Trying harder....

[inyati13]

Ky hills,
I am feeling what you are saying, but it is the disingenuous of the people in the church that put me off from the church... not the church itself.... preachers cavorting with women in the church who were not their wives..I have seen more of this than I care to discuss.....almost wanted to take up the ministry to chase women and money in my younger days..church leaders trying to impose their will on the congregations in terms of spending money...all the petty human frailties that one would not expect to be on display in the church. not to mention the sunday only christians who will stoop to anything the other 6 and half days of the week. I don't think you can raise livestock and live in nature and not appreciate the powers bigger than yourself. But structured religion I can well do without.

My mommy tried to save me for 65 years. If she would have just told me I could have money and women, I would have accepted salvation.

 

[True Grit Farms]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-0 ... ice-pastor

This was our preacher and friend. What the heck he was thinking or going to do is anyone's guess.

 

[bball]

Ky hills,
I am feeling what you are saying, but it is the disingenuous of the people in the church that put me off from the church... not the church itself.... preachers cavorting with women in the church who were not their wives..I have seen more of this than I care to discuss.....almost wanted to take up the ministry to chase women and money in my younger days..church leaders trying to impose their will on the congregations in terms of spending money...all the petty human frailties that one would not expect to be on display in the church. not to mention the sunday only christians who will stoop to anything the other 6 and half days of the week. I don't think you can raise livestock and live in nature and not appreciate the powers bigger than yourself. But structured religion I can well do without.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Excuses are easily made on any subject or belief problem with an excuse it only belived by those making them.

 

[bball]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-23/news/9702230102_1_prostitution-stings-boynton-beach-police-pastor

This was our preacher and friend. What the heck he was thinking or going to do is anyone's guess.

Idk Grit.. seems pretty clear what he was going to do. I bet he was thinking he wouldnt get caught. Maybe he was trying to get some firsthand experience to add credibility to a sermon?

 

[inyati13]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-23/news/9702230102_1_prostitution-stings-boynton-beach-police-pastor

This was our preacher and friend. What the heck he was thinking or going to do is anyone's guess.

Grit:

That don't seem that bad to me. Remember, we are all sinners just got to be forgiven and all is well.

 

[inyati13]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-23/news/9702230102_1_prostitution-stings-boynton-beach-police-pastor

This was our preacher and friend. What the heck he was thinking or going to do is anyone's guess.

Idk Grit.. seems pretty clear whqat he was going to do. I bet he was thinking he wouldnt get caught. Maybe he was trying to get some firsthand experience to add credibility to a sermon?

bball: you are probably right. This is better than the Daily Inspirational. I have never felt so inspired!!!

 

[True Grit Farms]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-23/news/9702230102_1_prostitution-stings-boynton-beach-police-pastor

This was our preacher and friend. What the heck he was thinking or going to do is anyone's guess.

Grit:

That don't seem that bad to me. Remember, we are all sinners just got to be forgiven and all is well.

See I told you we weren't peas in a pod.

 

[inyati13]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-02-23/news/9702230102_1_prostitution-stings-boynton-beach-police-pastor

This was our preacher and friend. What the heck he was thinking or going to do is anyone's guess.

Grit:

That don't seem that bad to me. Remember, we are all sinners just got to be forgiven and all is well.

See I told you we weren't peas in a pod.

You are right. I think my pea is more in tune with your preacher's pod.

 

[inyati13]

Ky hills,
I am feeling what you are saying, but it is the disingenuous of the people in the church that put me off from the church... not the church itself.... preachers cavorting with women in the church who were not their wives..I have seen more of this than I care to discuss.....almost wanted to take up the ministry to chase women and money in my younger days..church leaders trying to impose their will on the congregations in terms of spending money...all the petty human frailties that one would not expect to be on display in the church. not to mention the sunday only christians who will stoop to anything the other 6 and half days of the week. I don't think you can raise livestock and live in nature and not appreciate the powers bigger than yourself. But structured religion I can well do without.

I appreciate that statement. I often walk back the ridge behind the house with my dog in the evening. The Universe is a miracle. I am thankful that I had a mortal life. Nothing has convinced me there is an immortal component to our experience here but whatever force of nature created the Universe, it is indeed beyond human comprehension.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I'm glad I found faith.

 

[M-5]

some people need to be in church 7 days a week , some can get by with 2 or 3 and some can be the just as saved watching td jakes on tv . Its about your personal relationship with Jesus. EVERY SINGLE person has to work out his own salvation. That's a fact. I too have seen far to many people use church as a status symbol or treat it like a country club. I didn't get saved in at an alter In a church btw.

 

[Dave]

I have a friend who has a sign in his office that says, "What does love require of me...... today". I don't have the sign but I try to live that way. I fail miserably on a regular basis but I try to remember to do it. Treating family and friends that way is easy most of the time. Strangers are a little difficult to treat that way everyday. People who rub me the wrong way for what ever reason are a challenge. But I try. Back when I coached little league I had a philosophy that everyone of those kids did something right. So I highlighted the positive. It made them better players and eventually better people. It made me a better coach. So when that person comes along and rubs me wrong, I try my hardest to find the positive in them. I try to remember, "What does love require of me..... today".

