A reader called Grace and Peace asks a question about City Bible.

I have family members who have been pulled into this church. Does anyone know how CBC entices and tracks the required tithe of church members?

I know how they entice tithe. They preach on it for 50 straight sermons, until you've finally had enough and you're tithing, not so much to bless God but to get them to shut up about money. 

However, I am not sure how City Bible tracks tithe. So I'm throwing this out to our more knowledgeable readers.

Andrew Sullivan has been posting emails from readers on his blog in regard to his recent article on Christianism. The emails are pretty thoughtful and they both attack and support Andrew's position. But one comment in particular stood out:

The problem with Christianism is a theological as well as a political one. The Republican Party is very happy to lock the Evangelicals into being its permanent, hardcore political base. However, one has to look at the reason why Evangelicals are so easily lured by political ambitions.
For me, the reason is clearly arrogance, which is best expressed by the lay clergy of Evangelical Churches. Any person with a big-enough ego and a flair for the stage can be a preacher. Becoming part of the clergy is not a "calling" as it is in non-Evangelical Christianity, it is not a painful, strenuous, humbling personal experience, it's showbiz. An already big-ego on the preacher's podium bloats up beyond imagination when adulated by the thousands of church-goers who flock into the mega-churches, and the result is what traditional Christianity calls "exaltation", the preacher loses any sense of proportion and plays God.
Which is why there appears to be no conscientious objection to make unChristian calls of "taking out" foreign leaders, or advertising "God wants you to be rich" workshops between sermons, or calling "godless" all those who are not Evangelicals.

I guess I would just like to clarify that this person is not attacking Christ. He's attacking an Evanglical Church that has hijacked the true definition of Christianity and turned it into a self-serving message of wealth and power.

Also, in the interest of keeping politics out of this blog, I would like to add that I know plenty of conservative Christian Republicans who can see through this warped Evangelical message.

Here is one readers comment on Frank's latest sermon on the Marathon Vision. This reader has never been to City Bible Church and doesn't know much about them. Maybe he's picking up on our offences or maybe he's just got a discerning eye. Let's read on and find out:

Good grief - what a load of crap that was. Listening to it really tested my endurance - my ‘discern-o-meter' was going off like an air-raid siren.

There were SO MANY things that upset my Spirit …

Continual references to OUR vision and OUR church. Talk about self-centered - I thought it was JESUS church!

The use of Hebrews 12:1-2 to underscore the CBC vision - which is an entirely out of context use of the scripture. The race is run *personally* and *individually*, and the writer of Hebrews, in speaking to the individual Hebrew peoples is effectively saying "let us lay aside ever weight" (through off any/everything that hinders you) so you can run the race, and there's Frank loading people down with burdens - give give give, work work work, expand expand expand - oh - and by the way - if you don't agree with me, YOU NEED TO CHANGE. Talk about phariseeism / teacher of the law searching the world over for converts and making sons of hell out of them.

Hebrews 12:2 is the message of the cross, and how Jesus endured the shame of it all … Hebrews 12 sets the stage for Hebrews 13:13-14 which exhorts us / ALL OF US, to join Christ "OUTSIDE THE CAMP" (of conformity / religion, et al), where Christ is, and where WE TOO endure His shame (the scorn of religious people, etc.).

In one place, Frank referred to CBC / the building as the "HOUSE OF GOD" - that is a BOLD FACE LIE AND ERROR! Apprently Frank has NOT read Acts 7:48, Acts 17:24, Matthew 23:38, 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 6:19.

Loved the "Vision = Resources" twist, which springboarded into the comment that the "tithe (was) not enough money" … doesn't take a genius to put to gether "vision = resources = money" … and loved some of the financial numbers being tossed out - that there was a $3,000,000 debt that they wanted to retire, classrooms to renovate (?), and then $600,000 spent on feeding people, etc. Let's see - I don't remember a number for renovating the classrooms, but, feeding the poor, etc., clearly accounts for far less than 1/6th (16%) of giving? Man, if World Vision, or Feed the Children fund had such a poor use rate on donations, they'd dry up and blow away like an old cow pie.

Then there was the ‘how many of you come here BECAUSE OF THIS CAMPUS‘? I wanted to vomit - I found myself asking rhetorically "Doesn't anybody come here for Jesus"?

