A Shame?

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On Mon, 7 Sep 1998 11:52:06 -0400 brian_berger@JUNO.COM writes:

>On Thu, 3 Sep 1998 02:16:25 -0500 tlwitness@juno.com (Jerry Welch) 
>writes:
>>
>>Let me make sure I have this right:  You advocate putting GOD on 
>trial but not the local Pastor?
>
>I question for anyone to question their beliefs with Scriptures.
>We used a format of a mock trial to prompt the young people to test 
>their beliefs. 

I understand the premise; it is a good one.  

>Some 6 months later, I still had others coming to me wanting 
>sources to dig further. 

Our monthly debates in my Sunday School class got the kids looking
forward to the first Sunday of the month.  It caused the Bible to be
something they had USE, not carry.

>We saw these youth winning co-workers to God. As far of the 
>aspect of what you term "Biblical authority", 

Please tell me what you think I mean so that I know if you are
understanding me correctly.

>if you were to teach the youth to know what they believe, and again 
>respect their Pastor, then they would be ready to accept what he 
>offered. 

I never said that I taught the youth NOT to respect the Pastor or any
OTHER man of God.

>Personal example: I used to feed the video games at the local 
>arcade. I used to go in and was pretty good at a few. When I came 
>home from College, the Pastor pulled me aside and told me he 
>was of the opinion that video games were not good, and that he 
>had asked the youth not to play them. 

Did he tell you why?  Or was it the same generic "it's bad" declaration
that the UPC said when TV came out?  

>I submitted. 

Would you have been sinning had you NOT submitted but honestly told him
that you didn't have a personal conviction on the matter?

>I did not get my Bible and look if the games were there, I just 
>stopped playing. He was looking out for our best interest, and 
>soon after the link of the maker of the games and the maker of slot 
>machines was shown. 

What were the specific games that you were playing?  How would they
somehow get you hooked on gambling (if that is the point you were trying
to make).  Otherwise, are you just saying that if a company is linked
with a company that is not branded "Pentecostal Pure", then you can't
spend your money there?

You can't spend money ANYWHERE these days where the company's
interactions are "Pentecostal Pure".

*Wal-Mart sells cigarettes...
*Gas stations sell beer...
*Mormons own an inordinate amount of Sears stock

I have just shown you THESE links; will you never spend your money in
these places again?

>I have had Standards that were not found in the Scriptures, but 
>submitted while I sat under that man's ministry. 

Do you change such a stand whenever a different person visits and
preaches in the pulpit?

The problem with standards like these is that they are not arrived at
originally by you.  They are INSTILLED standards and people follow them
NOT because they feel the situation/action is wrong, but because the
Pastor does.

Okay, the Associate Pastor is, by definition, equal to the Pastor.  If
you were getting a drink of water, and overheard him talking to some of
the other men that he believed that computers were evil (I have heard
this, because they have CRYSTALS IN THEM, thus linking them somehow to
the New Age.  My response?  So does a radio...) would you throw your
computer away?  (Not sell it, because if it is evil, it would be wrong to
not only make a profit over such a transaction, but you also could be
harming someone else's soul)

>Some of those standards I keep while others I have not over the years. 

SPECIFICALLY, why have you NOT kept some of them?

>I like the aspect of safety.  I don't need an airbag either, but if you 
>have spoken to someone in a bad accident,, they are sure glad they are 
>there.
>
>Brian Berger

But that airbag is not SAFE for everyone and if you try to make everyone
in your Church use it, some people (short people and children in this
case) can be severely injured or even killed by the same airbag that you
claim for safety.

If you personally feel that something is wrong, fine, but it is harmful
to force that personal conviction on everyone around you.

Jerry Welch

www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/2810/

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