 

[pdfangus]

inyati13....

you remind me of the old David Clayton Thomas song lyric

My troubles are many, they're as deep as a well.
I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell.
Swear there ain't no heaven and pray there ain't no hell,
but I'll never know by living, only my dying will tell,
only my dying will tell, yeah, only my dying will tell.

Read more: Blood Sweat & Tears - And When I Die Lyrics | MetroLyrics
...

 

[bball]

some people need to be in church 7 days a week , some can get by with 2 or 3 and some can be the just as saved watching td jakes on tv . Its about your personal relationship with Jesus. EVERY SINGLE person has to work out his own salvation. That's a fact. I too have seen far to many people use church as a status symbol or treat it like a country club. I didn't get saved in at an alter In a church btw.

I would give you one of mine dash (I went twice when I was a youngster, wanted to be sure) but I don't think you need it best I can tell.

Dave, I like your post A LOT. Words to live by.

 

[pdfangus]

I have a friend who has a sign in his office that says, "What does love require of me...... today". I don't have the sign but I try to live that way. I fail miserably on a regular basis but I try to remember to do it. Treating family and friends that way is easy most of the time. Strangers are a little difficult to treat that way everyday. People who rub me the wrong way for what ever reason are a challenge. But I try. Back when I coached little league I had a philosophy that everyone of those kids did something right. So I highlighted the positive. It made them better players and eventually better people. It made me a better coach. So when that person comes along and rubs me wrong, I try my hardest to find the positive in them. I try to remember, "What does love require of me..... today".

all this serves to remind me that a lot of you folks are better human beings than I am....

I got all I can manage to keep myself straight.

I am willing to help where I can but do not see it as my job to keep the world straight...

someone rubs me wrong I just try to get away from them a s quick as I can cause my patience is about wore out and the thin veneer of civilization my mother tried to put on me is nearly all rubbed off as well.

 

[Dave]

I didn't get saved in at an alter In a church btw.

Me too. I was probably 4 or 5 miles from the nearest person and I can't think of a single church within 30 miles of where I was.

 

[inyati13]

I have a friend who has a sign in his office that says, "What does love require of me...... today". I don't have the sign but I try to live that way. I fail miserably on a regular basis but I try to remember to do it. Treating family and friends that way is easy most of the time. Strangers are a little difficult to treat that way everyday. People who rub me the wrong way for what ever reason are a challenge. But I try. Back when I coached little league I had a philosophy that everyone of those kids did something right. So I highlighted the positive. It made them better players and eventually better people. It made me a better coach. So when that person comes along and rubs me wrong, I try my hardest to find the positive in them. I try to remember, "What does love require of me..... today".

all this serves to remind me that a lot of you folks are better human beings than I am....

I got all I can manage to keep myself straight.

I am willing to help where I can but do not see it as my job to keep the world straight...

someone rubs me wrong I just try to get away from them a s quick as I can cause my patience is about wore out and the thin veneer of civilization my mother tried to put on me is nearly all rubbed off as well.

Pdfangus,
Mom could turn a house fire into a marshmallow roast. I think I took after her. I rarely let anyone rub me the wrong way.

Speaking of mom and the subject of Church: Mom was devoutly Protestant. Was a gospel singer and organist in her youth. Traveled the US as part of a gospel trio. I ask her after I returned from 33 years in the Rocky Mountain West why she never went to Church anymore. She said her feet hurt.

That was the only excuse she offered.

 

[Ky hills]

Ky hills,
I am feeling what you are saying, but it is the disingenuous of the people in the church that put me off from the church... not the church itself.... preachers cavorting with women in the church who were not their wives..I have seen more of this than I care to discuss.....almost wanted to take up the ministry to chase women and money in my younger days..church leaders trying to impose their will on the congregations in terms of spending money...all the petty human frailties that one would not expect to be on display in the church. not to mention the sunday only christians who will stoop to anything the other 6 and half days of the week. I don't think you can raise livestock and live in nature and not appreciate the powers bigger than yourself. But structured religion I can well do without.

PDFAngus, I agree with what you are saying, I have seen and heard of all the " human frailties " on display in churches, and it has caused me to question things too. I still believe though, that what ever those folks do or don't do it's on them, and what I do or don't do is on me. Unfortunately folks tend to bring the ills of the world into the church, it has been an issue since the beginning of church. I shared in a post a while back, about a very ugly situation that happened to my wife while working at a church run school. I could have easily been turned off completely from church as a result, but I put it in perspective that the folks involved showed that they had their own reasons for their actions and inactions at that point in time, and not a true picture of all believers.
Being a part of a structured religion and having a church family has meant a lot to me. I will say that it took me a long time and visiting several churches before finding a church home that I felt at home with.

 

[pdfangus]

Being a part of a structured religion and having a church family has meant a lot to me. I will say that it took me a long time and visiting several churches before finding a church home that I felt at home with.

That may be a part of my problem...
everything was fine as long as I kept my mouth shut and went along with the crowd...but ask a question or offer an opinion and the dogs were quick to turn to snarling...I was big enough that I snarled back...didn't go to church for a dog fight...never found a church that didn't have one brewing...

some will say that I am hard to get along with...I say that if we all follow the golden rule we will all do okay...but I am not one to play by the other guys rules for the entire season...