Posted on 04/03/2006 9:29:05 AM PDT by fgoodwin
I agree. To a large degree, I think that it is the American church that doesn't. Unfortunately, the wall of separation hasn't been strong enough to keep preachers allowing political issues, parties and candidates from clouding the laserbeam focus Christ had on the issues of poverty, hunger, etc., while He walked the Earth.
Nobody does Charity better than the American Church. Nobody.
If U2 is Christian, more power to them.
If one cannot tell from their music if they are or not, then I'd say that THEY are the ones going out of their way to prevent themselves from being labeled as Christian.
In which case, I'd go with their own desires and say that they are not a Christian group.
I have no problem with rock, rap, soul, etc. being having Christian lyrics and coming from Christian singers. I just think that if you're gonna be one, then don't be coy about it.
Coy to me means that you've not made up your mind.
Depends on how you define "charity." American Christians are alright about giving a little to charity; but only a precious few are actually doing something to help the poor. I have to plead guilty as to not doing enough either.
I've been thinking lately - Christians seem to have retreated to all-white suburbs. We're a group of hemogeneous white, middle-class Republicans. Not a lot of Evangelical Churches meet downtown, but rather on sprawling suburban campuses. I've decided, if I ever get involved in a church plant, it'll meet downtown.
You are a calvinist.
Christians meet where they do because that is where they are.
Am I missing something?
Oh, they're anything but coy. They wear their faith - struggles and all - on their sleeve. I think they're not labelled as Christian, however, because they don't fit into the Christian music cliche.
If they are, then they are.
I haven't listened to them.
Yeah. Not everything God predestined would occur is the right thing for us to do. For all I know, God predestined me to try to get something going on in the inner city.
I think you've confused Calvinism and Fatalism.
Nope, I've confused what is with what I've been told has been planned.
There were no Native American Christians in 1362 AD.
Someone should've started a mission.
That's a borderline-ecstatic experience live. Similar to Peter Gabriel's closing with "Biko."
Someone did in 1492 AD - as soon as practicable.
Honestly, I've been told that it was "as soon as planned."
I'm not sure that practicality is an issue in planning when one is omnipotent.
Now, I've either been told that or I haven't been. I've either understood what I've been told or I haven't.
Why God waited till 1492 is above our pay grade.
Which is why you either will or won't open an inner city church in your area.
It's above your pay grade.
"If Bono, then why not Little Richard, who is a certified minister hisself?"
Or my husband who is an Internet Minister. His "diploma" hangs proudly on our fridge, next to pictures drawn by the kids, our UW Hockey Season Ticket Holders Calendar and our current bills to pay, LOL!
Bono. Bono. Just shut up and sing!
I'd actually listen to Creed over U2 for soul-splitting spiritually-driven music, though I did go to a U2 concert in the past. But then, I've also seen Steve Miller, Elvis (shortly before he died, in Las Vegas), Journey, Cheap Trick, Van Halen & Pink Floyd in concert.
I'll leave my Final Judgement up to God, as far as my past musical tastes go. I'm pretty sure that if he can forgive my Rock-n-Roll past, he can forgive anything. ;)
Our Jimi, Who Art in heaven, Hallowed by Thy soloes...
Honestly Jude, does the European Church do a better job at Charity than the American Church? No way. It is the American Church that leads the world in feeding the poor of this earth. While obviously we could do better, the principle problem in getting food to the hungry is not the fact that the American Church is not doing enough, it is because the governments of the countries where people are starving will simply not let the food in without stealing it or killing those who bring it.
And right now nobody in America is starving. If anything poor children in America eat too much. The number of poor children that are overweight is much higher among the poorer classes in America than among the higher classes.
The priniple reason there is starvation in the world is not a lack of Charitable giving by the American Church, but because of the politics of corrupt dictators and corrupt governments and the inability of Christians to go into Muslim countries because they will be killed.
It would take up too much space to list all the American Church charities that are busy caring for the poor of this world. You'd be hard pressed to find any country where the Church is even a fraction as charitable.
Don't project your own guilt on the rest of the Church. If you feel that you are not doing enough, then perhaps you are not doing enough. Your job is to put what is in your heart into the coffers and God will provide the increase. Your job is not to rag on everyone else because they don't do as much as you would like them to do. They don't have to answer to you, they only have to answer to God.
I've been thinking lately - Christians seem to have retreated to all-white suburbs.
I don't know where you get your ideas, jude. Are you saying that blacks are not Christians?
If Christian families can afford to live in peaceful suburbs, it is not because they are greedy, it is because they work hard and God has blessed them. Tell you what jude, when you become a successful attorney, why don't you move to downtown Compton California and and do your part to whiten up the neighborhood.
Sheesh.
BTW my "white suburb" is about 30% Hispanic and 10% to 15% black and about 10% Asian. It is fairly typical for a middle class "white" suburb in California. the fact of the matter is that the higher you go in home prices, the higher the percentage of Asians and Middle Easterners you see. As far as I know there are no more middle class white suburbs in California. None.
I've been to three of their shows, and they got better each time. The best performers of their era certainly, maybe ever.
I vote for "ever"! 2,500 years of Western Civilization and here come Freddie and the Dreamers! (You're talking about them, aren't you?)
LOL. No, of course I meant Herman's Hermits!
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