Well they are at it again. Another City Bible Church is coming to a city near you. This time in Baltimore, Maryland. Find out more here http://www.cbcbteam.com/ and here http://www.cbcbaltimore.com/. Pretty soon, no matter where you live, there will be a CBC nearby.
Because we're clearly on a once a month blogging schedule, I'm going to try something new and post an open thread. Feel free to comment on whatever you're thinking.
Some suggested topics:
- Is Goldman Sachs the Devil? (No. The Devil is more ethical.)
- What? Ray Boltz and Jennifer Knapp are gay?
- Kate Gosslyn: World's Worst Mother or Misunderstood Reality Star? (Watch five minutes of her show, and I'll think you'll figure this one out.)
- Is porn a problem in your church office? (I stole this from Christianity Today)
The Supreme Court has decided to hear a controversial legal battle this fall, one that pits a church’s right of free speech against an individual’s right to privacy. Here are the details:
Matthew Snyder was a marine killed in Iraq. His funeral was held in 2006 in Maryland. However, during his funeral the Westboro Baptist Church picketed with banners saying "God hates fags" and "Thank God for dead soldiers" even though Snyder himself was not gay. The Kansas-based church headed by Fred Phelps has a congregation of 70 to 80 members who consider themselves prophets. The church believes that various tragic events and killings such as a soldiers' death in Iraq are caused by God because he hates America for "enabling" homosexuality. Westboro protests at all sorts of locations, events and funerals claiming they are works of God's judgment. (They post their picket schedule online at www.godhatesfags.com).
So Snyder's father Albert decided to sue Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper, for $5 million for invasion of privacy and emotional distress; at first he won. But when an appeals court ruled their freedom of speech was protected by the First Amendment, Mr. Snyder's award was overturned and he was told he must pay legal fees of $16,500. He has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court and will argue that the church's behavior constitutes harassing people at their most vulnerable and is an incitement to violence, causing harm to others, in much the same way that one is not allowed to yell "fire" in a crowded room.
It figures an extreme religious group would be stirring up more hatred in the world. Hard to believe these people actually think they are doing God's good work. When I read stuff like this I realize why so many people hate Christians.
We've touched on this before, but it bears repeating. The City Church's Generation Intern program is a sham and it exploits the very people it purports to be helping. I'm bringing this up, because the City Church has revamped their Generation Intern website, and it looks like they're making a push to attract more suckers.
The basics of the program are that you pay them $4200 a year (plus a $50 application fee and a $100 technology fee) and they will let you work for free for the church. The students do get to take a couple PBC extension courses. But few of PBC's course credits actually transfer anywhere. And at a couple of credits a term, you're not going to be getting a meaningful degree anytime soon.
I'm also a little suprised that they're rolling this out right now. Last month, the Labor Department announced that they are cracking down on internship programs that violate minimum wage laws. And while the focus tends to be on for-profit companies, I'm sure the Labor Department would be interested in a program that charges its interns thousands of dollars to essentially work for free.
Clearly the Intern program is more of a leadership school than an internship program. And in reality, the City Church should just change the name. But since they haven't, I am going to be filing a complaint against the City Church with the Washington Department of Labor and Industries. These kids are being scammed and someone needs to say something.
I've said it before, but if you want to work in ministry, then go to college, get a degree and start volunteering at your local church. Or skip college and just start volunteering. But paying to work for free is foolish. And the City Church should know better.
For high comedy visit www.FrankDamazio.com and check out his Welcome Letter. If you read it in a yoda voice, it's even better.
The farther I get away from City Bible, the more I'm convinced it's a low level cult.
It's Pulitzer Time, and the winner this year for feature writing is Gene Weingart who wrote an article about parents who accidentally leave their childern in the car and end up killing them. It happens about 15-20 times a year, and it happens to people from all walks of life. From doctors to gardners.
It is one of the best and most haunting articles, I've ever read. Here is one short excerpt from the piece.
