Because I have decided that there is a higher power that resides outside of the control of man, does not make me "weak-minded". It is man's reliance upon himself for everything that will lead to the downfall of this civilization. It is man's reliance upon man that has led us to two world wars, and now nearly a third. It is the arrogant presumption of man that thinks nothing of ruining the environment. No thanks, I will take the love of God over the callous self-glorification of man, every day of the week. As for the second statement here, my pastor is not old, nor does he teach hate. You are listening to the world again if you believe that. God teaches us to despise sin, not the sinners themselves. Now, some may misconstrue that primary point, but most Christians, and most pastors, do not. The "original teachings of my faith" is the Bible. That is EXACTLY what my pastor preaches about. If it is in the Bible, he teaches it, if it is not, he does not.
7) "In the world of the born-again, the Evangelical Pastor Pimp creates a new world for the dupes who think they are taking Jesus into their heart."
The pastor merely leads the person to Jesus, it is His Word that breaks the yoke and sets the person free. It is unfair being referred to as a dupe simply because I choose to believe in God. I have seen what the greatness of man can do. I live with it every day tearing at my soul. Death to no end, whether it be through abortion or state sanctioned murder. Whether it is through the lens of wars for blood money or through the eyes of a child dying of starvation while we whine about who won American Idol. No thanks. I have seen the wonders of man; I will try my luck with Christ.
Believe it or not, most Christians prefer the smaller churches. But we realize it is not about our comfort, it is about the salvation of the lost. Think about that for a second. Even if you think we are wrong, we certainly believe what we believe. As such, we remain concerned about your salvation, not ours. The church by the way is a culture. It is the alternative to the world. It is a place where there are people of like faith. Not perfect people, but people who have agreed on a set of principles. Is there anything inherently wrong about that? You do not connect with the church to connect with Jesus, if you are saved; you already have Christ living in you as stated in Galatians 2:19-20:
"For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live unto God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me."
That being said, you connect with the culture of the church to be around people who believe the same things that you do.
9) "The megachurches are built to insulate the Jesus pimp's "bitches," actually, more men than women, to keep them away from the mainstream culture. The churches include bowling alleys, coffeshops, movie theaters. These megachurches are alternatives to the real thing, to American life. The evangelical pimps have taken Jonestown to the koolaid drinkers instead of taking the koolaid drinkers to Jonestown. This way, they keep all the comforts."
Actually, there are far more women than men. It is usually much harder to convince the male ego that he is not all that. Yes, the megachurch concept is one designed to allow a church culture as opposed to a worldly one, so what? Again, if you are born again and want to spend time with people of like faith, so what? How does that make us "koolaid drinkers?" That entire reference is uncalled for. Also, what percentage of Christianity are we talking about that are "megachurches" with bowling alleys? A very, very small amount.
10) "There must be a special place in hell for the whole bunch."
There is not. There are only two destinations for the soul of man, heaven and hell. While there are degrees of rewards in heaven, there are no such degrees in hell. There is no purgatory. You have a choice to make during your lifetime and it determines where you spend eternity. The answer is found, as are all answers, in the one book that has survived all of known history, the Bible:
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -- John 14:6 (NKJV)
A few years ago, when I found myself questioning the integrity of churches, a wise man once said to me that it is not in man whom we place our faith but Christ. Are there hypocrites in the Christian culture? Absolutely, and I speak out against them all the time. Are there any more than in the world? No. Should we expect more from them? Unfortunately no. That is where people often get it wrong. A Christian is not a super-human. They are just as likely to fall, to lie, and to completely let you down as the next person.
I know Rob Kall relatively well. I know that he speaks with a lot of passion and frustration as he watches our world fall apart, little by little, every day. He knows I feel the same way most times. I read the news each day awestruck at the apathy shown by the people in this country. There are a handful of people doing the bulk of the work to bring the topical issues of our day to the forefront before they can get buried by the people making money off of them. Whether it is Joan Brunwasser, Fitrakis and Wasserman exposing the corruption to our voting, or the tireless work of Anne Dachel to expose the links between mercury in vaccines and the autism explosion, we are being carried every day by heroes who will never ask for a moment of recognition. They simply know what is right and what is wrong and have the courage to say so.
Rob Kall gave me that opportunity two years ago to be heard. For that I thank him. I sense the frustration he feels in watching people sell out their beliefs for money and power. I do not disagree with him that those people exist. Where I part ways with him is in believing that somehow applies to all, or even a majority of pastors in this country. The megachurch is the newest fad, but just because the venue is large does not mean the message has to be tainted. Sure you run more risks with a larger church. Risks of relying too much on your own understanding and a little less time on your knees before God. But if you truly have faith, then you know God will take of that. The Jim Bakers of the world disappear and are relegated to the hypocritical trash bin of history. The Pat Robertson's of the world are not taken seriously anymore. It is the party that ran on Christian values that demanded these wars in the name of democracy. One of those governments that we have installed has decided to execute a man for converting to Christianity. Christians should be appalled at the non-responsiveness of the Bush administration and it speaks volumes to their true colors. They used Christians for their electorate and then abandoned them at the first sign of political trouble.
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