OK, so how do you know when you must be doing something right, when everyone around you tries to find every little thing they can to nit-pick, and complain about. I grew up in a basically stagnant IFB movement that was dieing. When you look at the churches, of the people who are trying to find everything wrong with what more contemporary churches are doing, they probably don't even have enough attending members (although they probably have thousands on roll) to fill 5 pews shoulder-to-shoulder, and if they do they are more then likely all over the age of 60. Just because you are enjoying being a Christian, and living life being happy, and excited about Christ and not sitting around reading the Bible dwelling on all of the evil and impending doom, you must be wrong. I think what certain people and pastors who are trying to break the typical church mold should be applauded, and just to add a SHOCK to all of this, I too now attend a more contemporary church and love it. Finally, for once in my life I can leave a service feeling uplifted and alive not depressed and wishing I were dead.
There are several people out there who, like me, knows what it's like to be critiqued and judged based on who your parents are. It's like people can not deal with the fact that we can and do make decisions for ourselves that our parents might not have made. I love my dad to this day, but as I have grown and matured as an adult I have found that there are things that I would disagree with him on, if only I had the chance. While bystanders think we should only think, feel and react the way our parents would have. My dad would have loved me irregardless of whether or not we agreed on every little thing, but unlike some of these meddling people, we would have been able to agree to disagree and go on with life. But with there are these poor pathetic people, they live their lives to find things to argue and disagree on and cannot function without some sort of turmoil in their life.
The IFB that I grew up with have lost sight of what is important. They now live to bicker, fight and nit-pick things that they don't think are right, they can't find Bible to back many of what they call their beliefs, and if they do it is most always taken out of context. Many of what they think is gospel has no Biblical foundation, it's just something some preacher has said or taught for so many years that they think it's scriptural.
They have lost the longing to serve their communities to try and win people to Christ. Many of the people that I know think that becoming a Christian will make you hateful and bitter because that's what they see from that IFB group and they want no part of it. And many of the IFB have stopped evangelizing because they have their our four and no more mindset. It's almost as if they have completely given up on society. This is so sad!
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ReplyDeleteTo EVHicks,
ReplyDeleteAs you have said, “you do not know me from Adam,” so how dare you try judge me or read stuff into what I am saying. I find it so funny that Christians, who are supposed to be so loving and forgiving, are always the first to judge. You have no idea what kind of life I lived, or the things I saw growing up in the IFB churches. I know there are differences in IFB churches, but I can guarantee that the ones who are reaching out and growing because they have changed some of their ways, you would probably say they are no longer right with God. Since you yourself are not a preacher/pastor’s child you will NEVER understand what we, your children included, go through.
As for you questions regarding my marriage, yes, I did marry a man who had been divorced. However, you obviously do not know the IFB movement, as well as you think you do. I could name MANY churches that you would probably know that have people that are divorced and remarried, and not for the only reason Biblically given for divorce, are in positions of leadership. In addition, no church tried to deal with me, so no I did not rebel. Let me specify, my husband divorced his first wife because of her multiple infidelities, .he even tried to reconcile after the first time, and only after the second time, and after seeking pastoral counseling did he feel that divorce was his only option. If you are as Biblically knowledgeable as you think you are, you would know that each person has free will, and is therefore able to make decisions on their own, without the blessing of the IFB movement. Also, if you would study in depth the Bible, which you obviously hold so dear, you would find that God granted divorce for only one reason, fornication, which is defined as: voluntary sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other.
Matthew 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
Matthew 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Matthew 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
As for the contemporary movement, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. You are speaking only of what you have heard preached and taught. The church I attend is founded on the Word of God, and the preaching and teaching comes directly from the Bible. For you to say that “The contemporary movement leans towards emotions and feeling, not Scriptural doctrine” just shows your own lack of knowledge of what some contemporary churches believe, preach and teach.