I was that guy, before. I'd read the stories, and I'd go, 'What were those parents thinking?' " Mikey Terry is a contractor from Maypearl, Tex., a big man with soft eyes. At the moment he realized what he'd done, he was in the cab of a truck and his 6-month-old daughter, Mika, was in a closed vehicle in the broiling Texas sun in a parking lot 40 miles away. So his frantic sprint to the car was conducted at 100 miles an hour in a 30-foot gooseneck trailer hauling thousands of pounds of lumber the size of telephone poles. On that day in June 2005, Terry had been recently laid off, and he'd taken a day job building a wall in the auditorium of a Catholic church just outside of town. He'd remembered to drop his older daughter at day care, but as he was driving the baby to a different day care location, he got a call about a new permanent job. This really caught his attention. It was a fatal distraction. Terry, 35, wasn't charged with a crime. His punishment has been more subtle. The Terrys are Southern Baptists. Before Mika's death, Mikey Terry says, church used to be every Sunday, all day Sunday, morning Bible study through evening meal. He and his wife, Michele, don't go much anymore. It's too confusing, he says. "I feel guilty about everyone in church talking about how blessed we all are. I don't feel blessed anymore. I feel I have been wronged by God. And that I have wronged God. And I don't know how to deal with that." Four years have passed, but he still won't go near the Catholic church he'd been working at that day. As his daughter died outside, Read the whole thing.
I know I know, people don't like talking about this subject because it gets way too heated. However, I think Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in the Seattle area does a good job of summing up the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism for those who don't quite get the differences: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–iC5KHqaZk
The best part is what he says near the end around the 7:24 mark. The bottom line is we can debate this and share our different views but we don't need to divide over this. We can disagree on this but still love each other because no matter what, it's about accepting and serving Christ more then anything else.
I'm absolutely fascinated by the most recent Catholic Church sex abuse case. It's less about the abuse, and more about how dangerous religion can be. I understand that religion and Faith can give hope when you're in despair and strength when you're weak. But it can also disguise itself as a priest and try to put its hands down your pants. (Not Cool)
Here is testimony from a woman who describes the time she was molested:
I went into absolute shock and denial and couldn't move. But once I realized what he was doing, I snapped to reality and ran from his office. His attempts at groping at my breasts ended there. I shudder to think how far he would have gone if I hadn't done that. I was one of the lucky ones. No, I didn't tell anyone. Not my parents, not my friends, other family members nor the school authorities. I instinctively knew that he must have done or tried to do the same thing with other girls. True, I was 16 y/o. But I was an impressionable, naive, innocent virginal child of those times and that age. I trusted this priest with my whole heart. Him abusing that trust is abominable. This priest is a horrible horrible human being. But to me this also proves the dangers of putting your trust in man rather than God. If that priest was just a clerk at the grocery store, chances are this young girl would have told someone. Or another way of saying it, when someone purports to be speaking for God. He isn't. He's just trying to put his hands down your pants.
For those of you on Facebook, a page has been set up where you can Thank Brother Dick for all his many accomplishments. Specifically, the site says:
Please post a thank you note to this great Christian Pioneer and personal friend to many.
I also noticed that the MFI Leadership Page lists Dick Iverson as the Founder of MFI and Bob MacGregor as the Acting Chairman. Makes me think that perhaps the transition for Dick stepping down has begun. Though, I could be wrong.
Not sure if it has anything to do with his recent marriage, but I suspect it played a role. As I've stated before, I'm fine with Dick Iverson marrying his long-time secretary, and I'm also fine with MFI asking him to step down. Everything could be completely on the up and up between Dick and Roxie, but it certainly looks fishy. And if MFI and City Bible are anything, they are all about image. Your leader marrying his long-time secretary a year after his wife dies, is not a good image.
(Also, Dick Iverson's real name is Keith Richard Iverson. I did not know that? He's been going by Dick his entire life when he could be going by Keith Richard. That's inexplicable. Come on Dick Iverson, you're better than that!)