It’s disappointing seeing a local Canadian Salvation Army unit climb into bed with the religious right.
There is nothing on the Canadian Sally Ann site about this being a rogue decision by a Calgary SA captain, but for an organization which counts on donors good will, this is not helpful.
Twilight books, movies and toys might be among the hottest gifts of the season, but one popular charity won’t be giving those donated items to needy children.
Also on the do-not-distribute list for the Salvation Army: Anything to do with Harry Potter, sorcery or warlocks.
Capt. Pam Goodyear says the 6000 gift bags for kids Calgary gives out won’t contain anything that she thinks supports witchcraft, witchery and black magic. The toys and stuff Goodyear bans is supposedly given to other agencies. However, there are conflicting reports online that a Calgary Sally Ann staff member told a volunteer to toss wizardry, vampire and werewolf themed stuff and that the Calgary Sally Ann didn’t pass them to other agencies to distribute. Goodyear is quoted in the Sun as saying the church passes the unwanted donations to other agencies. The volunteer who came forward is not named and he did not volunteer his name. The story has taken on a world-wide life of it’s own. Across Canada the Salvation Army distributes 300,000 toys to 100,000 children across the country at Christmas.
CTV has a statement from the national headquarters of the Salvation Army. May be too late, this story has gone international. However, it is important for donors to note Capt. Pam Goodyears decision is not national policy. She caved to some upset parents, and that is her prerogative.
Andrew Burditt, a national spokesperson for The Salvation Army, said the decision would not affect chapters of the charity outside of the Calgary area.
“The Salvation Army in many respects is a very grassroots organization across the country, so toy drives and toy donation campaigns are really local in nature,” he told CTV News Channel.
“Parents over the last number of years came to the Salvation Army in that region and just said, ‘Look, this isn’t something that we’re comfortable with. The Salvation Army in that area determined that enough parents had come to them that they said, ‘We’ll just not include these,’” he said.
“It’s certainly not a national policy or an edict from the national office.”
Reading that the Calgary Salvation Army unit is behaving like the religious right is unsettling. Captain Goodyear is not representative of the Salvation Army staff I’d had the privilege to observe and report on across Canada. Sally Ann officers are free to hold extra-biblical and cultural views you and I don’t agree with, and Calgary parents who can’t give their 12 to 17 year olds a Twilight or Potter gift their offspring really wants will have to go to another agency.
I know, I know, one Sally Ann officer afraid of ‘witchy’ things cannot spoil our joy of giving through our donations, we don’t turn our back on need because of one church leader. I had to look up ‘witchy.’ It’s not in the dictionary – perhaps the Salvation Army can reassign Captain Goodyear to a post where there is no fundamentalist parental pressure and into a job which is little less scary for her next Christmas.
There are many Gods its knowing which one you are up-against that counts!!
@JackieV
Not everyone agrees with you.
(From Metro Calgary News)
Cal Hultgren, the associate pastor of Bow Valley Christian Church (Calgary) for eight years says he leaves it to parents when it comes to what toys their children play with.
He adds “Certainly, as a parent, you should shield your kids from some things … but I wouldn’t find the toys to be an issue for my kids”.
Perhaps you could call Cal and straighten him out.
@JackieV
Would you ever allow a 5 year old to play with a razor-sharp machete? No? Why not?
Here is a culture that DOES.
Read and learn.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:uUfvuOp3qHIJ:tribes.intodit.com/page/natural-parenting-and-the-wisdom-of-the-rainforest+tribes+that+allow+their+children+to+play+with+razor+sharp+knives&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a
@JackieV
“…..taken some occult dolls they’d had in their house outside and threw them into a bonfire (in obedience to Scripture) and as these occult toys were burning in the flames, they could literally hear the screams of devils exiting those dolls,”
I suppose it could not possibly be the sound of rapidly expanded air escaping through a small orifice in the dolls? I’ve heard many similar noises burning demon possessed wood in our firepit.
“Either the Bible is real or it isn’t and if it is real (which it is), then we have to OBEY it. There’s no point in reading it, if you’re not planning on also obeying it.”
