Front PageWright and Wrong
Submitted by reido on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 20:13. General Discussion
To hear the entirety of Wright's sermon....
http://archives.subscribermail.com/msg/83d1f52a89f141f696dce5ce4695fe78.htm
I listened and cannot say I disagree entirely with him. In fact, agreed that injustices have been done to the American natives, the women, the black people....to which one might add the poor whites, the Scottish immigrants, ad infinitum.
But the basis of the message was this: Government -- lies. God -- the correction of social injustice.
Where I disagree strongest with the preacher is this: that personality can be assigned to Government as individually evil rather than a representative government with all its human faults. And most certainly, with this -- a failure to mention the appeal to Scripture and historically thousands who have been misled by a quote of Scripture to believe that their behavior is sanctioned by the will of God.
In all fairness, let's look at the Inquisition as a historical act representative of the mindset that fathered it, the conquest of North America and the subjugation of the savages, the slave trade as both contained in Scripture and not condemned, and the still-today argued subjection of women to men as scripturally required. My disagreement to the preacher is that he points out the failures of government, but fails to point out the failures of religion and clerics. Furthermore, he acts superior to government, which is people, while proclaiming the judicial superiority of God which is, in reality, religion -- and particularly the religion that he preaches. REPEAT after me -- brainwashing!
Now, does this man as preacher convince me that Obama agrees? Not any more than that I have preached the same myself in an Anglo Style. I am convinced of one thing -- that Wright did not represent the entire Truth in his sermon. He may believe himself right, but that is the fault of all preachers, including myself as I once was.
Also, I am convinced of this...that anyone can disagree with me and vocally announce it without fear of reprisal...but in the arena of preaching, imagine if someone had stood up and shouted against Wright..."You are wrong!"
reido
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Hellfire and Brimstone
Submitted by reido on Thu, 05/15/2008 - 20:22.
Bill
In Anglo style, that was exactly what we did. Shouting and excited ranting about evil and sin to stir a response. It was an emotional appeal, but even more, it was an art of persuasion of the senses -- basically a form of brainwashing because it was programming a response by raising the blood pressure into a frenzy.
reido
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Strange Dynamic
A good friend who is still a preacher, after 30 years, says: "Preachers don't bring people in as much as they lose them." In other words, people come to a congregation for other reasons (tho' some come for a particularly well known preacher), and only leave when they have to.
So, yes, I can understand what I think you're saying. Unless one knows that the ranting that they are subjected to on Sundays is going to affect their reputation personally, they're unlikely to distance themselves from friends and family to put distance between them and the preacher. In fact, I can imagine a personality like Wright holding great subliminal control over people. That Obama broke with Wright shows either personal strength, and/or good coaching.
But the question that the press should be asking is: how common is this sort of, as you say "Brain Washing," in American churches. My estimation is that everywhere there is a group of people wanting their ears tickled, there will be an ear tickler willing to tell them that they are right, others are wrong, and even that they deserve something from others. It's not their fault, and God intends Glory for them. It's all rather formulaic.
It's really just a twist on Hellfire and Brimstone, methinks.
bill