stpauler: As Chuck argues in this week's The Colson Files, we don't have to be angry and mean in order to oppose gay marriage on reasonable grounds. We can speak the truth in love and ask people to consider the real consequences of redefining marriage.

Chuck Colson? Man, what a CREEP!

AmazinTim: But Fark has conditioned me to fear organize religion. Why would anyone involved in organized religion ever do anything that isn't purely evil? Fark? HALP. EXPLAIN. I'M SO CONFUSED.

Can't tell if trolling or stupid.

Was hanging with Duncan and Z?

Eddie Long strokes again?

Oh, you mean a REAL pastor.

AmazinTim: But Fark has conditioned me to fear organize religion. Why would anyone involved in organized religion ever do anything that isn't purely evil? Fark? HALP. EXPLAIN. I'M SO CONFUSED.

Hehe, you said "but fark"

AmazinTim: But Fark has conditioned me to fear organize religion.

Thats funny I've been reading fark for years and i was never conditioned to fear organized religion.

Welcome to the shelter! We have a hot dinner for you, but first, 20 minutes of jedgemental preaching from our pastor.

Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom: Hehe, you said "but fark"

I approve of that comment.

FTFA: "The Pastor is quoted at saying that the most valuable lesson he learned was, "You have to keep it sexy. It's all hips and nips".

/got nuttin'
//Glad he walks it like he talks it

Sullyville: Welcome to the shelter! We have a hot dinner for you, but first, 20 minutes of jedgemental preaching from our pastor.

I'm sure he'll be using the latest "parrot speak" if it's after 3 PM.

Ya made poor decisions. Ya made poor decisions. Ya made poor decisions. Ya made poor decisions. Ya made poor decisions. Ya made poor decisions. Ya made poor decisions. Ya made poor decisions.

If they were all like that, the world would be a better place.

Well, hell, it's a better place with just him.

/don't care much about other people's religion, or religion in general...it's what people do that matter, not necessarily the "why".

I always wanted Megachurch but my parents said that transformer was too expensive and I'd have to save up my allowance to pay for half, I said to hell with that I'll worship at the alter of Starscream instead.

Headso: I always wanted Megachurch but my parents said that transformer was too expensive and I'd have to save up my allowance to pay for half, I said to hell with that I'll worship at the alter of Starscream instead.

Optimus Prime is my co-pilot.

GAT_00: Oh he got stories he can write in a book now, publish, and make a few hundred thousand. That's nice. Really helping the poor there.

Of course he'll use all the profits to benefit homeless shelters and food drives, right?

Right?

Can't help but assume that a mega church preaches prosperity gospel.
I wonder if those guys'll buy that bridge they're living under.

Bruxellensis: GAT_00: Oh he got stories he can write in a book now, publish, and make a few hundred thousand. That's nice. Really helping the poor there.

Of course he'll use all the profits to benefit homeless shelters and food drives, right?

Right?

All? Perhaps not. I'd bet he gives away a good portion of it though.

Now, what I'd REALLY like to see is MSM pick this up instead of some Christian blog. Might give the story more credence.

Or one of the TV networks
"Life On The Streets" The next big reality TV show. Every episode street people get a challenge like 'get someone working a job to hold an actual conversation with you' and then someone gets voted out from under the bridge. The winner gets a $50 McDonalds gift card.

Quick! Someone go post this on /r/atheism and watch them work themselves into a frenzy denying the act had anything to do with being Christian.

Maybe this guy's for real. Maybe he's just playing hero to make himself feel better for raking in millions of bucks from his mega-church, while people freeze to death. Or maybe he heard that the guys under the bridge will blow you for a bottle of Jack.

GAT_00: Oh he got stories he can write in a book now, publish, and make a few hundred thousand. That's nice. Really helping the poor there.

And still 20x more than you've ever done. Good work gimpy.

I don't get why the right wing nutball christians even have pastors heading up churches anymore.

They pretty much worship their crackpot cartoon impression of the "brave" and "valiant" entrepreneur from whom all of Gods graces flow.

Someday they'll probably get to the point where they start saying "I want a pastor that will run our church like a CEO runs a business". Then they'll end up with "W" as pastor.

HotWingConspiracy: [thyblackman.com image 401x512]

Christians always want some credit for shiat they're supposed to do.

Most true statement in the thread so far.

The Pastor decides to walk a mile in their shoes. Good. Everyone should at least once in their lives.

Holy crap! A real Christian.

He better watch his back, any of the others see those selfless acts he's likely to get nailed to a cross.

/good story, hope this guy is legit, world needs a lot more of this type of Christian and a lot less of the other 90%
//if i saw Christians living like this, I'd actually go back to church

After selling 30 million copies of "The Purpose Driven Life", Rick Warren stopped taking a salary, returned 25 years worth of salaries, and began "reverse tithing" (giving 90% and only keeping 10%).

