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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 16066
[Religious]
Date Posted:
8/18/2006
6:02:49 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 9,800
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Comments: 35
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Has Christianity Deteriorated Into A Cult Following?
Author: Nancy H. McLaughlin Source: News-Record (NC)
Title: HAS CHRISTIANITY DETERIORATED INTO A CULT FOLLOWING?
Saying there's no such place as hell has cost one of the most prominent spiritual leaders in the country his job, church and place on Christian radio.
What would make Bishop Carlton Pearson of Tulsa, Okla., who was mentored by Oral Roberts and greeted by presidents at the White House, also proclaim that Jesus isn't coming back just for Christians -- but also Muslims, Jews and atheists?
From the Sunday morning pulpits of most Christian houses of worship, the message is you have to accept Christ to be eligible for heaven. And then there are certain things you have to do, namely adhering to the Ten Commandments.
But Pearson says he had a revelation that changed his ministry while sitting in front of his television, watching displaced African refugees. Then he went back to the Bible he had been teaching from for more than 30 years.
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Community Thoughts: There are 35 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Somebody Else Has Seen It, Too. | Aug 22nd. at 12:04:41 am EDT
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AutumnFire (Macomb, Illinois) - Email Me
It wasn't all that long ago that some of the more moderate and liberal denominations began to notice that the likes of Pat Robertson were "highjacking" the symbols and ideas of the mainstream church. Pat, himself, has said repeatedly that he represents mainstream Christianity. If so, I was sold a bill of goods as a child and young adult. To my own dismay, there have been prescious few leaders from the moderate and liberal denominations who have anything to say to counter the claims of extremists like Pat, Jerry, Benny, Oral, etc., ad nauseum. Now, it seems, that one of their own has come around to the position that Jesus himself articulated 2000 years ago; it's behavior, not belief that is the sign of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Brightest Blessings
AutumnFire
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| Fascinating Thoughts | Aug 19th. at 3:27:20 pm EDT
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Aritimi Morgana (RotterdamJct/Schdy/Scotia, New York) - Email Me
I read the article, which was very interesting, read everyone's thoughts posted (quite a few!!) and debated what i would add. When I've poked through the Bible, it never seemed to me that Jesus demanded people to convert to his faith. He let people decide whether to follow him or not (at least that's my perception) . Jesus seemed like a rather accepting individual--he met with lepers, cripples, even prostitutes and treated them as equals. How can someone believe in a god that is prepared to strike them down at any time on a whim? How can we call a god a creator if that god decides to destroy his creations in a fit of pique? That doesn't strike me as a very caring or loving god in my mind. I would think that these so-called 'Christians' who threaten everyone in sight to come to Jesus or burn eternally are acting on a fallacy. In reality, they are just following the words of some very angry and hate-filled men who died a long time ago. They are spouting tirades of hate and intolerance, things that have no place in religion. A time will come when those godshouters will do something so monumentally stupid that they will prove to the world finally how incredibly narrow and corrupt they really are. They will not be taken seriously again and I pray that that day comes soon.
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| Great | Aug 19th. at 2:07:32 pm EDT
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R. Cicero (Seattle, Washington) - Email Me
Now one of them has some new angle to shove down our throats. It's better than the last one, but I'd still prefer they put a sock in it, and wait for their own private heaven on their own time.
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| An Honest And Courageous Man | Aug 19th. at 1:38:36 pm EDT
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Greenman (Columbus, Indiana) - Email Me - Web
Pearson is one of those rare people who are willing to follow the truth no matter where it leads them. He caught a glimpse of the Divine love for all and it changed not only the way he believes but his public stand as well.
There's an old quote (which I have to paraphrase) about how it is near impossible to change a person's mind about something when their salary depends upon them believing it. I think there are a lot of preachers who do not really believe what their are preaching-- but they don't dare preach their true beliefs because they know it will end up chasing members away, which means a loss in dollars, status, power, etc.
For example, those preachers who have actually read the Bible know how ridiculous it is to believe it is the "word of God", since they know some of the looney passages it contains. But they are afraid of their flock rebelling against them if they speak the truth.
However, Rev. Pearson here has risked it all to proclaim what he really believes. Kudos to him! I hope that his leadership in the "inclusion ministry" will grow into a movement and others will follow his lead. Christianity is in desperate need of being reformed by an inclusive and unconditional love.
May we NeoPagans also be willing to follow the Lady and Lord as courageously as Rev. Pearson has followed his truth.
bb,
Greenman
aka, Cern
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| Just Took A "class" On Cults | Aug 19th. at 1:06:10 pm EDT
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ladynoogs (lowell, Ohio) - Email Me
I just took a class on "cults" for my foster parent training... it was taught by a ex-cop from athens ohio (watch out athens folks hes running for sheriff down there) . anyway he's a Christian, but because of sepration of church and state he had to stick to the facts... There are basic "componants" to Cults... (i'm givving you the short version btw)
1. absoute authority (just try telling someone thier preacher or Bible is wrong) .