You might be interested in an article in National Geographic this month. In spite of decades of searching in the exact spots where the bible proclaims it happened, researchers have been unable to find evidence that David and Solomon built anything. Now wouldn’t that prove to be a shock if David and Solomon were just kidding?
Dear sock puppet(atheist guy) you are a perfect example of a troll. Trolls are not as they appear, they have an agenda and get rewarded for their efforts usually financially. Trolls are like zits, they both release toxins. Wouldnt it be nice for us all if you had brains to fall out your head? Your not witty enough to get big dollars, your a poor employee. With all that ill gotten gain you could afford to buy some ethics. It would be a worthwhile gain, for the blogger and the readers of this blog.
Atheistatbirth: You seem to be sitting at the feet of the God of Atheism ! and worshipping his manna !!!
I always test who I give my allegiance to:
@Hopesome
Rather than sitting, I was trying to stand on my feet while my wife and I were clearing the sidewalks and driveway of our neighbor while she was away at church. We got a lot of freezing rain last night. No manna falling, just rain.
Atheists are religious, they have a belief. They have more faith then Christians, they have to, to believe in their irrational notions. http://carm.org/atheism The big bang created the watch[how insane!]. You have to step outside of logic to BELIEVE in their faith of theories[WTH?]. And they still are theories and will always be just theories. The majority of top scientists do not except the dumb ass notion of this fanciful theory.
http://atheismexposed.tripod.com/index.htm just to counter your spam.
Let my dry the tear from my eye, dear atheist guy. Your a sweet soul….no your not! your just a figment of my imagination, since you did tell me your soul doesn’t exist. Let me get this straight you insult and demean Christians and troll Christian bloggs yet you shovel the your neighbors side walk. You sure shovel a lot but it aint snow.
@JackieV
I have to agree with Torontonian (2nd post). Here on the one hand you have fringe faction of the Sally Ann determining that a few books and trinkets are harmful to impressionable youth. On the other hand, you have the bible, filled with bloodshed, violence, genocide and butchery.
How about a few “horrid” stories from the bible to read to your children before they go to bed
There is plenty of evil in “the Good Book,” but here are some highlights:
1. God drowns the whole earth.
In Genesis 7:21-23, God drowns the entire population of the earth: men, women, children, fetuses, and perhaps unicorns. Only a single family survives. In Matthew 24:37-42, gentle Jesus approves of this genocide and plans to repeat it when he returns.
2. God kills half a million people.
In 2 Chronicles 13:15-18, God helps the men of Judah kill 500,000 of their fellow Israelites.
3. God slaughters all Egyptian firstborn.
In Exodus 12:29, God the baby-killer slaughters all Egyptian firstborn children and cattle because their king was stubborn.
4. God kills 14,000 people for complaining that God keeps killing them.
In Numbers 16:41-49, the Israelites complain that God is killing too many of them. So, God sends a plague that kills 14,000 more of them.
5. Genocide after genocide after genocide.
In Joshua 6:20-21, God helps the Israelites destroy Jericho, killing “men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.” In Deuteronomy 2:32-35, God has the Israelites kill everyone in Heshbon, including children. In Deuteronomy 3:3-7, God has the Israelites do the same to the people of Bashan. In Numbers 31:7-18, the Israelites kill all the Midianites except for the virgins, whom they take as spoils of war. In 1 Samuel 15:1-9, God tells the Israelites to kill all the Amalekites – men, women, children, infants, and their cattle – for something the Amalekites’ ancestors had done 400 years earlier.
6. God kills 50,000 people for curiosity.
In 1 Samuel 6:19, God kills 50,000 men for peeking into the ark of the covenant. (Newer cosmetic translations count only 70 deaths, but their text notes admit that the best and earliest manuscripts put the number at 50,070.)
7. 3,000 Israelites killed for inventing a god.
In Exodus 32, Moses has climbed Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments. The Israelites are bored, so they invent a golden calf god. Moses comes back and God commands him: “Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.” About 3,000 people died.
8. The Amorites destroyed by sword and by God’s rocks.
In Joshua 10:10-11, God helps the Israelites slaughter the Amorites by sword, then finishes them off with rocks from the sky.
9. God burns two cities to death.
In Genesis 19:24, God kills everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from the sky. Then God kills Lot’s wife for looking back at her burning home.
