Today's funny

[Seascamp]

Just kidding Keith. At a time I was into watching some of the Sunday morning TV preachers get all wound up until I thought they were going to fly around the stage like a released balloon. I couldn?t understand very much they had to say or if they were making a point at all, but boy, talk about a production. I kind of got to watching about the time Jimmy and Tammy were getting all wrapped around the axel with that theme park fiasco and the other Jimmy (Swaggart ?) got to crying and begging forgiveness for being such an out of control sex wing nut. I don?t know, I thought it was all rather interesting (morbid curiosity?) as that kind of ?raising the roof and hearing the clatter? isn?t anything I?d seen a lot of. But I?m over it long ago but still find that kind of dramatization tickles my funny bone a bit when its all Hollywooded up and stage-managed down to the last swooning ringer. I know, I?m hopeless, but sometimes I just got to have a sense of humor about some of that stuff or I'd just fall out of my tree. I?m glad you have such a strong sense of humor and I?d bet your congregation does find a lot of worth and value in participation and your leadership.

And sure, I crack me up all the time but the problem is that I'm the only one laughing, that could be a bad sign maybe, LOL :cd:

Scamp

[Keith_Hixson]

Jimmy S. and Jim & Tammy were both a part of my denomination. When their crooked and immoral ways were disclosed, they were put under discipline: Neither are ministers in our denomination today. If a minister was a chronic law breaker, chronically in debt, alocholic, or involved in sexual misconduct of anykind, they are stripped of ordination immediately. (Some do go through a restoration process of several years and they are restored) However, a long time ago we found out making the clergy walk the line was a good thing and we don't sweep it under the carpet. Though I'm sure we would like to, but that just doesn't get it. Ministers are people and we have the same problems as everyone else. But, pretending it doesn't exist and doing nothing about it, in the long run hurts the image of the church.

Showmanship: We as a society promote showmanship. The politicians which get voted in are the best showmen, not always the best man. Since television invaded our homes and professionalism in entertainment became a part of our daily lives, Americans expect "professional showmanship" not only from the entertainment industry but also from our leaders, (political, on the job, in the church) which is very sad because those with the best natural entertainment skills will go farther than those with the best message and best integrity. Fortunately, sometimes those with integrity can also be natural showmen. So, we must be responsible in our lives, and check out an individual to see if their walk matches the talk before following.
I occassionally watch Religious TV. As you say, there is great religious entertainment on religious TV. I usually get disgusted with their Theology. As a professional Theologian/Cleric I hear their theological mistakes and it makes me angry, so I just don't watch religious TV very often. I tell my congregation that if they watch toooo much religious TV they'll be as confused as a termite in a Yo-Yo. There are some good preachers on religious TV so I don't want to paint them all with the same stroke, but becareful. I also advise my congregation never to give to TV ministers. You have no idea where that money goes. Some of them are great con men and they are getting rich on poor folks sending in money from their social security checks. Showmanship really does have its downside in ministry. However if you don't have a little showmanship (talent) you'll never make it the ministry because our society is so entertainment oriented. The trouble with many evangelicals is: they are sucked into believing that good showmanship is spirituality.

Sorry Scamper: You got me into one of my pet peeves.


Keith

Last time I got excited about a church it was run by a fella name a Jim Jones.

He was big on "Have faith and follow."

Some friends of mine followed him to Guiana.

Seeing their bodies on TV pretty much cured any further urges I might have had in that direction.

[ProAmerica]

The most of the pic is true

[Seascamp]

Keith,
A bit ago, last year as I recall, I was in Charlotte and I came across the most modern, elaborate and attractive church I?d ever seen. I had to ask about it so I talked to my Gal pal Cheerie who lives there. She told me that the construction cost was around $30 Meg and that Tammy?s latest husband had been the construction contractor. So it would appear that Tammy is on the right side of things these days, maybe. The Church is in a very up-scale neighborhood, side of town, etc., so maybe they can afford the costs like that, I don?t know. Cheerie said they were having a lot of problems making the payments and had been through a number of Pastors trying to find the one who could get the income to match the outgo. So maybe that is the showmanship kind of thing you referred to. So I can see clearly where there has to be some talent to go with the spiritual message and that Charlotte Church has to be a preeminent example. I presume everyone?s heart was in the right place as I know the denomination well, but perhaps their eyes got bigger than their stomachs, I don?t know, but they sure built a fantastic structure.

Scamp

[Keith_Hixson]

Tammy's husband was church construction specialist. His construction company built churches all over the United States. He died of cancer a couple of years ago. I think the Bakkers both seem to be doing well and staying out of the lime light. I think he has remarried if I remember correctly.

Since Tammy's ex was a construction specialist it could have been any number of denomination of churches.

You need showmanship (charisma) in a pastor to maintain a large congregation in evangelical American religion. I believe that's sad. If guy is doing his job and loving and caring for the people, personal charisma should be secondary thing. But, as I have said before: American's love Showmanship. We have our Billy Sundays's, Billy Grahams, and on the darker side: Koresh's, and Jimmy Jones and a bunch more. Its the same in politics. Being knowledgeabe as politician means nothing, but if they have that spark of charisma (ie Hitler) people will follow them anywhere. Just amazing to me but I have seen it happen many times.

Keith

[HARDCORE]

"I thought I smelled something different in the air!?"

[SuperScout]

Others have posted on the dual topic of flatulence and faith, and I'd like to add my personal story. After moving to Austin, we were doing some theological tire kicking, trying to find the right place, where we could feel welcome and where we might be able to give something back. So there I was, with wife at the time, holding my young son of about 6-8 months, in my arms. At the end of the service, we all said the Lord's Prayer, and in that precious moment of silence afterwards, my dear son farted in a way that would have made a grown man proud! Naturally, I pointed to him when some folks started to stare at us, but somehow, don't think they believed me. We gave something back allright, but not what the Finance Committee was looking for, and went and found another church.

[1IDVET]

Might want to be careful how you phrase things around the wife!