My Presbyterian Cult | Truthout

[Picture LINK Blog]

My Presbyterian Cult | Truthout:

EXCERPT  |  " ... "Cult" is most commonly used pejoratively, to describe a religious group that undermines people's independence and individuality. If the group requires you to renounce your family or community, turn over your property to the group and follow a charismatic figure without question, most people agree it's a cult and unhealthy." (Robert Jensen, Truthout | Op-Ed. 5 November 2011. HERE ) ... " Robert Jensen is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin

'via Blog this'
I am attracted to the article because I was raised in the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Houston.

The best part of this LINK is the comment section after the article. The article is a pedantic piece giving lots of definitions, and that is probably why others found it important to comment. The debate in the comment section clearly draws lines. Some speak of delusion, others tell how they view historic Mosaic Christianity.

" ... I couldn't agree more, whenever I consider christ and what he's supposed to have said and done, I too see beautiful, gentle, wise and simple. He also identified the evil in the world, the money merchants and the religious leaders; the 1%. All religions, at their core, have beautiful, gentle, wise and simple principles which engage with most of us. All religions then manipulate and corrupt that for their own benefit. (Robin Harrison, commentator)... "

" ... With all the hatred expressed by supposed Christians, I wonder what Christ would think of the death penalty, killing abortion doctors to stop abortions, calling other religious teachings cults, justifying oppressing poor and middle-class people's because of "Christian Ethics", etc. All of these actions seem to have their roots in Mosaic Law not those laws and teachings of Jesus Christ. (QASensei, commentator) ... "

" ... Conclusion (from second source 1996)
The modern Protestant church has abandoned the ideal of Christian cultural transformation, and God has abandoned the church culturally. The church finds itself compromised by the culture of modernism, yet it has neither hope in transforming culture nor the tool of dominion: biblical law. The church lives in a remnant condition, not as a temporary shield of anonymity, but as a preferred way of life. No wonder evangelism has nearly died in the West. No wonder God has withdrawn His Holy Spirit to the sidelines of culture. God is giving His people what they have sought: cultural remnant status. They have wilfully abandoned the ideal of Christian culture–the ideal of Christendom–so God has abandoned His church culturally. Unpleasant, isn't it? (Gary North. March/April 1996. LINK) ... "

[apostatize, apostatise [əˈpɒstəˌtaɪz] vb :: to forsake or abandon one's belief, faith, or allegiance. LINK]

_________________Reference
http://truth-out.org/my-presbyterian-cult/1320171274
http://reformed-theology.org/ice/newslet/reconstruction/cr96.03.htm
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/apostatized
http://kjvonlydebate.com/2010/05/07/the-missing-link-a-simple-questionchallenge/

*

*

*

Special Occasion

A man opened his wife's drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it.

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.

He turned to me and said:

'Never save something for a special occasion.

Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.

I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal glasses every day...

I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to
The words 'Someday....' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.


If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now....

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.

I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food.

It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one..

If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.

If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it 'One of these days' , remember that 'One day' is far away... or might never come......