10. God has 42 children mauled by bears.
In 2 Kings 2:23-24, some kids tease the prophet Elisha, and God sends bears to dismember them. (Newer cosmetic translations say the bears “maul” the children, but the original Hebrew, baqa, means “to tear apart.”)
11. A tribe slaughtered and their virgins raped for not showing up at roll call.
In Judges 21:1-23, a tribe of Israelites misses roll call, so the other Israelites kill them all except for the virgins, which they take for themselves. Still not happy, they hide in vineyards and pounce on dancing women from Shiloh to take them for themselves.
12. 3,000 crushed to death.
In Judges 16:27-30, God gives Samson strength to bring down a building to crush 3,000 members of a rival tribe.
13. A concubine raped and dismembered.
In Judges 19:22-29, a mob demands to rape a godly master’s guest. The master offers his daughter and a concubine to them instead. They take the concubine and gang-rape her all night. The master finds her on his doorstep in the morning, cuts her into 12 pieces, and ships the pieces around the country.
14. Child sacrifice.
In Judges 11:30-39, Jephthah burns his daughter alive as a sacrificial offering for God’s favor in killing the Ammonites.
15. God helps Samson kill 30 men because he lost a bet.
In Judges 14:11-19, Samson loses a bet for 30 sets of clothes. The spirit of God comes upon him and he kills 30 men to steal their clothes and pay off the debt.
16. God demands you kill your wife and children for worshiping other gods.
In Deuteronomy 13:6-10, God commands that you must kill your wife, children, brother, and friend if they worship other gods.
17. God incinerates 51 men to make a point.
In 2 Kings 1:9-10, Elijah gets God to burn 51 men with fire from heaven to prove he is God.
18. God kills a man for not impregnating his brother’s widow.
In Genesis 38:9-10, God kills a man for refusing to impregnate his brother’s widow.
19. God threatens forced cannibalism.
In Leviticus 26:27-29 and Jeremiah 19:9, God threatens to punish the Israelites by making them eat their own children.
20. The coming slaughter.
According to Revelation 9:7-19, God’s got more evil coming. God will make horse-like locusts with human heads and scorpion tails, who torture people for 5 months. Then some angels will kill a third of the earth’s population. If he came today, that would be 2 billion people.
BUT – HE LOVES YOU
Hmmm i made the coffee a little stronger then i normally do, this morning. Still its a dumb ass notion to BELIEVE that the big bang theory made that Swiss watch.
Atheist At Birth:
I have no interest in reading the books/articles you referred me to (and already bought and read Pigs in the Parlour many years ago thanks) because I already know what I believe and why I believe it and don’t need to be convinced otherwise.
Not all pastors are of the Lord. I think the fallen tv evangelists have proven that fact (that not everything that quacks is a duck—but that is not to say that REAL ducks don’t exist inspite of the quacks).
What I can’t figure out is why (as a devout atheist) you are wasting your breath debating and mocking Christians and the Bible. I would think a devout atheist would want to hang out with other devout atheists and attend a devout atheist gathering where you can sit around and fellowship about nothing. Sounds awfully boring (as well as depressing) to believe in nothing and have nothing to look forward to when you die.
On that note, I will once again refer you to Howard Storm’s near death experience in hell. He was a pompous intellectual and devout atheist until he had this life changing ND experience which thereafter transformed him into a meek, kind, sweet, God loving minister of the Gospel. Even if you refuse to read his testimony (via Google and You Tube), I’m mentioning it for the sake of anyone else out there, who may be interested. He also wrote a book entitled ”My Descent Into Death.”
I know you tried to make some lame jokes about the screams coming out of those occult toys but some day you will learn. Remember ”God has hidden his word from the wise and revealed it to the poor and simple.”
As for the God mockers who once knew Christ but have since fallen away, I refer you to Luke 16: 1-31 (about the rich man and Lazarus), as well as Luke 17 : 2 ”It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
If something you write in one of your sarcastic blogs influences someone away from God (whether an actual child or adult child of God—perhaps a weak struggling backslider), you will pay for that when you stand before Christ some day, at which point, your intellectual smugness will promptly disappear. God is giving us all the free will to say and do what we please……for now……but Judgment Day is coming.
