Today's example of Christians behaving badly

[Michchamp]

Its use in the Great Seal of the United States was intended to be a reference to God at the time of its creation. Same as the phrase that appears with it, "Annuit c?ptis".

edit:...maybe not. I googled it and the phrase "Annuit c?ptis" might have been used to avoid specifying who favors our undertakings. If you just google the all seeing eye, the explanation points to a theist position, but if you specify the Great Seal of the US, they (specifically, it seems to me) dodged referring to God.

yes. I also edited my post for typing for the same reason. it's not a clear religious reference, and only the great Buddha knows exactly what our forefathers intended.

so... since it's not a clear 1st amendment violation, and hell... has been around longer than the first amendment itself... leave it in there.

besides, when they use it today, it's clear they're referring to a literal all-seeing "eye" of sorts:

 

[tinselwolverine]

I've always understood it to be the Eye of the Illuminati or the Eye of the Freemasons, associated "secret societies" with whom many claim a number of the Founding Fathers were associated with.

 

[Michchamp]

spooky!

well, the day is almost over.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

 

[Michchamp]

Here's another one.

this is that same mega-church pastor that hired a marketing consultant to game the NYTimes bestseller list so his book would show up on it. We discussed that elsewhere on the board.

he's apparently such a sociopath, foulmouth, and bully behind closed doors that some members of his church's staff are in revolt (i.e. leaving his church and blogging about him on the internet).

his church apparently borrowed a page from Scientology's playbook:

One former member, pen name Sophia, moved to a town where Mars Hill was planting a new church. Newly arrived and without friends, she and her husband were attracted to the church’s vibrant social matrix. But over time she found herself subject to pressure for more and more intensive engagement, ultimately spending several nights weekly in church-related groups that she experienced as demanding and intellectually combative. As the relationship deepened, she was informed that membership required a series of doctrine classes, signing a “covenant” and confession of sin. The contract would include a financial pledge, and a community group leader would question those who didn’t meet their pledge.
​

 

[Michchamp]

Okay... Today there is no specific example but did you boys read about them big tornadas down in jesusland last nite? Now I don't have any specific knowledge of any wrongdoin' by them folks but given that my understandin' is their Christian god sends natural disasters as punishment for wicked behavior, presumably there was some Christians behavin' badly last night as well

 

[tinselwolverine]

Maybe God was targeting Donald Sterling in Los Angeles...but He had had a couple too many wines celebrating the Double Canonization earlier in the day, and His aim was off...

 

[Michchamp]

Maybe God was targeting Donald Sterling in Los Angeles...but He had had a couple too many wines celebrating the Double Canonization earlier in the day, and His aim was off...

that makes as much sense as anything else in the Bible.

the christian/hebrew god has never been very effective at punishing rich people for their sins though. they tend to live longer lifespans on average, healthier than the general population, with access to the best medical care and security that money can buy. I just can't figure it out.

 

[zyxt9]

that makes as much sense as anything else in the Bible.

the christian/hebrew god has never been very effective at punishing rich people for their sins though. they tend to live longer lifespans on average, healthier than the general population, with access to the best medical care and security that money can buy. I just can't figure it out.

next time i talk to G-d (which does not happen by the way) i will be sure to pass along the memo that from this point forward everything has to be run by you first for approval.

 

[Monster]

that makes as much sense as anything else in the Bible.

the christian/hebrew god has never been very effective at punishing rich people for their sins though. they tend to live longer lifespans on average, healthier than the general population, with access to the best medical care and security that money can buy. I just can't figure it out.

Bro, they're all going to Hell when they die, so it all works itself out. That's why we don't need to punish greedy bankers. End of Sarcasm.

 

[Michchamp]

Here's another one.

this is that same mega-church pastor that hired a marketing consultant to game the NYTimes bestseller list so his book would show up on it. We discussed that elsewhere on the board.

he's apparently such a sociopath, foulmouth, and bully behind closed doors that some members of his church's staff are in revolt (i.e. leaving his church and blogging about him on the internet).

his church apparently borrowed a page from Scientology's playbook:

One former member, pen name Sophia, moved to a town where Mars Hill was planting a new church. Newly arrived and without friends, she and her husband were attracted to the church?s vibrant social matrix. But over time she found herself subject to pressure for more and more intensive engagement, ultimately spending several nights weekly in church-related groups that she experienced as demanding and intellectually combative. As the relationship deepened, she was informed that membership required a series of doctrine classes, signing a ?covenant? and confession of sin. The contract would include a financial pledge, and a community group leader would question those who didn?t meet their pledge.
​

BUMP!

