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Unbelieving Preachers Get Help to 'Come Out' as Open Atheists
CNN ^ | 6/13/12 | Dan Merica

Posted on 06/13/2012 6:40:02 PM PDT by marshmallow

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To: tired&retired

Thank you for your words.


41 posted on 06/13/2012 9:39:22 PM PDT by OrangeHoof (Our economy won't heal until one particular black man is unemployed.)
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To: All; marshmallow

Proverbs 19:5, “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.”

Proverbs 19:9, “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.”

Proverbs 21:6, “The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.”

Proverbs 26:28, “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.”

Proverbs 29:12, “If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.”


42 posted on 06/13/2012 10:32:40 PM PDT by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: marshmallow
I will pray for him. So Sad.

So I guess he believes in "The Eternal Chance" or " Father Chance".

43 posted on 06/13/2012 10:52:42 PM PDT by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: marshmallow
Hebrews 4:4-8
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

Either this guys is in deep, deep deception and demonic influence and will one day break out of it and repent and be gravely sorrowful for the damage he is doing to the cause of Christ OR he never was a Christian and he finally realized that the devil pays more for his efforts. The retirement plan is NOT worth it and, one day, he will come to the knowledge of the truth. I hope it is before it becomes too late.

44 posted on 06/13/2012 11:21:14 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: tired&retired

I’m always suspicious of believers who claim to have zero doubts about their faith and salvation. That’s not my experience. I wish I could say I never doubt, but sometimes I do.

I arrived at Christianity through the study of scripture. It wasn’t so much an emotional experience as an intellectual decision that Christ was plausible. He made a good case and seemed to have a very good explanation for why the world is the way it is (His parables, especially, are very enlightening).

Christ didn’t leave a lot of wiggle room either. You can either believe He was telling the truth, something that compels one to act, or you can think He lied. He himself didn’t leave any middle ground (contrary to those who think He was a prophet or just a guy with good intentions).

So it comes down to putting trust, call it faith, that Christ was who He said He was. If it turns out that I end up being a fool for Christ, I won’t know it. On the other hand, I hope and pray for mercy and will receive it if He was who He said He was.

BTW, I periodically re-evaluate my decision when doubts arise. I always come back to the realization that I’ve never heard a better explanation than Christ’s.


45 posted on 06/14/2012 2:05:34 AM PDT by CitizenUSA (Why celebrate evil? Evil is easy. Good is the goal worth striving for.)
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To: marshmallow
There was a poster on FR from a while ago who interviewed a lot of pastors and priests, and found that quite a number of them no longer or never did believe in God.

The kept on serving as clergy because they didn't know what else to do, or because they wanted to help people.

46 posted on 06/14/2012 4:22:21 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy
Looking at a lot of the “mega churches”, I wonder how far that has spread.

Same as it ever was though. Luther pointed this out about the bishops of his day, and it has never really changed. The life of a pastor is very appealing to a narcissist.

47 posted on 06/14/2012 4:28:45 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: Nervous Tick

That’s just what Unitarians have been for years!


48 posted on 06/14/2012 4:42:24 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: OrangeHoof

It’s not about you.


49 posted on 06/14/2012 4:46:42 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you really want to annoy someone, point out something obvious that they are trying hard to ignore)
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To: johngrace

He’s an anti-Christian. Anti-Christians usually go one of two ways: They go into Christianity because they are so immersed in it or they find a kooky religion to follow.


50 posted on 06/14/2012 4:50:40 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you really want to annoy someone, point out something obvious that they are trying hard to ignore)
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To: boatbums

I have problems with a few of Paul’s statements in Hebrews as they are inconsistent with Jesus’ teachings.

Re: The number of times forgiveness is available...
The parable of the vineyard workers
Jesus states in John that He did not come to judge, but to save.

These are just a few comments... I can see why Hebrews was questionable for inclusion when it came to the canon process.


51 posted on 06/14/2012 6:40:27 AM PDT by tired&retired
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To: CitizenUSA

Excellent reflection comments. There comes a point where your belief and faith are tested to the limit. At that time you are given an experience where you know longer believe based upon faith, but know based upon experience that the teachings are the truth. That experience is the journey through the dark-night-of-the-soul. There can be many false dark nights as the ego battles its diminishing, but when you truly go through it you realize why Jesus stated, “My Father and I are One.” after He went through it. It’s an experiential awareness that develops as a result of raising the operational frequency of consciousness to a new level of perception. It is a true born again experience.

Communion is Jesus offering us to realize that we are One with Him, and in being so are also One with our Father.

I use Russian nesting dolls to teach this concept in workshops. We are the little doll in the middle and God is the outer large doll. Jesus is the doll just below God.(1) As we grow spiritually, our awareness and perception of the higher (greater) levels develops. This is the basis for the sacred teachings of the squaring of the circle in some secret groups.