In fact, the Bible says that ”God chastises those whom He loves” so if you’re not being chastised (ie. made to feel rotten for the things you’re saying against Christianity), then it means you aren’t one of his sheep as a Father only spanks His own child—not someone else’s.
I agree with Naxus that you appear to be a shill as your comments are similar to those other 2 who have come (and hopefully gone) before you. In fact, I sometimes wonder if you ARE either of them….just using a different alias because you tend to work togther it seems.
Either you were never truly saved in the first place (you may have said the sinner’s prayer with your mouth but not with your heart—and as the famous saying goes “Most people are going to miss heaven by 18 ”) or were truly born again but have since fallen away, which is a fulfillment of end time Bible prophecy—so here you are denying the Bible, while fulfilling prophecy at the same time. Tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humour !
Trolls that troll Christian web sites have a script that was handed to them with a whole list of websites that they themselves do not read. They are not looking for truth they are just doing their jobs. It must sock to be a suck puppet. Suck puppets are sucks and cry babies. Sounds just like a bully that i am describing, until someone bigger than them takes them on. Yeah trolls are bullies and cry like little girls when they dont get their way, suck puppets they are.
@JackieV
Near death experiences? Read and learn.
We live in a scientific age, and these have been documents for decades.
Among the chief psycho-neuro-biological theories of NDE have been theories of sensory deprivation and cerebral anoxia. Both events have been traced to abnormal temporal lobe seizure activity or the release of ketamines or other hormonal and chemical reactions in the brain. There have been theories about the role of drugs—both medical and illicit—but these took less prominence as more NDEs were reported in situations where these drugs were not implicated. The central problem with biological theories of NDEs is that most of these assume the experience to be closely associated with unconscious states. Increasingly this appears to be less the case.
Read more: Near-Death Experiences – world, body, life, history, person, human, Theories, Implications of Near-Death Experiences http://www.deathreference.com/Me-Nu/Near-Death-Experiences.html#ixzz17vhCTB3C
I’ll abscond to Bene to prevaricate if I am to remain a contributor on this site. If I test your ideas and canon, and that makes you uncomfortable, perhaps you will eventually edify yourself rather than remain steeped in fallacy.
Rather that attack me, I would prefer if you examined a few of the sources of evidence I provide. That would be far less hypocritical of you.
@JackieV
You said “Not all pastors are of the Lord.” In reference to the comments made by Cal Hultgren of Bow Valley Christian Church.
Please elaborate.
Maybe the salvation Army is looking for salvation and found it in witchcraft ! (by removing it ! – subtle huh!)
Atheist at Birth
I was in no way inferring that the co-pastor you referred to was not of God (I don’t even know his name). I simply meant that just because a pastor condones something (in this case, leaves it up to the parents to decide what toys they bring home to their kids), doesn’t necessarily make it right. You need to take everything to the Bible and see whether it lines up. I’ve already said my piece about bringing cursed objects into the home, so I’m not going to repeat myself here.
I have no interest in reading that Calgary Sun article you referred me to (or any of the other articles you referred me to either) just as you have no interest in the things I refer you to either, such as Howard Storm’s ND hell experience—but I do it anyway, for the sake of someone else out there who might be interested in reading it.
Neither am I going to debate back and forth the existance of God. As I said once before, we have freedom of religion in Canada (at least for now), so if you’re happy and content being an atheist, go ahead but what a shame if you once knew the Bible and turned away from it because you know what’s coming as the end time signs are all around us.
Speaking out against things the Bible condemns is not the definition of self righteousness or moral superiority and I never claimed to be perfect—just forgiven.
It must be depressing to worship nothing, believe in nothing and have nothing to look forward to beyond the grave. I would have to say that your atheism is therefore ”much adew about nothing.” LOL not !
When you first get saved, one of the biggest joys is to discover that someday, when you breathe your last, you will be in Paradise with Jesus. Why you (or anyone) would care to turn your back on the promise of eternal life mind boggling !
POMP is not allowed on this blog!!
Are they taking C.S. Lewis off the shelves as well: The Lion THE WITCH and the Wardrobe !
