thought that maybe there are goats who lead certain churches? If sheep are to follow them without question, maybe that will lead them to the slaughter! It’s happened!
Also, I don’t know what Ford’s political orientation is, but it’s interesting that elements of the conservative evangelical sub-culture embrace political conservatism, which applauds freedom and independence and self-reliance, while lambasting big government as restrictive. Yet, it turns right around and promotes group-think and authoritarianism in the church. Is that consistent?
This reminds me of a post I encountered through Rachel Held Evans’ blog: Pete Wilsons Do we really need the church?. Pete’s answer was “yes”, and many of the comments were affirming that answer. But there was one comment that stood out to me, which said in part:
Yet, I know we need to be plugged-in somewhere, and quite honestly there aren’t any other churches in our community where someone as “unpolished” as myself can find a desire to plug-in.
During a very heated season of my faith, it’s hard to proceed while being so “disconnected”. Yet I know that going to church “services” is not going to help.
I don’t need “services” or “experiences”. I need authentic men. Something that’s harder to find in the Church than anywhere else.
There are unpolished people in the world. I’m one of them. It’s not that we’re stubborn goats seeking to obstruct everything around us. For me, it’s wanting to be an individual—as God made me to be—not someone whose individuality is suppressed in a group.