So this same church (Mars Hill) is apparently falling apart in a proverbial grease fire as members leave and tell their stories to the public:

There are emerging stories of sensational kangaroo courts and "sex demon" trials, like something out of the Salem witch hunts of the 1600s. Even more devastating to individual members are the ways in which they are shamed, taught to blame themselves and each other when they see problems, and to formally shun people who step out of favor with church leaders. Shunnings, both formal and informal, have caused the outcast to spend years in isolation, cut off from friends, sometimes suffering deep clinical depression, nightmares, disillusionment and shattered faith.
​

more:

Recently, a former member started a petition at change.org requesting financial transparency. It asks Driscoll [leader of Mars Hill] to reveal his salary, which is estimated by a few insiders I spoke to to be somewhere in the ballpark of $900,000, and it raises questions about how much of the $2 million donated to the church's Global Fund in the 2012-2013 fiscal year actually made it to Ethiopia and India.

A few days ago, the church sent an email to members. "Mars Hill has now admitted that money given to the Global Fund actually went in the church?s General Fund and mostly was spent on expanding Mars Hill video sites," writes Warren Throckmorton, whose blog at Patheos.com has become a major conduit of information about the church.
​

the article is pretty long... it gets worse.

 

[grandy]

A pastor was recently arrested for sexual assault of a teenage boy

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/07/13/local-pastor-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-teen/

He also happens to be the author of "Freedom from Homosexuality: No Longer Living the Lie"

http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Homosexuality-Longer-Living-Lie/dp/1595711376

In this life-changing book, Bishop Duane Youngblood shares insights and truth to help anyone struggling with perversions find a place of forgiveness and deliverance in God. Through his honesty about his own life and the enemy’s plan against him, many have already been delivered from perverse sins.
As you read through the pages of this book, you may find yourself in his story as well as find your way to freedom. Freedom from Homosexuality takes us from the set up against a small child, to the deliverance of the man. If you are a man or woman, a church leader or member, this book will help you process the mind of God about your life and the way you can live for Him.

This book is detailed and explosive against the enemy. Bishop Youngblood is very candid and open as God uses Him to expose the plan of the enemy against so many sitting in the pews in church today. You will never be the same as you read the pages of liberty as this man of God shares from his heart.

Once you have read the book, get in the fight to rescue others from the perverse spirits that seek to control the life of believers. As you read be encouraged, be empowered and be set free.​

 

[Mitchrapp]

Personally one who does that is not considered a Christian..he's just a bad person who goes to hell.

 

[grandy]

Personally one who does that is not considered a Christian..he's just a bad person who goes to hell.

The "No True Scotsman" fallacy doesn't fly with me. He's a Christian that did bad things.

 

[Thumb]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/21/children-religion-fact-fiction_n_5607009.html

 

[Michchamp]

Today's example of Christians behaving badly: check out the terrible punt coverage by the kicking team (Evangel University) against Arizona Christian.

side note: I wonder if Jesus would condone football? Probably not, but I could be wrong.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Today's example of Christians behaving badly: check out the terrible punt coverage by the kicking team (Evangel University) against Arizona Christian.

side note: I wonder if Jesus would condone football? Probably not, but I could be wrong.

Not real Christians. No true Scotsman Christian, would ever cover a punt that way.


edit:
Awww, come on. Strikethrough is a legit BB Code style.

 

[Michchamp]

Not real Christians. No true Scotsman Christian, would ever cover a punt that way.


edit:
Awww, come on. Strikethrough is a legit BB Code style.

I've been annoyed strikethrough doesn't come through as well before. It's sometimes nice to make a point by adding a strkethrough as an editorial.

is this site set up to ignore certain html tags? I don't get it.

 

[Monster]

Personally one who does that is not considered a Christian..he's just a bad person who goes to hell.

Soooo...by that logic, we can claim that a bad atheist isn't really an atheist? Sweet! Goodbye Stalin! You're no longer an atheist because you don't adhere to what atheists stand for! Damn, glad you pointed that out to me.

 

[Monster]

Today's example of Christians behaving badly: check out the terrible punt coverage by the kicking team (Evangel University) against Arizona Christian.

side note: I wonder if Jesus would condone football? Probably not, but I could be wrong.

I think he'd be fine with the game, but the $$$$$ made...not so much. Just don't tell the Christian owners, coaches, and players that. They won't have none of that and would claim that Jesus didn't have anything against rich people.

 

[Gulo Blue]

Soooo...by that logic, we can claim that a bad atheist isn't really an atheist? Sweet! Goodbye Stalin! You're no longer an atheist because you don't adhere to what atheists stand for! Damn, glad you pointed that out to me.

I think you can use the same type of thinking to say Stalin was no secular humanist. I don't think you can get him out of the atheist camp very easily. Atheism is too clean a concept to give you much wiggle room. There's not much tied to it. It's just a single position on an single question. Well, maybe you could find some agnostic-sounding quote and move him to the agnostic camp...I don't know. Christianity is loaded with baggage and opposing Christians that don't think the other Christians count as Christians and people that argue that your actions either do or don't reflect what truth you believe in and all that jazz.

edit: I get you're not seriously trying to argue Stalin wasn't atheist. What I'm really getting at is that the no true Scotsman thing specifically goes after circular arguments. Sometimes there are things that disqualify you from a group so it is possible to misuse the argument...I really wouldn't hold Stalin against someone pushing secular humanism.