Church High Council: Transgender Minister Can Stay

Joshua Joseph »

Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:58 am Agree: 5   Disagree: 0

Yo Wiccan, You only disagree with this because you are not a Christian. But it's part of the teachings of the Christian faith that this is wrong. If this person wants be this way that can do that, but they should not be a Christian minister. I'm not saying the perso should not be welcome in church, but this person should not be leading the congregation and being an example for others when the entire life of this person is based on stuff which is denounced by the Bible. The Christian faith is based on the Bible. You can't just deny the basic doctrines of that book and say that you are a minister. That's insane!!! You can be a Wiccan, I don't care, it's your right, but I wouldn't want a Wiccan being a Christian pastor either. I don't want a person who is actively and openly living in sin to lead a congregation either. You have to believe in the faith and obey it if you are going to lead a congregation. You can't make up your own rules and not believe in the gospel and then be a minister at the same time. It's like a heart surgeon who refuses to perform surgeries. You can't have that job if you don't follow the rules. Get it?

Church High Council: Transgender Minister Can Stay

Joshua Joseph »

Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:52 am Agree: 2   Disagree: 0

This is insane!!!!!!!!! What? What happened to all the Old Testament and New Testament passages against this kind of stuff? What's next? Are they gonna say that there is no hell, or that Jesus didn't need to die on the cross. Why not just throw out the whole Bible and make up our own religion based on political correctness.

Survey Reveals Which Pastors Get Paid Most

Joshua Joseph »

Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:42 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

If pastors make a salary that does not bother me. Most of them have at least a Bachelors degree and they had to go to school, pay for school and take time out of their life to do it. What bothers me is all this talk about tithing. Its not for NT believers. It was part of the OT tax for the Israelite theocracy. We pay taxes today so to the government to support civil servants and the poor. I think that the only talk a minister should make is about free will giving. I'm sure the church would be supported just as well if he only did that.

I know one preacher who told me that he never preaches tithing. He said that on average most Baptists statistically give between $10-$20 per person to the Church (which is far from tithing) and that his people give about $20 per person on average. He said that's the higher end of the spectrum and he's happy with that. It's enough to pay the bills. He doesn't need to pressure people or make them feel guilty to pay his salary or the Church's bills.

It's funny, the majority of Baptist preachers at least talk about the blessings of tithing, and some even insist on it as a NT mandate, telling their people that if they don't tithe God will curse them, or that they are living in sin, yet the majority of Baptists still give about 2%-5% of their income, and not more. I've even heard of Churches where the members have to show the staff their pay stubs to prove that they are tithing, otherwise they cannot be members. What a crock. But you know that not all preachers are saved.

The Lord loves a cheerful giver. How can you be cheerful when it comes to giving if you can't pay the rent, or buy you children new clothes? Paul worked to make money so that he would not burden his new converts. Paul said that a man should give as he has purposed in his heart, whatever that sum might be. Jesus said: Blessed are the poor, and that the poor widow gave more than all the wealthy when she gave 2 mites, which was worth less than one penny. All this is lost on the ears of men who preach tithing. All they know is Malachi 3:8, which was an exortation for the Israelites to pay their taxes so that the tribe of Levi and the poor would be supported. But it was for the entire nation of Israel, and mentions all the tithes, which includes a separate tithe to the poor. It also mentions offerings, such as the animals which were burned as an offering to God. It's purely written for the Old Testament believers who lived under the Law. Not for the NT believers. The tithe is mentioned only once in the NT, when Jesus denounced the pharisees as being hypocrites for disrespecting the OT Covenant Law. But that Law did not follow through to the NT believers. Paul never mentioned it once, neither did any Apostle. And the early Church fathers, such as Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, only mention free will offerings. The tithe did not enter Christianity till the 7th century.

Southern Baptists Split Over Politics

Joshua Joseph »

Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:28 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

I think that pastors should never discuss politics in Church or in public. They can say how abortion is murder, or how war is wrong, but never discuss politics or a particular candidate. Never!!