https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EprQGmZ3Imw
And the Dean hasn't responded to my move back to Jersey tomorrow...
For some reason everyone is landing on my blog searching for Ashenden. Sorry, he isn't here, I fumigated. What exactly has he been spouting or whimpering in the JEP now? Is he back from salmon fishing in Yemen and adding the Yemen flag to my blog stats?
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Wednesday, 25 February 2015
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Spiritual abuse musings
Thinking my blogging was over for the day, I am inspired by debate, and am looking at the awesome 'Battered Sheep Ministries website again.
Basically thinking in terms of what Elle and I commented on healthy churches on my recent 'Anything and Everything' post.
http://www.batteredsheep.com/checklist.htmlhttp://www.batteredsheep.com/checklist.html
I will proceed with a variety of quotes about Church and cult behaviour. This is very refreshing stuff, it helps to restore me, thanks Ginger, for inspiring me.
As we have seen, all of this authoritarian and elitist projection of power through intimidation and manipulation inevitably leads to very tragic consequences. And these consequences go even beyond what I have just described. Jesus foretold the consequences in the Pharisees' case as follows (verse 34):
I cannot imagine Jesus telling us to falsley empower ourselves by throwing our hands out and saying 'fire on you', I cannot imagine Him understanding people lying on the floor whimpering 'Daddy God', nor can I see Him encouraging children to be used in the laying on of hands, or the use of 'sobbing music' or sexed-up talk about us being the Bride' to get people in a hysterical mood, these do not seem like frivolities Jesus would have time for when He came to save us.
http://www.batteredsheep.com/church-speak.html
Excellent paragraph below! So many times in Jersey 'words' were given to me, and usually I laughed, because they were given as part of the show.
Words of Wisdom and Words of Knowledge can come from God through spiritually sensitive people today. However, these words do not supersede the authoritative weight of the Apostles. The only real way to be sure that a word from the Lord is for you, is if it's the Word of the Lord, that is, Scripture. And yes, even in this, Scripture is not to be used to manipulate people.
Basically thinking in terms of what Elle and I commented on healthy churches on my recent 'Anything and Everything' post.
http://www.batteredsheep.com/checklist.htmlhttp://www.batteredsheep.com/checklist.html
I will proceed with a variety of quotes about Church and cult behaviour. This is very refreshing stuff, it helps to restore me, thanks Ginger, for inspiring me.
The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them."This passage below is tough!
[Ezekiel 34:1-6, NIV]
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law [literally, scribes] and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach."
[Matthew 23:1-3, NIV]
"Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?"
[Matthew 23:16-17, NIV]
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices -- mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law -- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."
[Matthew 23:23-24, NIV]
Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors."I have had all my dirty laundry hung out by the church, whether the dirt is imagined or real, and although I have confessed my sins in penitence and faith, I remain condemned.
[Luke 22:25, NIV]
"... at any future date, the overseer may drag out this dirty laundry to discredit the disciple or make him feel guilty. That happened to me when I was trying to explain my position. My overseer blurted out, 'I hate to bring this up, but ...' And this was done in a room full of people. My immediate reaction was to curl up and shut up. I had nothing on her but she had a lot on me."
[Churches That Abuse, by Ronald M. Enroth, pp. 106-107.]
As we have seen, all of this authoritarian and elitist projection of power through intimidation and manipulation inevitably leads to very tragic consequences. And these consequences go even beyond what I have just described. Jesus foretold the consequences in the Pharisees' case as follows (verse 34):
"Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town."
[Matthew 23:34, NIV]
I cannot imagine Jesus telling us to falsley empower ourselves by throwing our hands out and saying 'fire on you', I cannot imagine Him understanding people lying on the floor whimpering 'Daddy God', nor can I see Him encouraging children to be used in the laying on of hands, or the use of 'sobbing music' or sexed-up talk about us being the Bride' to get people in a hysterical mood, these do not seem like frivolities Jesus would have time for when He came to save us.
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to."
[Matthew 23:13, NIV]
http://www.batteredsheep.com/church-speak.html
Excellent paragraph below! So many times in Jersey 'words' were given to me, and usually I laughed, because they were given as part of the show.
Words of Wisdom and Words of Knowledge can come from God through spiritually sensitive people today. However, these words do not supersede the authoritative weight of the Apostles. The only real way to be sure that a word from the Lord is for you, is if it's the Word of the Lord, that is, Scripture. And yes, even in this, Scripture is not to be used to manipulate people.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Unrelated political thoughs
When I was working in Jersey, I worked alongside a cheerful, hardworking and nice migrant worker, who was working in Jersey in order to send money home to his wife, who was a student, and their baby daughter.
I always admired him for being so brave as to be so far from his family in order to provide for them.
He told me he spoke to his wife and infant daughter on skype every evening, but I wondered what it was like, to be so far from your loved ones like that, just to be able to provide for them.
This migrant worker told me about religion in his country, he said that it was a Catholic Country.He told me sadly that even though it was a Catholic Country, the Catholics seemed more about politics and power than loving God.
He told me that the Catholic Church in his country had so much power that they would tell the people which politician or leader to vote in in elections.
He obviously thought this was wrong and not to do with Christianity, so did I, but what can you do if your country is dominated by one particular branch of religion and they are entwined in politics and power?
In a way it is a bit like the Church of England, with Bishops like Scott-Joynt and Dakin, who cannot even handle their own staff, but sit in the House of Lords and make decisions for out county!
Real Christianity and Politics do not mix. Jesus and the pharisees did not mix, Jesus had no interest in power, he was a homeless wanderer. He did not live in an all-expenses-paid palace and get a high salary, he wandered and taught and was disliked by the pharasees, with their rituals and politics.
Do you think there should be a country where a meeting is held where election candidates have to explain themselves to a group of 'Christians' in the hope of getting their vote? Do you think such a meeting chaired by a clergyman who is also a politician should happen?
I personally think such things are taking the Lord's Name in Vain.
I always admired him for being so brave as to be so far from his family in order to provide for them.
He told me he spoke to his wife and infant daughter on skype every evening, but I wondered what it was like, to be so far from your loved ones like that, just to be able to provide for them.
This migrant worker told me about religion in his country, he said that it was a Catholic Country.He told me sadly that even though it was a Catholic Country, the Catholics seemed more about politics and power than loving God.
He told me that the Catholic Church in his country had so much power that they would tell the people which politician or leader to vote in in elections.
He obviously thought this was wrong and not to do with Christianity, so did I, but what can you do if your country is dominated by one particular branch of religion and they are entwined in politics and power?
In a way it is a bit like the Church of England, with Bishops like Scott-Joynt and Dakin, who cannot even handle their own staff, but sit in the House of Lords and make decisions for out county!
Real Christianity and Politics do not mix. Jesus and the pharisees did not mix, Jesus had no interest in power, he was a homeless wanderer. He did not live in an all-expenses-paid palace and get a high salary, he wandered and taught and was disliked by the pharasees, with their rituals and politics.
Do you think there should be a country where a meeting is held where election candidates have to explain themselves to a group of 'Christians' in the hope of getting their vote? Do you think such a meeting chaired by a clergyman who is also a politician should happen?
I personally think such things are taking the Lord's Name in Vain.
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