“God has hidden his word from the wise and revealed it to the poor and simple”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. And no, I’m not gone, just waiting for intelligence to appear before commenting again.
BTW Naxus, how well do you know the owner of this blog? Just curious as maybe they can validate whether we are trolls or shills…
@Jackie V… Why do I get the feeling you’re the banana man, Ray Comfort? If you’re not, he’s probably better company for you than we are…
Spammers should be charged a nominal fee, of some sort. Maybe he could shovel BD’s drive way every other week, a talented shoveler he is . For the bandwidth, LOL.
Never called you a troll. This is the exact method of deception you use that I condemned you for. Timmmm. Did you brush your dirty mouth this morning?
Tim behave yourself – don’t lower the tone
WE ARE DISCUSSING CHARITY HERE, in part, lets all show some.
I thought we were showing charity… we’re providing life-saving information free of charge. Is that not charitable?
Spammers will always hijack threads. While professing freedom of speech they seek to suppress that right from others who dont hold their FAITH. Timmm, now that i think of it, you are a troll. If Bene Diction does permit trolls like you and atheistshoveler thats her/his right too, but it is an annoyance to others who believe in free speech.
@JackieV
Atheists scarcely fail to notice having to be forced by a invidious and cruel god to worship him, under threat of his retribution. We do not lament having “nothing to look forward to beyond the grave”. For us, the privilege of existing in this present world overflowing with its wonders and undiscovered science is rather enough – and we do not live in daily trepidation that our pains to appease a bad tempered and violence prone god is enough. Neither do we dread the fables and credulous twaddle uttered in the name of religion.
Atheists understand there are 2 ways in which Christian churches, (including the Salvation Army) maintain adherents. (1) They must attract new members (2) The must keep their existing members. Keeping members is typically through fear or reward. Christian churches in North America are not exempt, and thus you will occasionally hear an atheist refer to them as cults.
The negative reactions typically are resorted to when the average Christian realizes his or her deepest fears are being brought up (The fear that there ARE problems with trying to deal with life through the advice given in scripture) or that perhaps the Jesus they worship may not be as well thought of as they sometimes assume. When Christians encounter educated, well read, intelligent individuals, who have studied early church and wordy history and present a very differing view of the gospel and the teachings of Jesus, it can be extremely unsettling. The most common reaction is to refuse to look at the evidence – no matter how factually based that evidence might be. It is as though the truth of the gospel itself rests with their capacity to refute the uncertainty presented to them. The fear which has been drilled into them since conversion surfaces, and this tends to override common sense. Your stance is a principal pattern of this close minded approach and behavior.
Christians fear proof, and atheists fear that Christians will refuse to look at proof.
You asked me earlier why I am at this juncture – what is my rationale? I greatly enjoy the subject textile of this blog, and have been an active partaker here, and at numerous other blogs, for a while now, whether enthusiastically debating some of the commentary, or quietly observing from the sidelines. I appreciate the calm and intelligent manner in which Bene approaches each item of interest. He has been consistent, reasonable and open to discussion whether it be from atheists, Christians, agnostics, black, white, brown, smart or stupid, fair or unfair, and he is a patient and charitable host.
I particularly am engrossed when comments come from a biblical perspective, and often take a contradictory view of any philosophical or ethical viewpoint based on misinterpretation, misuse, or misunderstanding of the bible. Even further, I am most critical when I see obvious fanatical points of view based on questionable sources (such as the bible) or firm stands taken because of a particular religious world view. I have been as welcomed here as most of the Christians on this site (so far).
I understand I make you very uncomfortable, but what is a good debate without differing points of view – whether extreme or otherwise? You are a strong enough Christian that nothing I say will sway you in your determination to serve the lord Jesus – so what is it you fear? If your god decides I do not belong here, is he too small to remove me? Have you no faith to look at differing points of view without being contaminated by them?
Relax – I am not Satan. (LOL)
More spam for the atheist. Getting fat yet? http://debunkingatheists.blogspot.com/2010/07/atheism-is-religion.html
O.K. guys lets give it a break. Lets get back to the topic without any spam from pushy atheists.