(1) This is the reason for the statement that you can’t get to God except through Jesus. It is a very true statement no matter which religious path you have chosen.


52 posted on 06/14/2012 6:53:57 AM PDT by tired&retired
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To: marshmallow

This honesty would be grace from God for healing what ails the congregations. These snakes hide and undermine in secret. Out ‘em and then oust them.


53 posted on 06/14/2012 9:14:11 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: tired&retired; CitizenUSA

I have less and less doubts the more I read and apply God’s Word. I also enjoy reading and learning new things.

Even though I’m not a protestant [raised catholic, now non-denominatonal] I give much deference to Luther’s 5 solas:

God alone,
Christ alone,
Faith alone,
Grace alone, &
Scriptures alone -
there is no substitute for any of these and scriptures are the best interpreter of scriptures.

Some of the best Christian defenders of the faith:
Lee Strobel, Max Lucado, Josh McDowell, John MacArthur,
Joel Rosenberg, Dr. Walt Brown PhD, Dr Russell Humphreys PhD. ~ see my home page & links page for more.


54 posted on 06/14/2012 10:28:20 AM PDT by BrandtMichaels
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To: boatbums

A lot of wisdom with verses. I was thinking along those lines too. Amen.


55 posted on 06/14/2012 11:35:11 AM PDT by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: marshmallow

“Thousands of organizations will help you get INTO religion, but we’re the only one helping you OUT.”


That says it, it never was about God and faith but about him and religion.

But i think he is doing the right thing, encourage the pretenders to come out in the open.

Many will be called but few will be chosen.


56 posted on 06/15/2012 5:53:24 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: OrangeHoof

I’ve had several opportunities to renounce my faith in the past 20 years but I have not because, ultimately, the proof that God exists and is involved in our lives is everywhere.

There have been times when I’ve been bitterly let down by God but I know my life is worthless without Christ and I would rather kill myself than live without that belief because I already know how futile life is otherwise.

The only thing that keeps me going is the belief that, in some way, God has a plan and a reward for me. If that’s not true, my life was already wasted.


I think i know what you may mean, things happen that you may not have had any control over.

In my case it was not God who let me down but some how i did all of the letting down my self and don,t even know how it happened.

Some people live in pain, some brought on by them selves, others through some other means and i have to believe by my own experiences that it is all necessary for our salvation.

I could not help but think of the story about Job when i read your comment.

God bless and
keep up the faith.


57 posted on 06/15/2012 6:21:06 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: Terry Mross

Helping people out of a religion? I don’t get it. Are there religions (not cults) that force people to believe?

And why would someone preach a sermon about something he DOESN’T believe in?


I agree but
Darren McCarty said it,( atheism is a religion ) so if the teachings of the Gospels, or rather the teachings of Jesus are no more than a religion then it is really useless.

Religion is nothing more than ritual, that is where the word religion comes from, an outward act to show what you supposedly believe.

You see it in many of the Churches every Sunday, many of them Jesus said not to do.

I do not know when the Christians started referring to them selves as being religious but it was not started by Jesus nor the Apostles.


58 posted on 06/15/2012 6:56:21 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: redgolum

There was a poster on FR from a while ago who interviewed a lot of pastors and priests, and found that quite a number of them no longer or never did believe in God.

The kept on serving as clergy because they didn’t know what else to do, or because they wanted to help people.


Yeah, i believe it was like that in the time of Jesus, Jesus was trying to tell the religious leaders that this god they were preaching about was really real but they were preaching for profit and did not want him to stop their gravy train.

And naturally some of them would say they wanted to help people but how would they be helping people by teaching something they thought was a lie?


59 posted on 06/15/2012 7:08:27 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: tired&retired

Please don’t take my above comments to imply that I am anti-religion. I am anti “pseudo religion.” In order to know thy Father, you must look within. As my Father is in me and I am in my Father. These words really do make sense when you experience God rather than just theorize.


I do not know what “pseudo religion.” means but i think i agree with you.

I believe in God and his son with all of my heart but i do not believe in religion and i don,t think Jesus had any thing to do with religion except those things he did in order to keep the religious leaders from accusing him.

Most of the teachings of Jesus had something to do with ( do unto others as you would have them do unto you ), such as feeding some one who is hungry, or as the good Samaritan story.

And also if some one has done something stupid and know it and is suffering for it, , why persecute them and make them suffer more.

He was talking about personally doing good to people, it is easy to do good for other people if you are getting paid to do it and especially if you have a big crowd watching, but if no one is looking on it may mean something else entirely.


60 posted on 06/15/2012 7:38:00 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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