Posted on 03/22/2005 5:58:03 AM PST by Dr. Marten
CLEARWATER - Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer left his church last week after the pastor wrote him a letter suggesting "it might be easier for all of us" if he leave.
Greer, whose orders on the Terri Schiavo case have brought him criticism, is a Southern Baptist who attended Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater.
Though he had other unrelated problems with the church, Greer's attendance faltered after a Baptist publication the church supported criticized his decisions in the Schiavo case. He stopped his donations to the church, but remained a member. He briefly discussed his relationship with the church in a March 6 St. Petersburg Times article.
Four days later, Calvary Pastor William Rice wrote Greer a letter: "I am not asking you to do this, but since you have taken the initiative of withdrawal, and since your connection with Calvary continues to be a point of concern, it would seem the logical and, I would say, biblical course."
Rice's letter became public when he sent a copy to the Clearwater courthouse. Rice also said the church supports keeping Schiavo alive, though he said he was "truly saddened and embarrassed by the level of harassment and vitriolic nature of so many comments that purportedly come from people of faith."
Rice, who has been pastor at the church for five months, added: "But you must know that in all likelihood it is this case which will define your career and this case that you will remember in the waning days of life. I hope you can find a way to side with the angels and become an answer to the prayers of thousands."
Greer responded with a letter severing his relationship with the church.
What happened to hate the sin not the sinner, or is that just a slogan?
Jesus said
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." (Matthew 18:15-17)
The Apostle Paul said
"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people–not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you." (I Corinthians 5:9-13)
I highly doubt that there's any hate here, just obedience to the Word of God, more than likely with a heavy heart.
LOL, spoken like someone with no clue of what Jesus did or taught.
So you're saying the guy must really be Satan incarnate?
Gee, thanks! Like we do not already have a full quota of death culture adherents.
Um, yeah, if you're repentant. That would exclude judge Greer.
new here too I see?
"No, I don't care what a judge's religion is - Christianity, Judaism, secularism, Islam, satanism, taoism, whatever - he should decide a case based upon what the law requires and not what his personal beliefs or religious instruction tell him to do."
The Constitution is the standard by which the law is to be judged not as it has been perverted under precedence. The system is corrupt and perverted.
Here's a buck. buy a clue.
If the sinner insists you love his sin too, what are you to do?
So what happens when, as in Roe V Wade, we have faulty law enacted? Roe V Wade is essentially Dredd Scott (e.g. certain persons aren't a complete human and therefore have no rights).
'new here too I see?'
Good catch, and a 'hit and runner troll' as well.
Sure does. And if that's what this pastor did, he and his church are admirable.
It would be so much better to have them uphold their personal immoral beliefs.
Greer's soul is as black as his judicial robes. May he rot during the rest of his miserable pathetic life.
I know what she was saying.
Greer responded with a letter severing his relationship with the church.
I hope that God will judge Greer more kindly and compassionately than Greer has judged in this case. I feel so deeply ashamed for him.
The problem is that if the unrepentant member chooses to continue in the sin, he/she brings that corrpution into the church all the while wanting the benefits of fellowship with other members yet not being willing to conform to the rules under which fellowship was granted. Just like with an unruly child, there are consequences for that behavior and one of them is dis-fellowship.
Christ told people you render under Caeser the things of Caeser and to God the things of God.
I've always thought that it is only the Supreme Court that can reverse one of its decisions, a lower court cannot (or should not).
The level of vaporous, tranditional-blinded, a-Biblical mule-headed willful ignorance is just too depressing at the moment.
I don't say much about the Koran. Know why? I've never read it, and know next to nothing about it.
But every Biblical illiterate thinks he's an expert on Christianity.
Greer's darkest hour is of his own making. And not everything can be sunshine and roses when adhering to biblical standards of conduct.
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