And I was really put off by Frank citing the various church stats near the end of the speech - he cited size stats, number of services, number of campuses, simulcasting, etc., each time seeming to revel in the fact that CBC was in the upper echelon of the stats he was referring to. Anybody remember the OT story of David, who counted the people which angered God - either because it was self-exalting of David or because it boastful of the strength of man? See 1 Chronicles 21 …

…

I guess the laughter and amens heard in the background just go to show, that there are always sheep willing to follow a false shepherd.

What I heard there made me want to barf.

Do you remember Pam? She's the one who wrote the article in the Oregonian called Ethics & values/Pastors get into tattoos

Well, listen to this. I just received word that a heroin addict read Pam's article, called Imago Dei Community Church, and got in touch with one of the pastors from the article. The guy's in the hospital and so the pastor went to see him. He prayed to receive Christ that night and is now making many friends at Imago Dei.

Imagine that.   

I just finished listening to Frank Damazio's recent sermon titled Marathon Vision. The sermon is a pretty good look into the mindset of City Bible and their eldership. If you're unfamiliar with City Bible, listen to it and you will understand our blog a lot more.

FD didn't really say anything new. City Bible's goal is to build nine churches in Portland so that no person in the Portland Metro area will be more than 15 minutes away from a City Bible Campus. (I think they include Salem in the Portland Metro Area).

After listening to Frank's vision, I came away with the impression that FD is a fairly self-centered human being. His vision is really all about him.

I also got the impression that he has been taking a lot of heat for simulcasting the services. I don't think people really like watching a sermon on a big screen. Frank mentioned this, and then told people that he wasn't changing and that they needed to change. He then proceeded to tell the congregation that watching a sermon on a TV screen wasn't really that bad.

I suppose he's right, it probably isn't that bad. Of course, it isn't that good either, as it is a fairly impersonal way to hear a sermon. I guess we'll see if people actually revolt on the simulcast or continue to listen to a sermon that way.  

Chris Snethen sent me the latest analysis on "abstinence pledges". Evidently, a lot of kids sign these pledges promising to practice abstinence and then break the pledge within the next year:

The analysis found that 52 percent of adolescent virginity pledgers in the 1995 survey disavowed the virginity pledge at the next survey a year later.

Who knows how they got this statistic. But having attended a Christian High School, I have to say it is probably true. I think most kids really do intend to practice abstinence after signing this pledge.  Unfortunately, when the relaxing moment turns into the right moment, a pledge card is not going to stop sex. You need a chastity belt.

Pastor Jack has written City Business Church a new worship song about the Institutional Church (I.C.) It's just a little something to take you into the Kingdom.

Money for Preachin’
(To the tune of: Money for Nothin’ by Dire Straits)
Lyrics (c) 2002 by Jack Helser

"I want my … I want my own I.C.

Now look at them preachers that's the way ya do it
Ya shame them sinners at your own I.C.
That ain't working that's the way you do it
Money for preachin' and a rectory
Now that ain’t workin that’s the way you do it
Lemme tell you them priests ain’t dumb
Maybe get the hiccups from a communion wafer
Maybe get a blister on your knee

[BRIDGE]
He got yo' sin all white-washed and covered
Anointin’ lotions, tapes and CDs
He got to move those religious notions
He got to move those rosary beads

The little padre in the black robe and a beanie
He'll fix your sin up for a modest fee
Even if you're stuck there down in purgatory
For 50 bucks the priest can set you free

[BRIDGE]

I shoulda went to a seminary
I'd coulda had that fancy cross
Look at that - what's that - he's got a silver wine glass
Yeah - he's a "man of the cloth".
And he’s up there - what’s that? Must be cryin’ noises
He's beggin' for money in his homily
Oh, that ain't working' that's the way you do it
Get your money for preachin' and a rectory

[BRIDGE]

Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You shame them sinners at your own I.C.
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for preachin' and rectory
Money for preachin' and rectory
Gets you money for preachin' and a rectory
I want my, I want my, I want own I.C.

My favorite Gay Conservative Catholic is at it again. Read Andrew Sullivans excellent Time piece on Republicans and the Christian Right.

