Re: [asa] Fear and Loathing on this list

Let me venture a guess that the references to Matthew 23 were not applied
to your congregation but were probably applied to the liberal clergy on
the other side.

I was in the audience when the patriarch of the GARBC (don't recall his
name) declared, "When God said 'Come out from among them and be ye
separate,' he did not say, 'Come out from among them and join the
Conservative Baptists.'" I was surprised when I encountered a GARB church
that supported the work of Billy Graham. I have had some experience with
the Fundamentalists.

I was at one time a committed YEC. I had been exposed to Scofield's gap
theory but did not believe it. I was forced to revise my position to OEC
and then TE by checking the data. Years ago I visited the bristlecone
pine grove in California, and have read the YEC view that many years they
had two growth rings and the alternative view that, given conditions in
the high country, the pines were likely not to produce a growth ring some
seasons. There are more growth rings in living and dead pines than there
are years back to the calculated date of the universal flood. European
tree ring chronologies go back over 10 Ky. Is reporting this sniping?
Dave (ASA)

On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:26:01 -0500 David Opderbeck <dopderbeck@gmail.com>
writes:
I've heard plenty of sermons drawn from Matt. 23, none of which had
anything to do with neo-Naziism or with the Jewish people at all, but all
of which had to do with hypocrisy in the Church. Indeed, in many
respects Matt. 23 makes Preston's point, which is that we ought to spend
more time critiquing ourselves than we do sniping at others.

David W. Opderbeck
Associate Professor of Law
Seton Hall University Law School
Gibbons Institute of Law, Science & Technology

On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 5:07 PM, <gmurphy10@neo.rr.com> wrote:

The Dominican who taught the coourse I took on Matthew in seminary
commented when we got to this chapter, "You probably won't preach on
Matthew 23 very much - unless you're a neo-Nazi.

Shalom,
George

---- "D. F. Siemens wrote:
> Preston,
> I note that you are comparing two groups with whom you meet and this
> list. While I agree that being polite is relevant, I have to note that
> there is a very different feel to face to face communication and the
> semi-anonymity of e-mail and other computer postings. There have been
> recent stories about people posting their nude photos on the Web,
though
> the have been none that I have seen of any of them walking about town.
I
> do recall a number of incidents of streaking, however.
>
> Additionally, I would call your attention to Matthew 23. I know of only
> one set of sermons with that chapter as the text. Out of curiosity, do
> any of the group know of a sermon based on that chapter? Additionally,
> it's been a while since I have heard a sermon explicitly on sin or on
> hell.
> Dave (ASA)
>
> On Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:58:34 -0600 Preston Garrison
<pngarrison@att.net>
> writes:
> > All,
> >
> > I have been lurking on this list more in recent weeks than I have
> > for
> > several years. As always there are brilliant people discussing deep
> >
> > topics. But there is something else that is consistent. There is a
> > constant current of sarcasm, declarations of war against this group
> >
> > or that, expressions of fear and despair about what is supposedly
> > befalling the church, and declarations from on high of what God
> > thinks about this or that.
> >
> > In the same period I have been meeting with two separate groups of
> > people locally. Both are composed of mixes of believers and atheists
> >
> > and agnostics, with a preponderance of unbelievers. In both of those
> >
> > groups, serious topics are discussed, scientific, political,
> > religious and philosophical, but everyone is treated with mutual
> > respect, there is humor, self-deprecation and even love. Even the
> > servers who bring the coffee are known and time is taken for them by
> >
> > both believers and unbelievers.
> >
> > I recently recommended this list indirectly to a young man who is
> > very intelligent and troubled about theological and scientific
> > issues. I have to say at this point that I think I made a mistake in
> >
> > doing so. If he looks here, he will find much more education and
> > brilliance than in the average church, but too much savagery for him
> >
> > to get much out of the intelligence.
> >
> > I just opened my Bible "randomly" to the following verse:
> >
> > If any man thinks himself religious, but does not bridle his tongue,
> >
> > but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is WORTHLESS. -
> > James 1:26
> >
> > Enough. Stop it. Repent. Consider that that none of us is right
> > about
> > everything. It isn't all of you. It is the same subset over and over
> >
> > and over again. You know who you are. Ask our Lord and the people
> > you
> > are insulting to forgive you and start praying for your intellectual
> >
> > enemies. Don't respond to me. It isn't me you have offended.
> >
> > Preston Garrison
> >
> > To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
> > "unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
> >
> >
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Received on Mon Feb 16 21:41:12 2009