Saturday, May 30
Friday, May 29
New Denominations Organize To Combat Degenerate Theology
Wednesday, May 27
Ministries Begin To Weigh In On Duggar Scandal
But if the information conveyed is true, is it gossip?
Some might respond that, because this information impacts only the Duggars, no one else but the involved parties need to know about it.
But if assorted religious propagandists uplifted the Duggars as some kind of ideal to emulate in terms of breeding out of control and for ways to curtail the freedoms of their children, shouldn't it be exposed where these figures fall short in adhering to the most simple and obvious Christian standards?
If it is considered gossip to report when this family falls short, shouldn't celebrating their hyperlegalistic proclivities also be considered a form of gossip when these are invoked for the purposes of manipulating one's audience into believing that their own walk with God is inferior when they prefer not to rely upon so many externalities in their own spirituality and religious devotion?
In reflection upon the Duggar scandal, a pastor on SermnAudio remarked how worldlings are gleeful when Christians fall into sin.
But don't we believers tend to do the same thing in regards to the adherents of assorted false belief systems?
Who among us didn't latch onto the Roman Catholic abuse scandal as proof to the shortcomings of that variety of Christianity?
So now shouldn't similar outrages be taken as proof that things might not be as perfect in hardline Evangelicalism as the missionary prayercard photos would lead us to believe?
In reflecting upon the Duggar scandal, a pastor criticized the number of homseschooling families that position themselves almost as teaching ministries as they share their practices and techniques with others but without the formal ecclesiastical authority of eldership.
The peculiarities of certain homeschool families are secondary in regards to that comment.
What this minister is saying is that you should not be allowed to publish a book or speak at a conference convened beyond the direct oversight of a church body without the permission of your pastor, deacon board, or consistory.
The response to that in terms of organized religion is who is going to stop me?
by Frederick Meekins
Tuesday, May 26
Reflections Upon The Duggar Allegations
Given the molestations allegations that have come out against Josh Duggar, if that is what goes on behind the close doors of the first family of homeschooling, should Christians now evaluate that form of education as well?
His own sisters are alleged to rank among his victims.
But since he was married by 20 years of age, he is not the deviant.
You are if you are not according to radical homeschoolist propaganda.
Would there be as much outrage over the Duggar allegations if these parents had not attempted to rule over their children with such an iron fist?
Seems to me your son molesting one of your daughters would be more a sign of failed parenting than if your kids kissed someone before their wedding ceremony.
Perhaps this tragic story should be taken as a warning that parents procreating at such a shocking rate don't always pay that much attention to the children whom it is claimed are loved more than the children of those parents that spawn a more manageable one to three.
No wonder the one Duggar girl got married to someone on the other side of the world. Always figured it was to get away from that crowd.
Who would have thought it would have been over something so terrible.
Mark my words.
Before it’s all over with, the Duggar that can’t keep his hands to himself will be addressing riveted crowds on the topic as to why septuagenarian singles shouldn’t even be allowed to sit with one another in church.
By Frederick Meekins
Thursday, May 21
Review Proves Why Most Christians Films Not Worth Watching
Is Kevin Swanson going to maintain that nothing questionable would slip out of his mouth while battling a genocidal Artificial Intelligence on the cusp of perpetrating an extinction level disaster?
The radical homeschooler’s critique of the film went beyond questionable dialog selections on the part of the screenwriters.
Tony Stark in particular was condemned as an individualist and not being much of a team player.
But isn’t that the characteristic of Robert Downey’s interpretation that has made his performance endearing over the course of the interlocking Marvel films and one with which sarcastic loners with a tendency to dance to the beat of their own drum have been able to identify?
As the review progressed, Swanson finally revealed the nature of his ultimate disapproval with the film.
For you see, with the exception of the archer Hawkeye, the protagonists are to be condemned because the are SINGLE (as in unmarried) for a variety of reasons.
For the most part, shouldn’t these characters be applauded for that decision because of the particular vocations in which they find themselves?
Captain America was in suspended animation for over 70 years while the woman he loved, Agent Peggy Carer, aged at a normal rate and if developments in her own TV miniseries are any indication, eventually moved on to marry somebody else as she didn’t even know those many decades that he was even still alive.