Money quote:

The number of Christians misrepresented by the Christian right is many. There are evangelical Protestants who believe strongly that Christianity should not get too close to the corrupting allure of government power. There are lay Catholics who, while personally devout, are socially liberal on issues like contraception, gay rights, women's equality and a multi-faith society. There are very orthodox believers who nonetheless respect the freedom and conscience of others as part of their core understanding of what being a Christian is. They have no problem living next to an atheist or a gay couple or a single mother or people whose views on the meaning of life are utterly alien to them–and respecting their neighbors' choices. That doesn't threaten their faith. Sometimes the contrast helps them understand their own faith better.

And here's Andrews excellent conclusion:

I dissent from the political pollution of sincere, personal faith. I dissent most strongly from the attempt to argue that one party represents God and that the other doesn't. I dissent from having my faith co-opted and wielded by people whose politics I do not share and whose intolerance I abhor. The word Christian belongs to no political party. It's time the quiet majority of believers took it back.

Jack sent in the following link about the Catholic Church. Evidently the Catholic Church is now urging Christians to take legal action against the Da Vinci Code. The church doesn't specify exactly what legal action should be taken, but they do clarify their reasoning:

Christians must not just sit back and say it is enough for us to forgive and to forget," Arinze said in the documentary called The Da Vinci Code A Masterful Deceit. "Sometimes it is our duty to do something practical. So it is not I who will tell all Christians what to do but some know legal means which can be taken in order to get the other person to respect the rights of others," Arinze said.

I'm still flipping through the Bible looking for that verse about not forgiving. Oh well, I'm sure this will work. Protests usually prevent people from seeing a film. I mean all the outcry about The Passion of the Christ certainly kept people from watching that film.  If the Catholic Church was smart they'd try to get the film company to cast Tom Cruise in the sequel.  Then I'd know the book was crazy. 

JP has been taking a bit of a beating from our readers on this blog for softening his stance on City Bible after meeting with Howard. Having grown up with JP, I have a little insight into his thought process when it comes to handling pressure. So alllow me to share a quick story that illustrates how JP operates in a stressful situation.

JP and I grew up in a large house in North Portland only a couple of blocks from the Columbia Villa. (Don't let the Villa fool you; it wasn't a charming neighborhood.) Every summer our cousin Erik would fly out from Vermont and visit us. One of our favorite activities when Erik was in town was to hide behind the bushes in our front yard at night and throw water balloons at the cars driving up the street. A brilliant idea.

As the cars passed, we would all jump up from behind the bushes and throw the water balloons. Inevitably, when the car screeched to a halt, we would flee to the backyard annd wait it out. A foolproof plan. In case of a real emergency, if for example a driver got angry enough to come to the front door, our plan was to hide in the garage. Our garage was the size of a small house and filled with the furniture of random hippies my father had let live with us. It was a perfect hiding place.

We had several wonderful nights of waterballooning cars, until one unfortunate incident when the car we hit swerved and almost ran into a police car driving up the street in the opposite direction. The cop flipped on the siren and we decided that this constituted a "real emergency". However, while JP and I may be crafty, we're not necessarily bright. And unfortunately, only our cousin Erik ran to the garage. JP and I headed straight to our bedroom in the basement. I crawled under the bed, while Johnpaul watched the events unfold from the basement window.  This led to the following conversation:

JP: The cop is coming up to the House! 

ME: Johnpaul hide somehwere. Get under the bed!

JP: She's talking to dad now! What are we gonna do?!

ME: For the love of all that is sacred and holy, HIDE Johnpaul HIDE!!!!

JP: I'M PANICKING!!! I'M PANICKING!!!! 

Needless to say, my dad came straight downstairs found JP standing in the middle of the bedroom… …panicking…  …and asked JP where me and Erik were hiding. JP promptly told our father that I was hiding under the bed, and then led us all to Erik's hiding place in the garage. To Erik's credit, he gave us the worst  "What-Happened-To-The-Plan" glare, as our father led us all to the cop. The cop was actually really nice, and she just lectured us on the dangers of throwing water balloons at moving cars.

So all in all, a good story with a happy ending. However, more importantly it illustrates JP's pressure mentality. And now whenever I'm in a stressful situation with JP, I harken back to that night in the bedroom, remember Johnpaul screaming, "I'M PANICKING I'M PANICKING". And I thnk to myself,

I'm screwed.