Fun fact.

STRYPERSWINE: After selling 30 million copies of "The Purpose Driven Life", Rick Warren stopped taking a salary, returned 25 years worth of salaries, and began "reverse tithing" (giving 90% and only keeping 10%).

Fun fact.

Ah yeah you just happened to leave out "the rest of the story" about that scumbag

Pictures make it look like a very nice facility; it's nice of them to let the homeless come once a week to listen to services.

GAT_00: Oh he got stories he can write in a book now, publish, and make a few hundred thousand. That's nice. Really helping the poor there.

That didn't take long.

GAT_00: Oh he got stories he can write in a book now, publish, and make a few hundred thousand. That's nice. Really helping the poor there.

He should be more like you, and whine on the internet all day.

Bob16: STRYPERSWINE: After selling 30 million copies of "The Purpose Driven Life", Rick Warren stopped taking a salary, returned 25 years worth of salaries, and began "reverse tithing" (giving 90% and only keeping 10%).

Fun fact.

Ah yeah you just happened to leave out "the rest of the story" about that scumbag

What rest of the story? That he has done work to combat AIDS worldwide and supporting literacy and education around the world? That he has tried to steer evangelicalism away from traditional social issues and more into helping the poor? He's one of the good guys.

NotARocketScientist: Now, what I'd REALLY like to see is MSM pick this up instead of some Christian blog. Might give the story more credence.

Or one of the TV networks
"Life On The Streets" The next big reality TV show. Every episode street people get a challenge like 'get someone working a job to hold an actual conversation with you' and then someone gets voted out from under the bridge. The winner gets a $50 McDonalds gift card.

Link (new window)

This guy missed the memo. Jesus now says fark the poor.

I am not a fan of religions but, maybe this guy will have a better insight when someone says they are "struggling at the moment".

You might look OK dressed in a collared shirt and clean jeans but if you look closer at the person, the jeans are worn and off brand, the sneakers are target generic for about 8 bucks, the car they drive has expired plates and they hide it as they try to convince their customers that the car is parked in the shopping center where the business is is because you have a "guest" for the evening. People think you are amazing because they see you every morning at the "Y" and ask you about your workout regime until an astute person asks (after they see you just shower and drive away) Are you OK? and you can bluff but.... you find out that your membership is mysteriously taken care of.

Respect and dignity are needed as well as discretion in the acknowledgment of the situation.

Look around for the folks that used to be involved in many charitable events, they might not be able to help anymore. They still care but they are already being marginalized and excluded. Probably because folks know they can't contribute and don't wish to embarrass them with invites that will be declined.


///sob story yadayada. Ignore the above rant, Bad day. I am going to regret posting this but...



///anyway, good on the preacher type for at least trying to understand

stpauler: People can argue with our words and reject our ideas out of hand, but our acts of love and compassion can't be dismissed.

Yes, I disagree with your words and reject your ideas about the supernatural immediately. However, doing things to help others is a noble cause and I applaud that.

Then I read crap like this on their website:
As Chuck argues in this week's The Colson Files, we don't have to be angry and mean in order to oppose gay marriage on reasonable grounds. We can speak the truth in love and ask people to consider the real consequences of redefining marriage.

OR:
How Not to Sound Homophobic
The vast majority of Americans no longer believe in the authority of Scripture. So how do we argue against gay marriage in a way that our neighbors can understand? The answer is: We have to argue in a way that appeals to the common good.

As Rep. Steve Largent reminded us during the Congressional debate over DOMA, no society that embraces homosexuality has ever survived.



And I'm back to fark y'all.

No society has ever survived. That many societies eventually accepted homosexuality as normal variation is coincidence. Read Gibbon and ponder the fact that Rome accepted Christianity and fell just a few years later. "The primitive Christians perpetually trod on mystic ground, and their minds were exercised by the habits of believing the most extraordinary events. They felt, or they fancied, that on every side they were incessantly assaulted by daemons, comforted by visions, instructed by prophecy, and surprisingly delivered from danger, sickness, and from death itself, by the supplications of the church"

The "common good" is to see that as many males, who in their unattached state can be quite damaging, are bound in a domestic relationship as possible. That means marriage to a partner of either sex.

GAT_00: Oh he got stories he can write in a book now, publish, and make a few hundred thousand. That's nice. Really helping the poor there.

Bingo.

Reading the story about the compassion of the pastor and come to this thread and read the compassion of the atheists. Makes it real easy to see which side is truly evil to their fellow man.

GAT_00: Oh he got stories he can write in a book now, publish, and make a few hundred thousand. That's nice. Really helping the poor there.