2. Total dependence (depends on the person here.. but i know a few people who can "breathe" without consulting the Bible or a preacher)
3. Unquestioning acceptence (thats what got this man fired.. he questioned his beliefs)
4. Radical commitement (I have yet to see someone NOT get really mad when someone said something like what this preacher said)
5. Totalitarian world view (i.e they break the law because God's law tells them to do otherwise.... like taking Bibles into a land where its forbidden to teach Christianity)
Now growing up in a Church... this isnt true of ALL Christian mindsets... but it can be true of some if not most of the smaller churches i've been a part of.
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| To Hell With This | Aug 19th. at 9:03:40 am EDT
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
I believe in Hell;
I believe in Reincarnation;
Life is Hell.
Jesus was actually a Vedantist Teacher, trying to show a Judeo-Bhuddist Path unto Salvation. I don't know that he ever aspired to become the Pagan Deity of Savage Tyrants.
Wasn't Mohammed a Gnostic Christian? Yet, his words have been written down as a Graven Image.
I wish people could go and visit with their old gods on a casual basis, and realize that these were just other people, who happened to manifest a touch of Divinity, in this Hell of a World.
Arawn Gabriel, Legendary Custodian of the Holy Grail, Lord of the Here-After by Right of Discovery, God of Wisdom, and subject to many subsequent embarrassments...
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| Common Sense -a Maligned Commodity In A Cult | Aug 19th. at 7:49:29 am EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
My favorite line from a George Carlin monologue.
"There is a list of ten things god does not want you to do. And- if you do even one of those ten things, he will send you to Hell, where you will burn and roast forever and ever and ever in a fiery pit!
But he loves you."
Sort of the line I was fed when I was going to church.
I also seem to recall sometime back, in a radio broadcast, someone fervidly saying that he would believe the bible- even if it told him that Jonah swallowed the whale.
If that isn't a cult thing, I'm not too sure what isn't these days.
Frankly, if you don't think for yourself-they can tell you anything- and you WILL believe.
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| I Aplaud This Pastor | Aug 19th. at 2:52:41 am EDT
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Hellas32 (Dacula, Georgia) - Email Me
for finally preaching grace the way Jesus did. Finally, ladies and gentlement, a true Christian has stepped up. It is a little discouraging to me that his flock simply cannot trust themselves to control their own lives. I guess the concept of "Free Will" and "Grace" are foriegn to them. Oh well, Jesus did warn them that the road would be narrow like that.
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| Cult-like Now Instead Of Cult | Aug 19th. at 2:10:36 am EDT
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AX (Little Rock, Arkansas) - Email Me
To follow a leader blindly and without question. Sounds like a cult to me. More and more people are thinking for themselves now and questioning the so called authority.
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| ... | Aug 19th. at 1:35:56 am EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
"Deteriorated?" How can this cult of plagiarism deteriorate into something it always has been?
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| Cult Like Behavior... | Aug 19th. at 1:06:35 am EDT
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The Rev. Sparrowhawk (Yakima, Washington) - Email Me
To get a better idea of cult like behavior and how to recognize it follow the link below.
) O (
Find More info -- HERE
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| Obvious Much?! | Aug 18th. at 9:51:10 pm EDT
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Amtehuti (Queens, Florida) - Email Me
There are so many hypocritical policies in Christianity that the followers eat up so, honestly, how is it NOT a cult? The only reason they survive is fanaticism. Other faiths, such as Judaism and Islam, survive regardless of conversion. I'm not saying that faiths don't welcome converts but that many older faiths survive through passing religion down in the family. Many nations may twist the truth of faiths but, generally, most faiths do mean well.
Christianity just doesn't. Period. End of story.
The basic tenet of that faith is proselytizing. They base their entire spiritual lives on bringing the "word of God" to other poor heathans, which means everyone other than Christians. This faith can't leave the rest of the world alone since, if you don't help convert the poor little souls, you've failed in your own faith. Hence conversion through fire. The Inquisition truly believes that earthly torture was justified, no matter how sick, since hell would be much worse. Modern-day Christianity is no different. Destroying religious freedom, forcing religion down the throats of public school students, taking over the government, and all around brainwashing aren't just done by the renegades of the faith. On the contrary, it's the renegades that tolerate!
May we hope that, one day, Christianity will go the way of all cults and self-destruct. However, I hope it isn't too soon. We all do need the amusement. :-D
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| Q&A | Aug 18th. at 8:54:08 pm EDT
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Ryan Arndt (North Vancouver, Saskatchewan) - Email Me
Q: Has Christianity deteriorated into a cult following?
A: Doth a bear poop in yon forest?
Oh yes, I went there. I answered a question with another question! :o
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| CAN WE SAY... | Aug 18th. at 8:23:08 pm EDT
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
No DUHH????
Love to all
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| The UUA | Aug 18th. at 8:13:16 pm EDT
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Dennis Deal (Nazareth, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
Was talking about this over a hundred years ago. It was in of all places Transylvania that a minster talked the king around to his point of view.
That in essence was that; How can god who loved his children condem them to such a place as hell.
Later theologian of Unitarian and Unversalists expanded and promulgated this theory.
So this priest is actually following a line of thought that has already been put into practice.
That is why most christains churches and faiths sneer at the UUA as being not really being a christian denomiation as much as it might be a at worse a cult or at best a bunch of confused people who arn't real sure what they believe.
But, hey, better late than never.
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