By Angus Harley

The debacle of Cracker Barrel confirmed yet again ‘Go Woke, go broke’. In spite of the examples of Bud Light and Disney, Cracker Barrel thought it could simply re-awake the Woke formula, cast off traditional values, make tons of money, and in the process make a ‘statement’. Cracker Barrel patently did not consider the ‘optics’ of their move: their stock crashed by $100 million!! Has the CEO apologized? No! Despite Cracker Barrel reverting back to its old format, the CEO has not been fired yet.

Doublin’ down on stupid does not belong only to the secular world of mega-companies and their CEOs, for Christian individuals and groups can be just as dumb. Theologians are not immune, either. A number of years ago, Doug Wilson, writer of Blog and Mablog was eventually forced to apologize for not recognizing that there were some in the Federal Vision group who were going against the Protestant tradition.[1] This did not satisfy the Reformed community, for they said Wilson did not take back any of his Federal Vision views, and was, in his own theology, contradicting historical Protestant teaching. Wilson defended his viewpoint for a while, and then things seemed to die down, somewhat. Yet, wishing to vindicate himself and to defend his own theological principles, only a few months ago, Wilson dredged up the whole affair again, defending his Federal Vision theology as compatible with Protestant teaching. He even cites John Murray as wrestling with some of the issues he holds to.[2] Now, to be fair, Wilson has every right to defend his theological point of view. But to say it is in alignment with historic Protestantism is plain wrong; it might have elements of commonality, but that is it. Even if he were right in his theological perspective, the optics of it all are horrible: he looks like he’s going on the attack, stubbornly and resolutely standing against the Protestant tradition. It is inevitable that he will make the Reformed community more annoyed with him, creating more kick-back against his view. But doublin’ down on stupid is a thing even in Evangelicalism.

Nearly two years ago, marquee preacher Alistair Begg managed to upset the whole of conservative Christianity by his advice to a Christian grandmother to attend her gay-grandchild’s wedding and to also bring him a gift. Begg, in an attempt to explain himself and to vindicate his rationale, immediately went publicly into overdrive to defend his position. This brought only stronger criticisms. And as with Wilson, Begg himself recently dragged up the corpse from the dead for the world to see. Just recently, David Burkhardt provided to me a link to Begg’s most recent attempt to yet again defend his advice. The commentator on the video points out how Begg is playing the victim, for Begg argues that all he was doing was being compassionate to the grandmother.[3] Begg is oblivious to the optics, once again, and, instead, chooses to ‘triple-down’ on stupid.

Some consider such criticisms of Begg and Wilson to be cruel and uncalled for. Compassion is needed. To a degree, this is true. Initially, in first looking at these scenarios, I was somewhat sympathetic to the plight the men got themselves into. Due to their ‘pedigree’, I think most extended them some form of ‘mercy’. However, when one immediately comes out to defend oneself on the indefensible, then room for compassion shrinks to a microdot. And when, in later years, one deliberately digs up the corpse to muse over it all, then one has ventured into the land of utter stupidity and foolishness.

It is so often the case that, those who exist in the stratosphere of this life, the power-players of this world, even in the Evangelical world, do not answer to anyone. They have accumulated to themselves followers and supporters who all affirm their beliefs and actions. And even if these acolytes cannot quite affirm certain beliefs and actions of these power-players, they often will not- after a reasonable period- criticize them. One reason why I voted Trump was because I was so sick and tired of politics as usual, that people in power were not held accountable. I know I was not alone in this belief. Sadly, the conviction is growing in me that the same virus afflicts modern conservative Evangelicalism, for its ‘big guns’ are untouchable and unanswerable to anyone, except as they see fit to recognize accountability, and always on their terms. Yet, when all is said and done, both Wilson’s and Begg’s stock is being wrecked by their own actions, not by my criticisms or the dismay of conservative Evangelicalism. For doublin’ down on stupid is a real thing in Evangelicalism.

[1] Doug Wilson, “Federal Vision No Mas”, Blog and Mablog, January 17, 2017, https://dougwils.com/the-church/s16-theology/federal-vision-no-mas.html.

[2] The Right Stuff, “Federal Vision Statement: Reviewed and Affirmed, ft. Doug Wilson”, YouTube, May 28, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBr1Kp4aWuA.

[3] Evangelical Dark Web, “Alistair Begg plays victim on gay wedding scandal”, YouTube, August 20, 2025,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30VSSUeeVdo.