Posted on 01/22/2014 9:30:46 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
Advocates say it isn't enough for churches to enact policies to prevent child sexual abuse, but churches where abuse has already occured must be more vocal in helping police catch predators.
A victim support group held signs outside a Houston megachurch Jan. 9 calling for greater transparency about the reporting of child sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches.
A former youth pastor...
A former youth minister...
...
(Excerpt) Read more at abpnews.com ...
Gene,
Do we really have to resort to that?
It gains nothing, and doesn’t help the discourse a bit.
RM, it’s unacceptable to deride Catholic bashers as a group?
You are welcome to deride Catholic bashing and Catholic bashers. You are not however welcome to use potty language - or references to potty language - in any RF post.
Not sure why condemning the group, Catholic bashers, is taboo.
I was under the impression the form of the pejorative was not off limits given its wide usage.
Apologies.
Wouldn’t deriding Catholic bashers be a personal attack, but deriding the act of bashing be OK?
>> Wouldn’t deriding Catholic bashers be a personal attack
Brilliant.
>>>”If we had to earn His forgiveness”
Is repenting “earning?” Is a sin forgiven without repenting?
No.
Sin is forgiven with confession.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
There's a difference between confessing and repenting and doing works to pay off the debt we owe for our sin, as in penance.
I didn’t make the rules, I just follow them.
Based on the above there may be a shift in the rules on the RF. That’s why I am asking for clarification.
Then if we do not confess, does He forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness?
For instance it is acceptable to say that Scientologists are cultists but it is not acceptable to say that another Freeper, personally, is a cultist.
It is also not acceptable to accuse a belief group - of which another Freeper may be a member - of criminal behavior, e.g. [belief group] kill babies.
Ok, I misread your previous post, thanks for the clarification.
Having grown up in a Baptist church, I can say with confidence that few baptists will find themselves “saved” when the Last Trump blows.
I am glad to see you have finally found an actual article to bang the “out of fellowship” drum instead of your own blogspot. Good move. This is a good topic. Have not read the responses yet but can’t wait.
Well you posted an article on bringing awareness to sex abuse in SBC churches don’t you think we should discuss that first?
My main problem with the article is the author’s assumption that since SBC churches operate independently, thus convention I will point out, that somehow that leaves the laity powerless. Well that is not the case. Most of these type churches have elders who can remove a minister or pastor. Basically they can fire them so they no longer lead.
For the unsaved person, no. God does not give forgiveness without asking or everyone would be saved. It was the people who came to Jesus whom He responded to.
For the saved person, if they sin after they're saved, they need to confess that sin to open the lines of communication back up between them and God, but it does not cost us our salvation if we don't.
Seems that there is a lot of thinking that we have an on again/off again salvation, that is gained or lost every time we sin or repent/confess.
It's the washing of the feet when the whole rest of the body is clean, God cannot bless sin. Seeking forgiveness allows God to continue to work in us and bless us.
So, also in the case of the saved person, there is no forgiveness of sin without confession, but not to the point of costing us salvation. This teaching that saved people are going to go to hell is from the pit. If people were going to hell for their sin, then they're not saved. Hell is what we're being saved FROM.
“Youth” pastors should be middle aged or older than dirt IMO. What good is it to have a young man around other young people? Oh I get the “they can relate” meme, but that works against them too. Maybe I am old fashioned but young believers need a pedagogue not a pal.
“BTW, did you notice that it was the Associated Baptist Press reporting on Baptists? Ironic...”
Not ironic at all. It is called good accountability. If Baptists can’t police up their own and put offenders on notice then why bother having a paper.
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