So in the eyes of the radical homeschoolers, is Steve Rogers not supposed to work through that profound emotional trauma before wedding someone else that he might not really love?
As to the Incredible Hulk, despite the slight sparks there with Black Widow, perhaps Bruce Banner has character enough to realize that he is better off without a relationship in which the normal stresses of which could set off his condition to the point where he wouldn’t simply snap at his wife in a less than courteous tone but instead level his entire neighborhood.
Though it was amusing to discover that Hawkeye had a secret family that he had concealed from his colleagues in the espionage and costumed adventurer communities and that served as a reminder of what these heroes are fighting for, these are action adventure films (not chick flicks).
While passing romance and flirtations add flavor to the narrative, the primary purpose for these films is to see robots and aliens blown up.
I don’t really care to see Superman flying Lois Lane from store to store looking for new drapes for the Fortress of Solitude.
Perhaps the most disturbing thing said by Swanson in his analysis was that we must be careful not to limit the designation of witchcraft to those claiming to be witches.
Instead, anyone whose power comes from a source other than God is guilty of this grievous offense.
An argument can be made as to the technical accuracy of that claim.
However, it must be remembered that Swanson advocates a political philosophy known as theonomy or Christian Reconstructionism that calls for the implementation of Biblical law as the nation’s comprehensive social policy and statutory code.
Since that is the case, how ought and to whom should the Biblical injunction of “Suffer not a witch to live” be applied?
For if definable limits are not placed upon such a principle, it could certainly be manipulated as a clever way to justify executing your political and philosophical opponents.
Vigilance is required whether one is dealing with a maniacal artificial intelligence or a podcasting minister that hasn’t fully considered the implications of his theological pronouncements.
By Frederick Meekins
Wednesday, May 20
Tuesday, May 19
Pastor Threatens Damnation Of Children To Silence Critics
Dependent upon what the pastor is accused of doing, if the deed is sufficiently egregious, doesn't the pastor also bear some of the responsibility for this potential religious abandonment?
What this pastor was doing from the pulpit was attempting to frighten critics into silence.
Pastor Jason Cooley admonished in the sermon that one ought to largely remain silent regarding a pastor's errors or mistakes.
He likened this form of criticism and analysis to a form of backbiting or secret whispering spoken of unfavorably in Scripture.
Often a pastor's sermons consist in large part of what others have done wrong even if the names are changed.
Therefore, what is so wrong with the average Christian, as part of their own ministry, exposing errors on the part of pastors so that all throughout Christendom might be better protected against them when spiritually assaulted by similar doctrine and pastoral malfeasance elsewhere?
Scripture warns about spreading secrets and talking about that which one ought not or which there is no verifiable proof.
However, a sermon is a public oration.
As such a discourse, it is open to reflection by and cogitation upon by those that hear it. The role of the pastor is to protect the flock.
Then shouldn't it be the role of studied voices from within the flock to protect the flock from the pastor even if that protection consists of little more than assurance that more than one mind is formulating these kinds of concerns?
By Frederick Meekins
Monday, May 18
Pastoral Ego Nearly As Large As The Political
The analysis is correct.
However, it elicits a number of additional observations.
I'm not really much of a Huckabee fan.
I just don't really care for candidates that insist that the government should track the weight of your children for national security reasons when some of their own offspring from an official family photo look like they top the 300 pound mark.
However, according to these pastors, are we to take away the impression that whether or not we attempt something should be predicated upon the possibility of earthly success?
Secondly, which of the candidates isn't running for name recognition in the form of the prestigious positions or lucrative book deals and speaking engagements that will accumulate at the end of the campaign trail?
What in life is not done for name recognition?
On an episode of Futurama, it was joked that all of civilization was just an attempt to impress the opposite sex.
When you come down to it, one of the primary reasons human beings procreate is so that your name will continue after you are dead.
Name recognition, in part, is why people get involved in ministry.
Sure, there is a deeply spiritual motivation to spread the Gospel.
However, if that is the only reason, why did the church posting this podcast attach its name to the file as well as those of the participating pastors?
By Frederick Meekins