With irony I did prove my point that a Christian Ministry has the God given commonsense right to reject anything to do with occultism . As per their biblical convictions. They are a Christian organization and not a secular or pagan organization. O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free! God keep our land glorious and free!
Naxus, free speech is because of democracy. You believe in Theocracy so why are you so concerned?
“They are a Christian organization and not a secular or pagan organization”
They are a registered charity and are screwing donors… what have you proven that I didn’t just dismiss?
Tim
I’m definitely not Ray Comfort, though I take this assumption as a compliment because I’ve heard some good things about him (though I’ve never heard any of his sermons).
I heard Dr. Scott Johnson (see Contending For Truth . Com–and key in the word Jehovah’s Witnesses) refer to something Ray Comfort said when confronting the Jehovah’s Witneses and it gave me quite a chuckle. Seems like a very funny and witty guy.
As for your mocking comment about intelligence…..we’ll see who the real dummies are on Judgment Day. Have a feeling you won’t be quite so smug at that point. And even if your IQ was off the charts, who cares? What good will it do you in outer darkness ? Solve complicated math puzzles in the bottomless pit ?
It was a high IQ that actually brought light… Any time I need light, I just flip a switch. Pretty simple. I know how power works.
Regarding judgment day, I thought it was already here based on the majority of comments in this blog.
Funny… I’m not the one saying whether you’re going to heaven or hell, nor condemning you into eternal damnation. What’s that saying? Oh yeah, judge not, lest ye be judged, for with the same measure you judge, you shall also be judged. Care to pull out your measure and we can compare how big they are and how they got that way?
Oh, that’s right, you don’t care.
Tim
I guess when you leave Christianity for atheism, you forfeit all manners because you have no one to account to but yourself. You have made continuous insinuations about low IQ’s on this blog which is very rude, even just from a human standpoint. There is a thing called manners–which even atheists should live by. If you think us Christians are so stupid then why are you even on here?
Sure many tv evangelists have fallen over the years. No one is denying that. However as stated many times before, it has not affected my relationship with Christ one bit because I look to Him as my source of strength and knowledge, not some minister on tv or even locally.
If you have allowed that and a host of other things to hinder your faith, then either you were never saved in the first place or were once saved and have since fallen away (as prophesied would happen in the last days) and are full of sour grapes at the Christians who remain happy and content in the faith and are using this blog to vent your frustrations.
It must be especially miserable for you during the Christmas season, when you are constantly reminded about the birth of Christ everywhere you go—malls, public buildings, mangers decorating people’s lawns, carols over the loud speakers in stores, festive decorations everywhere—talking about a cetain Jewish Messiah you once knew.
For a devoted X-Christian, you sure spend a lot of time and energy debating with Christians—about a God you don’t even believe in— which makes no sense for someone who boasts about his high IQ.
If I had left the faith, I wouldn’t even waste my breath debating with current disciples of Christ. I would move on to atheist gatherings, where they talk about nothing, believe in nothing, worship nothing and have nothing to look forward to after they die. Sounds like fun to me….NOT !
I’m not condemning you or anyone else to Hell—you could still be saved (or re-saved). Neither am I saying that I’m better than anyone else—just forgiven. As long as the person wishes to repent, Christ would still forgive them and take them back as one of his own sheep.
However the more you mock Christianity, the more you are grieving away the Holy Ghost from your life and He after all, is the one who draws us to Jesus in the first place ”No man can come to the father unless the Spirit draws him.”
@JackieV
You paint atheists in such a disheartening light.
Name one act of compassion which could never
have been performed by someone with no religious conviction.
You’ll struggle for a while and fail to come up with any.
But I can name countless acts of horrendous inhumanity
and malevolence which could only have been performed
by someone, because they believe their religious faith gives
them the authority to act with impunity. Who therefore is
more vile? I do however, chose not to make predictions of death,
torture and anguish.
Can you come up with a healthier defense as to why you are
wholly powerless to counter even the simplest challenge we have
placed before you?
Earlier, I had asked a very simple question. I was interested if you
could name even one historian, who was living at the
time of Jesus, and who could authenticate the works of Jesus as
reported in the synoptic gospels. I can provide you with a list of
these historians if you would like to research. Not a single one exists.
