Philip_Cole

Philip_Cole

30p

34 comments posted · 0 followers · following 0

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - Dear NHS... · 0 replies · +1 points

Peter
I'm glad that you are safe and sound. The NHS is truely one of the greatest gifts that previous generations of politicians have given to the UK.

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 2 replies · +1 points

JJN

I guess it comes down to what you think is actually going on, spiritually, when you are involved in worship with other religions. Theological liberals often tend to the view that 'We are all worship God, albeit in different ways'.

However the Bible gives us the many wonderful characteristics of the one true God and therefore makes it clear that other religions are worshipping a different god, as they describe a god with very different characteristics. To assert this is not descriminatory but simply a matter of reading the various religious literature and then using logic.

As I said in my earlier post, although I have no knowledge of Native American religion I have enough knowledge of indigenous African religion to know that the underlying religious approach based on the necessity of appeasing or seeking the favour of nature-based or ancestral spirits. The article on 'Stand Firm' shows that Native American religion is also based on this approach.

Involvement in such religions is very dangerous and can open you up to either oppression or possession by evil spirits. See the testimont from my experience in the article that I posted earlier.

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 2 replies · +1 points

HO

A move towards syncretism? It is syncretism - clear cut! Whether its part of the formal liturgy of consecration or not. The article on \'Stand Firm\' makes it clear that the \'Smudging Ceremony\' is a ritual to invoke and appease nature-based spirits and the ancestors. As such, on the basis of both orthodox Christian theology and my experience posted above, participating in it as Christian is highly dangerous!

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 0 replies · +1 points

The mystery of the missing congregants

In the end, people who are not Christians are not fooled. They can see the integrity of people's beliefs and whether they rest on rock or sand. And, even if they don't agree with you, they will respect firmly and sincerely held conviction rather than the modification of one's views to fit the changing winds and currents of prevailing opinion.

To that end, here's an interesting piece by an atheist South African commentator which amply shows the intellectual bankruptcy of liberal theology and lowest-common-denominator, inter-faith, syncretistic religion. (Hint to non-South Africans: Jacob Zuma, our morally challenged President, was the head of the Moral Regeneration Movement in an earlier incarnation. No punchline needed!)
http://hades.mg.co.za/article/2008-08-06-a-charte...

Over and Out

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 0 replies · +1 points

The mystery of the missing congregants

And I think that there is a good reason for this. The argument from non-Christian gay activist groups has never been 'Change your theology and we'll believe in your God'. It has been 'Change your theology because we say it's offensive'. And now that, in the case of ECUSA at least, they've got what they want, they're not interested in the church anymore. They never were interested anyway, they just wanted the precedent and the access to cultural capital that comes from getting the church to saw that homosexual behaviour is not a sin. To the secular hard left, the bold theologians of ECUSA are like Lenin's 'Useful Idiots', to be used until they have achieved their purpose in the overall scheme of progress.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_idiot

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 0 replies · +1 points

The mystery of the missing congregants

I've already noted that the congreation in the half-full church was overwhelmingly made up of ageing WASPs. I'm open to correction, but I didn't see any examples of the constituency that ECUSA claims have been calling for justice and inclusion. Namely, young gay and marginalised people. At the risk of stereotyping I didn't see any butch lesbians, leather men, stud-wearing S&Mers, you can just keep going really ... I just saw alot of nice white polite middle class people. It really wasn't a good advert for diversity and inclusion (at least in the congregation).

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 0 replies · +1 points

What is it with Pointy Hats?

Can anyone explain to me what the thing is with pointy-hat bishops and their vestments? I'm low church and I genuinely don't understand it. The vast array of colours and fabrics on show really looked like an explosion in a paint factory! They really seem to love their vestments and the whole effect is, well, frankly rather camp.

Is this why the high church has a reputation for being gay friendly? You get to play dress-up! In loads of pretty colours! And wear lace! And swing nice smelling thuribles around (Yes, HO, I noted the nifty swing actions!)

I could speculate that the whole ecclesiastical show is a way of differentiating 'us', the enlightened, correct thinking, clergy, from 'them', the poor, ignorant sheep that don't know any better. Perhaps its my low church 'priesthood of all believers' thoughts coming out, but I saw alot of incipient elitism on show!

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 0 replies · +1 points

Side comments

The microphones were picking up side comments (I’m assuming from the bishops and possibly KJS herself). I couldn’t hear most of them but one was very clear (It’s at about 29 minutes on the second video clip). A female voice (KJS?) sharply announces: “You know all these processions have a background in warfare!” in a tone that clearly will broach no disagreement. An anxious male voice then follows: “Do you want me to talk to them?”

And so we hear the authentic voice of theological liberalism, that is willing to change orthodox Christian teaching on homosexuality, marriage, abortion and, well anything really, to be acceptable to the political left. But woe betide you if you disagree with them. ‘Tolerance’, ‘diversity’ and ‘equity’ will go right out of the window as far as your views are concerned.

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 0 replies · +1 points

The 'Singing Nun'

Panning over the congregation at this point revealed a half-full church, overwhelmingly of ageing WASPs, which would appear to be ECUSAs main niche market. It's easy to be cynical at this point and pour scorn on these ageing hippies and social activists, as many American commentators are doing. Easy, but also cheap and wrong. The theology of ECUSA social activists of the 50s and 60s may have been liberal, but they were part of a profound and vital movement for social and racial justice. Unless you've worked and lived in situations of deep institutional racism, such as the pre-civil rights USA or apartheid South Africa it is easy to ignore the injustice of such situations. ECC Christians in the USA and South Africa largely stood apart from these struggles, and they were wrong to do so.

13 years ago @ An Exercise in the Fun... - If you wanted any proo... · 0 replies · +1 points

The 'Singing Nun'

I doubt that she was a nun, but you know what I mean. I creased up the moment that she came to the stage. Seriously, it pushed every cliche button in the book from 'Sound of Music' through to 'Airplane'. Who needs to spoof people when they do it to themselves!

But boy could she sing! A beautiful, soulful rendition of the moving, 50s and 60s folk era standard 'All my trials', a staple of the civil rights movement. It was a beautiful rendition of a classic song and clearly stirred the congregation.