Always into Something

[tracker7]

Yesterday's storms were much more intense than Monday's round.  A lot of rain, hail in some parts of the city, and a very brief tornado warning in Franklin County.  It was really something to watch.  By the time I left work, it was all over, and I had pretty blue skies for the drive home.

With every new piece of information about the Holsinger nomination for USSG, I'm growing happier that I never joined the startup church a few years ago.  The "recovery from homosexuality" ministry formed sometime after I quit attending services;  I guess if I'd still been around when this came together, I'd have bailed instantly.

Seems like the Jesusland plague is spreading outside the US, too.  Alberta's got some kind of "Creation science" museum coming along, I think in partnership to the one that opened up near Cincinnati.  And just a little while ago, over on cybogoblin's journal, I read about New Zealand's far-right Christian conservative movement making a big ol' ruckus.  Craziness.

Doesn't keep me from accepting paychecks from kilochurches, though.  Hypocritical?  Maybe.  I own up to it, though.

Comments

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

Though they insist on doing it themselves, please don't put Jesus in the same sentence with those people. :-/ That lets them win.

[cybogoblin.livejournal.com]

It may sound inappropriate, but amen to that!

I've had some close encounters with the Destiny Church here (the far-right) and, while some are fairly normal people, there's a good number who are bat-shit crazy. If the pastor of your Church needs to take 3-4 heavily muscled bodyguards whereever they go then something must be wrong. Also, I have some issues with enforced tithing, especially when many members of the church are on lower than average incomes to begin with.

BTW, what's a 'kilochurch'? A church with over 1,000 souls in the congregation?

[tracker7.livejournal.com]

A pastor with bodyguards. Wow. I mean, we had the guy try to board the Popemobile yesterday, but that's an order of magnitude of difference. And please tell me you're kidding about enforced tithing. Please?

Kilochurch is my word for a church that's way bigger than I'd want to attend, but not yet in the 5-figure Sunday service attendance range. Southland Christian Church here has something like 12-15 thousand attendees, and the building runs more than a quarter-mile in length. Scares me to death.

[spoe.livejournal.com]

And has shuttle buses in the parking lot with stops at the different concourses of the church. It's almost an airport terminal.

[cybogoblin.livejournal.com]

I'm 99% sure I'm correct on the enforced tithing. I don't know how much they have to give. I'm 100% on the bodyguards thing, though. I've seen them in person, but from a safe distance. I can't find any photos of them together on the net, but here's one of church leader Brian Tamaki:



It's times like this I'm reminded of that old Genesis song...

[spoe.livejournal.com]

He looks like either a televangelist or a used car salesman.

[cybogoblin.livejournal.com]

I think that pretty much sums up Brian. If you want to see him, and his church, in action then click here. It's not footage of him preaching, just a news article that goes into things like the church's tithing and other dubious practices.

[tracker7.livejournal.com]

Man, that's just creepy. It's like a pro wrestler turned cyborg assassin from the future.

[cybogoblin.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, but I can't help saying this....

"Come with me if you want to be saved."

:p

[tracker7.livejournal.com]

No, it doesn't. It's an incredibly useful contrast.