Have you ever studied the origins of the New Testament and how
and when the gospels were written. Do you understand the dates
and chronology of the books – the authors and circumstances under
which they were written – the social, political and religious climate
of the time, and the existence of competing religions at the time of Jesus?
Do you know even 1 book written by a theologian, or historian, which is
critical of the New Testament? Have you read “The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man” by Robert M Price ?(Noted Bible scholar and member of the Jesus Seminar).
Have you so much as even thought about the dozens of contradictions in the New Testament? If I provided an extensive list, would you even read it?
You said “However the more you mock Christianity, the more you are
grieving away the Holy Ghost from your life”.
Please advise me at approximately what point Holy Ghost will take
action in reckoning for my horrendous sins. (Please remember not
to use the term THE Holy Ghost, because he is a person and may take
offense to being called The Holy Ghost)
How do you know this is what god has even planned? Did he tell you?
How can you be so certain? How is it you so confidentially know my heart?
Is it not blasphemy to attribute works to Holy Ghost that he has not planned?
Are you not committing the ultimate sin, by ascribing to Holy Ghost that
which he is not involved in? Have you studied blasphemy? Are you judge,
jury and executioner? Please advise me by what authority you condemn me.
Sadly Jackie, I am a member of several secular and atheist groups and you’re right, it’s pretty boring. All we ever do is loan money to third world countries through organizations like Kiva, donate blood and organize drives to help others in need, fight for equal rights in a democratic society, which includes no distinctions, special status or discrimination based on religion, such as same-sex unions and freedom of choice regarding abortion. Crap, now I’m going to burn in hell for sure.
You see, I have more passion for freedom in my country than I have for any religion. I respect all people equally, but only when they deserve respect and as far as I’m concerned, anyone who refuses to respect every right a human has under our constitution and charter of rights and freedoms, including homosexuality and abortion, does not deserve my respect, nor will they get it.
I’ve seen too much bitterness and hate vomited from the fundamental religious folks and I’ve also seen the effect of it. I can’t stand to see people like you smiling when someone suffering from the insecurity of homosexuality commits suicide or a girl who abandons her child in a trash can because of the repercussions and guilt of having to tell her daddy, who happens to be a pastor or church elder, about her sin. I’m tired of losing our soldiers to religious wars overseas when they could be put to better use in humanitarian aid. I’m tired of hearing the stories of innocent families killed in the Gaza Strip because of one side believing they have a god-ordained right to possess a frickin piece of dirt.
Yes Jackie, I am quite active with my little atheist and secular humanist friends, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Oh yeah, we also fight for your right to believe whatever you want, but not your right to force it on others.
If you want to learn what life’s really about, maybe you should come down from your cloud and spend a little time in the trenches. Get to know some of the people who we help, not in the name of a religion, but in the name of compassion for ALL mankind. You see, we have no agenda and we don’t try to earn brownie points to get us closer to a god, nor do we believe in storing up treasures as we share them in the here and now.
I bet my actions and lifestyle make your stomach churn and fill you with indignant righteousness. If you didn’t have a solid reason to dislike me before, I bet you have one now.
Also, let me be very clear about one thing. I’m not saying I necessarily agree with the choices people make, but I will always fight for their right to choose and that’s clearly something you and other commenters on this blog don’t agree with. Too bad, so sad, stay in your mindset and you will never have any idea the joy and pleasure you get out of helping others outside of the holy huddle. What a sad and pitiful existence.
The really sad part is that I used to be a pastor who preached the very same things you, Naxus, Hopesome and others are saying and doing here and I can probably never do enough to repair the damage I have caused from the pulpit, teaching people like you how to judge and feel good about it. You’re a perfect example of the elitism, exclusivism, judgmentalism, hate and stubbornness I helped create in so many people by my preaching, and how I regret fueling that fire now.
Ego gentlman, is on display
AND DON’T MAKE A GOD OUT OF KNOWLEDG it is not a good place to rest on when all else fails !!!
