To their credit the charismatics [charismatic Christians, that is] hunger for the reality they know is not provided for in mere intellectual study of doctrine. But, alas, in seeking the things of the Spirit they ignore sound doctrine and go chasing after experiences which are usually explainable as psychological reaction. But I have sat in on this quarrel from another perspective recently: that of the anti charismatic brigade. They think that their intellectualism is not barren, well, they have to as it is all they have, that and just plain bullying, as they honour preachers who are bullies, who rant and scream, and woe betide any, like me, who point this out.
So what do we have? Heretical pagans like Bill Johnson and Todd Bentley, religious crazy, on one side and orthodox pharisees on the other, the John MacArthurs and Dave Wilkersons of the church those who can move to Hitlerian ranting in a matter of seconds and who think that such fanaticism is godly zeal and know not, nor care, whom it destroys; the rot in the church is not confined to one side (the other side, it always is, of any debate, as each side smugly supposes.
How can I blame any atheist who looks at us and says we are pathetic? Because we are. We don't believe our own Book and will not admit it. We water down the love of Christ and the life he offers us into the cheap bonhomie of a country club, and think this is as good as it gets. Thus we claim an abundant life that is obvious to any honest person we simply so not have
So we burble irrelevantly in a corner unless some of us think it right to go out and insult and bully unbelievers. Not all preachers are such villains,. mark you, but it is the villains who are honoured for in their ranting fury they have made a name for themselves
So the millenia old game continues; and the Name of God is despised all the more for we really are hypocrites and will not acknowledge it, so there is no solution to it
And for those poor fools like me who desperately have real need, there is nowhere to go but this Christ that they talk about but to not believe in
Yet those of us who do will be despised by the rest.
Especially for daring to suggest that the church is as foul as atheists say it is
So what do we have? Heretical pagans like Bill Johnson and Todd Bentley, religious crazy, on one side and orthodox pharisees on the other, the John MacArthurs and Dave Wilkersons of the church those who can move to Hitlerian ranting in a matter of seconds and who think that such fanaticism is godly zeal and know not, nor care, whom it destroys; the rot in the church is not confined to one side (the other side, it always is, of any debate, as each side smugly supposes.
How can I blame any atheist who looks at us and says we are pathetic? Because we are. We don't believe our own Book and will not admit it. We water down the love of Christ and the life he offers us into the cheap bonhomie of a country club, and think this is as good as it gets. Thus we claim an abundant life that is obvious to any honest person we simply so not have
So we burble irrelevantly in a corner unless some of us think it right to go out and insult and bully unbelievers. Not all preachers are such villains,. mark you, but it is the villains who are honoured for in their ranting fury they have made a name for themselves
So the millenia old game continues; and the Name of God is despised all the more for we really are hypocrites and will not acknowledge it, so there is no solution to it
And for those poor fools like me who desperately have real need, there is nowhere to go but this Christ that they talk about but to not believe in
Yet those of us who do will be despised by the rest.
Especially for daring to suggest that the church is as foul as atheists say it is
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You can disagree with me, even spiritedly. But keep it civil as I am the one hurt by cruelty. I must protect myself from nastiness and will block or ban users if I must. And it would help if you offered reasons for your disagreements. If they are good I may respect you. If they are sound I may even change my mind