And let me give you just a piece of advice, before you judge someone for what you feel or think they did wrong by your beliefs or standards; remember that one day your children are going to grow up and make decisions that you probably will not agree with. What if one of those decisions is to marry someone who has been divorced, would your views and beliefs change to accept them? I know many preachers who have changed their convictions, beliefs, and views because of decisions their children have made. When it comes to our own children sometimes certain ways of thinking no longer matter, when it is our own child love is sometimes blind.
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ReplyDeleteEVHicks,
ReplyDeleteAs for you thinking you hit a nerve with me that could be no further from the truth, dealing with stupidity just annoys me. I feel so sorry for you, you obviously have NO idea of the things you are trying to talk about, you are so caught up in my marriage and the fact that my husband has been married before. I pity you for having nothing better to do with your time then judge others. I can assure you that if I have committed some sin, you will not be the one to pay for it. Like I said in my earlier posting, each of us are born with free will, and therefore can make decisions and choices for ourselves.
Mat 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Even the simplest mind should be able to understand from this verse that a man can remarry as long as his former wife committed fornication. But just to break it down for you, if a man puts away his wife for any other reason than fornication, he cannot remarry, but if he puts her away for the act of fornication the verse implies that he may remarry. In addition, as for your statement “Anyone can define "fornication" to fit their situation,” there is only one definition of fornication, while there may be many different ways of putting it they all come to the same conclusion. It is the IFB that have twisted words and their meanings to suit what they want them to.
As for you trying to change my view or beliefs on anything, will never happen. I have studied in depth the Bible and its teachings. Therefore, I know what I believe, not just what I was taught or preached. I love the fact that you try to act like you know so much about the contemporary churches, Can you name me one contemporary church that you have ever been to? And I’m not talking about the churches you see on TV, the majority of those contemporary churches give all the others a bad name. Nevertheless, to try to judge someone on something that you have never seen or experienced for yourself is just ignorant.
As for myself being hurt by the IFB movement, I was not hurt, my eyes were finally opened, and I saw who and what they really are. I have received so MANY emails, comments, phone calls, and letters from people telling me how thankful they are that someone finally have the nerve and the guts to tell the truth, that it will take far more then you to get to me or make me stop.
EVHicks,
ReplyDeleteI also want to ask why you deleted your first posting? Guilt, or conviction?
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ReplyDeleteLyn,
ReplyDeleteFirst, allow me to as how I can misrepresent your post when your postings only show what you, the author, puts in them. Just because you, disagreed with my response to your comment; does not me that I misrepresented you. I have no way of altering what people post, only the ability to post it or not.
No matter how you wanted to sound, your post have been very judgmental, and I have tried to answer every question that you have asked.
While it may shock you I have already visited and read the sites to which you suggested. As with any preacher/pastor, they can make their views and opinions sound like gospel. If you would take the time to go back and study the original Greek and Hebrew text you would see that even the King James Version, has many discrepancies in translation.
I feel for any individual who has been through a divorce, and my sympathies truly lie with the children who are innocent bystanders. I have experienced the child’s side of things with my own step-son. So I know firsthand the devastation children suffer.
The contemporary churches that David Cloud’s group follow are as far left in their beliefs and the IFB are to the far right. I can assure you that my church, while it is contemporary, is founded on Biblical beliefs and standards. So you trying to judge every contemporary church by a hand full is like you accusing me of judging all of the IFB as one.
As for your comment, “Again, loosen up. Take it in stride. Sound professional and be willing to learn. Let the bitterness go. You owe it to yourself.” I have no bitterness towards any of the IFB churches, pastors, preachers, or followers. I let go of my bitterness years ago. But it sounds as if you hold bitterness and hostility against those who do not believe exactly as you think they should believe, or those that disagree with you. As you said we should just agree to disagree. As for you stating that “I refuse to lower myself by squabbling with another women.” That sounds like to me you cannot hold your own in a conversation when your beliefs, standards, and convictions are being questioned.
I pray that you and your family will be blessed and will never have to experience or go through many of the things that my family has with the IFB. May God bless you.
Now this is the end of the discussion.