You and I normally agree on issues despite your usual over the top rhetoric. But I can't agree on this one. The guy put his money where his mouth is and did what most people would never do. If more "Christians" were like this then maybe we wouldn't scorn them so much.

If you going to chastise the crazy ones at least applaud the good ones who are trying to lead by example.

/CSB. I'm working in an office in Wayne right now and had no idea this church even existed. I didn't know we had any mega churches in NJ.

stpauler: People can argue with our words and reject our ideas out of hand, but our acts of love and compassion can't be dismissed.

Yes, I disagree with your words and reject your ideas about the supernatural immediately. However, doing things to help others is a noble cause and I applaud that.

Then I read crap like this on their website:
As Chuck argues in this week's The Colson Files, we don't have to be angry and mean in order to oppose gay marriage on reasonable grounds. We can speak the truth in love and ask people to consider the real consequences of redefining marriage.

OR:
How Not to Sound Homophobic
The vast majority of Americans no longer believe in the authority of Scripture. So how do we argue against gay marriage in a way that our neighbors can understand? The answer is: We have to argue in a way that appeals to the common good.

As Rep. Steve Largent reminded us during the Congressional debate over DOMA, no society that embraces homosexuality has ever survived.



And I'm back to fark y'all.

Colson is a huckster and Largent should've just retired and golfed all day.

/and no society that wantonly consumes resources has ever survived either
//Rome lasted hundreds of years, we'll be lucky to make 2076

lordaction: Reading the story about the compassion of the pastor and come to this thread and read the compassion of the atheists. Makes it real easy to see which side is truly evil to their fellow man.

False equivalency. Compare the story of the compassion of the pastor with a story written by an atheist for the explicit purpose of praising the compassion of another atheist. I'm sure both will sound fantastic. Or compare the comments of the devout with the comments of non-believers...

Wow
I'm an Atheist, and I say BRAVO to this man. We need more people like him in the world.
Posted By: Leila on February 21, 2012 2:07 PM

Where the Church Belongs
My sincere kudos but, I fear, with so MANY mentally ill filling the ranks of the homeless that failure to "drive out the demons" that an inevitable tragic result of one or more attempting to assist one or more "demon bearers" will result in sheer survival to demand a cessation of performing deeds the heart compels one or more of your church members to perform.

Reality can strike with great force.
Posted By: Ob Bop on February 21, 2012 1:55 PM

/Who knows if #2 is a troll or not
//Poe's law and all that

Its funny how a group which, studies show, donate as little as possible to charity gets all up in arms and questions the motives of other people when they do stuff for charity.

Ok, I'll volunteer to be the overly cynical bar-steward;

It's typical of these evangelical types to prey on the vulnerable in the pursuit of some easy PR that will put an extra 10% in the bank from their fee-paying regular sheep...

/I think that ticks all the boxes

sinanju: stpauler: People can argue with our words and reject our ideas out of hand, but our acts of love and compassion can't be dismissed.

Yes, I disagree with your words and reject your ideas about the supernatural immediately. However, doing things to help others is a noble cause and I applaud that.

Then I read crap like this on their website:
As Chuck argues in this week's The Colson Files, we don't have to be angry and mean in order to oppose gay marriage on reasonable grounds. We can speak the truth in love and ask people to consider the real consequences of redefining marriage.

OR:
How Not to Sound Homophobic
The vast majority of Americans no longer believe in the authority of Scripture. So how do we argue against gay marriage in a way that our neighbors can understand? The answer is: We have to argue in a way that appeals to the common good.

As Rep. Steve Largent reminded us during the Congressional debate over DOMA, no society that embraces homosexuality has ever survived.



And I'm back to fark y'all.

No society has ever survived. That many societies eventually accepted homosexuality as normal variation is coincidence. Read Gibbon and ponder the fact that Rome accepted Christianity and fell just a few years later. "The primitive Christians perpetually trod on mystic ground, and their minds were exercised by the habits of believing the most extraordinary events. They felt, or they fancied, that on every side they were incessantly assaulted by daemons, comforted by visions, instructed by prophecy, and surprisingly delivered from danger, sickness, and from death itself, by the supplications of the church"

The "common good" is to see that as many males, who in their unattached state can be quite damaging, are bound in a domestic relationship as possible. That means marriage to a partner of either sex.

If by 'just a few years' you mean, in practice, several hundred (yes, I know about Constantine, but Christianity was accepted in the Roman empire before that), then yes. Just a 'few' years.

Giltric: Its funny how a group which, studies show, donate as little as possible to charity gets all up in arms and questions the motives of other people when they do stuff for charity.

I totally agree! You can't do the first nice thing without some Christian giving you hell for it.