Atheist I DO NOT PREACH thats where you and ……. go wrong. We get preached at by parents, school, and basically anyone with the mind set in an of a ‘wrong authority and ‘author’. Rebels are born out of those that insist on the preaching method of ‘conversion’ and instruct and that element of christian religion is probably one of the things that bugs me the most. I can’t stand being preached at by pomp, arrogance, or pseudo religious righteousness or assumption. Thats why Jesus ‘joined us’ not preached at us. Atheist if you got it wrong fine, but don’t fuel another fire in the process of trying to get it right, you will always leave behind charred embers of where you have been. We should be finding answers to where and why and if without destroying others ability to be able to do so. I think free will is important but sadly almost non existance when you dig deep enough into the psyche of man and his desire to keep himself sane by being in some form of control – usually over others ‘will’ to be so ! Jesus got angry in the temple because they thought that they were IT – had it all, knew it all, and in some cases where it all, arrogant, pomp and assumption – he turned the tables , ie turned it back to them and said just look at yourselves and then went out with ‘nothing’ (so to speak) and gathered the crowds that they would probably have died for and certainly crucified Jesus for ! which in some cases is exactly what America ‘plus’ is doing right now. Love does not preach. Show by example who reigns in your life – you will certainly, if you are open enough be able to see who and what reigns in others. Does he reign or your ego!! LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART has neither ego nor mans ability. The one can cancel out the others ability to learn and love.
@Hopesome
Oh please!
Atheist at birth – were you mocking the race when you became a pastor !!!
Our atheist “friend” is obviously one more biblically ignorant atheist who needs an education.
Is God Really Cruel?
http://michaelcaputo2.tripod.com/
AtheistAtBirth, were you a pastor too?
Anti-Atheist, wanna get into a serious biblical debate or are you only willing to provide what a few others say? As an ex-pastor, ex-director of a ministry school and ex-Christian, I’m probably a formidable opponent for you. Then again, maybe not as I was only a professing Christian for four decades.
Funny that it’s actual believers who are the most ignorant about their own book. If they took the time to read it cover to cover and TEST EVERYTHING in it, they’d probably run out the door too.
Tim: Maybe you met the wrong GOD
Hopesome, perhaps you could let me know who the right god is by replying to AtheistAtBirth’s post to Jackie in the Daystar blog entry. If you’re able, that would be a good place to start me thinking on the “right” track.
Tim: When I came out of a 2×40 day fasts; know what I learn’t! What it was like for the jews held captive in death and threat, what it was like to starve, what it was like to be in a wilderness with no one understanding you or believing you, how many people resort to calling a person crazy when they are faced with something they don’t have the courage to undertake themselves, what it is like to ‘die alone’, what it is like to undertake agony, what it was like for him -
I ALSO LEARN’T, THAT THROUGHOUT, THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE FOR ME, SOMEONE WHO CARED FOR ME when almost all others fell away, SOMEONE WHO KEPT HOLD OF MY LIFE AS I WITNESSED THOSE THAT TAKE OTHERS AND WHY –
I PAID A HIGH PRICE
agonising horror, absolutely, BUT AT LEAST NOW I KNOW WITH ALL MY HEART THAT HE CARES –
and that among us is ONE WHO DOESN’T
I never thought that was how my life would go – never felt called, just desperate to get answers, never wanted position or all that that can bring, –
I GOT ANSWERS but found most of the time no one wants to listen.
You are ‘anti’ Tim from a bitter experience – I AM NOT
Hopesome
Careful dear. A little friendly advice.
A prolonged fast/diet can lead to anemia, impairment of liver function, kidney stones, mineral imbalances, and other disagreeable side effects. Deaths due to prolonged fasting have occurred, usually in people who suppose this would “purify” their body or cure them of some disease, or put them in closer touch with a diety.
Moreover, for people with diabetes taking certain tablets and/or insulin to supervise their condition, the dangers are much higher. There is also the danger of the blood glucose level becoming too high when normal levels of medication are not taken. This can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a condition requiring hospital admission.
You ought to pay notice to what you eat and how you eat and try to avoid fasting as much as you can. Always remember that health is more important than silhouette, and spiritual experiences and sicknesses have medical cures. It is unnecessary to starve yourself to death for that. As you are a religious person in search for divine communion or Nirvana, maybe your conviction is stronger than your wellbeing.
Atheistatbirth has gone to bully jackie!! he couldn’t compete!