May 11
Cynics for Christ: want to join?
I am surprised that Peter Kirk is impressed with this. It’s not just that I’m sceptical, I’m positively repelled. Being a fool for Christ is one thing, being a complete idiot is another. When I read stuff like this:
Many on the platform are ON THEIR BACKS ON THE FLOOR!!!
It appears that no one can take the mic.================================================
Todd starts having visions of healings happening right now
================================================We are in a GLOBAL atmosphere of CREATIVE MIRACLES…
TOUCH YOUR COMPUTER RIGHT NOW!!!
A man had donated a kidney to a friend… he has been asking God for a new kidney… when Todd called out a new kidney… he felt the power of God go through his body!!!
My first reaction is to wonder if it’s a spoof. My second is to think there’s more preying than praying going on. My third is to remember that people in Florida were too stupid to vote in 2000, so why should I be surprised.
Perhaps Jon Birch should have the last word.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Absurd — absolutely.
But any more absurd than belief in transubstantiation, papal infallibility, in the ability of water to become holy, in “lectio divina” meditation over a line of Scripture?
Any more absurd than the “power of prayer”, in belief in the virtues of reading ancient Hebrew and Semitic-Greek literature in translation, and in the importance of immersion in water?
Any more absurd than making blessings, in resting on day every week, in protecting the name of God, in praying with phylacteries, or in placing a mezzuza on one’s door?
May 11th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Iyov: Yes (with some qualifications)
May 12th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Count me among the minority skeptics… I was in undergrad at an evangelical univ when the whole Brownsville fad swept through. Most people thought it was legit and I finally quit commenting on it because of the negative reactions I would get. Most of my extended family gets caught up in this stuff as well, with my brother in law even going to the Brownsville school of ministry for two years. My opinion is this is more of the same; emotional high, spiritual dearth.
:’(
May 12th, 2008 at 1:46 am
not everyone in florida is stupid.
some of us are post-modern.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
And I hope some people in Worcestershire as in Florida have the sense to test what is claimed as a new move of God to see if it is genuine, rather than jumping to negative conclusions based on limited understanding. At least I hope they have the attitude which Gamaliel had, of waiting to see what happens and whether there will be lasting fruit. Otherwise, God help Worcestershire! No, someone else help it, because it would reject any help that God might offer.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Peter, or “gullible of Essex” if you prefer. I did test it. I looked at it and said: “Hmm, is this hysterical bollocks just hysterical bollocks, or might it be the future hope of the Church?” I decided it was just hysterical bollocks. I did spend an earnest five seconds considering this issue, which was probably about four more than it needed. I take comfort from the fact that God can use and bless hysterical bollocks, as he can anything. That doesn’t make it a good thing of itself.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Peter, you are taking a wise approach. Many people take a quick look and are repulsed, quickly surmising, “This is not God.” Heresy
There was a former coward lying on the beach. A disobedient foolish type. Doubt he was even saved…how could he be? Covered head to toe in whale puke.
Got up. Hopefully, he he cleaned the whale puke off. Started preaching.
I wasn’t there, but Jonah sure didn’t look like a man of God.
I think Todd is a former puke covered soul also. God sure uses some strange methods.
The strangest method I’ve ever heard of is sending a perfect Man to the cross to die for me. A formerly puke covered soul.
So stange. It’s hard to believe God would do something like that.
…Brother, I’ll be watching also.
A little trivia: the word Florida means in essence: “Easter.”
May 12th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Hmm .. not sure Rick if you’d be better leaving that comment on Peter’s site. I think it’s rude to turn up here and tell me I’m a heretic for calling this stuff rubbish. I also think the commenter on Peter’s site who decides it’s demonic because he’s got a dictionary of spinal oppression demons or something is equally taking rubbish.
I’m happy to accept that God works in strange ways (though I don’t think the fictional story of Jonah is particularly relevant) but …
God works in strange ways
This is a strange way.
This is God’s work.
That conclusion simply doesn’t follow from the premises.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:39 am
No, Doug, that syllogism does not work. But nor does your more simple one:
This is a strange way.
This is not God’s work.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Peter, I don’t think that was my syllogism at all. I see a site that seems confused between proclaiming God’s work and promoting the power of their pastors, I see hysteria being confused with blessing, I see absolutely nothing about the cross, and I see typically grand claims of today Florida, tomorrow the world. I see plenty of wild claims of spectacular healing that could easily be confirmed by medical science, and no-one coming forward to do so. I see an obsession with how many people fall over being taken as proof of how powerfully God is working. The snake oil may now come with spectacular whistles and bangs, but it’s still snake oil.
May 18th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
I need to apologise to Worcestershire, although not to Doug. Dudley, where the Holy Spirit is being poured out in a very special way (I am writing a post about this), is within the historic boundaries of Worcestershire although now part of West Midlands. There are people there, especially Trevor Baker, who had “the sense to test what is claimed as a new move of God to see if it is genuine”, found that it was (although not perfect), and brought it back to these shores. I have now been touched with this anointing myself. Read about it on my blog shortly. So there is hope for Worcestershire despite the cynicism of some there.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Can I ponder the irony that following my comment that this is “snake oil”, Peter, you want to tell me you’ve been anointed?
May 19th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
You call it what you like, Doug, but as far as I’m concerned the “anointing” is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. That’s not to say that I didn’t know that presence and power before, but somehow it is working in a new way.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
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