Posted on 11/06/2001 3:04:47 PM PST by Church Lady
Apologizing for Bible Truth?
A few weeks ago Jerry Falwell apologized for the comments he made while he was being interviewed by Pat Robertson. What did Jerry Falwell say that was so awful?
Based on the response he's received you would have thought that he blasphemed God, or denied the virgin birth, or burned the American flag publicly. After all, Pat Robertson, Cal Thomas, Rush Limbaugh, even President Bush vehemently condemned what he said. Whatever he said must have really been awful because he came out quickly and apologized. What did he say? He said that the sins and wickedness of people in our nation are causing God to remove His hand of protection from our nation. He specifically mentioned homosexuals, lesbians, feminists, abortion and a few other sins. This "horrible" statement brought the wrath of so-called "Christian" leaders, not to mention the White House, down upon him. That's it folks.
Since he has retracted his statement and apologized for it, I want to go on record today as saying, "The sins and wickedness of people in America are causing God to remove His hand of protection from our nation. Specifically, I believe several national sins such as the homosexual and lesbian lifestyle, the home wrecking, God-denying, feminist movement, the millions of abortions performed annually, as well as the compromising, worldly churches are causing God to remove His hand of protection from our nation."
I was taught to believe that righteousness exalts a nation and sin brings reproach to any nation. Therefore I do not expect to make any apologies for the statements I have just made.
If George Washington were alive today I don't think he would be apologizing for Jerry's statements. He once said, "Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens."
I don't think Thomas Jefferson would be apologizing. He once said, "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble For my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."
I wrote last month that our nation's political leaders are just a reflection of our nation's pulpits' leaders. Mr. Falwell's apology just proves my point. Politicians as a rule don't seem to have a backbone, but neither do most preachers.
Remember the words of Isaiah 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" We won't apologize for God's Truth and then expect God to bless America. Mr. Falwell, you had it right-you had no business apologizing.
Pastor Steven E. Mays - Trumpet Editor
I think your explanation would be better directed at those who are suggesting that these events came about as a direct result of God's anger with our wickedness as a nation.
Read the thread.
It will be obvious who they are.
Presumably they pray to find an answer. Sometimes, of course, the answer is "no".
No. That is NOT what he said and it isn't what he meant. He was telling us to look within so G-d would not look away. We have allowed an awful lot of wrong to be done in our name. THAT is what he meant. If you build a house of cards, it is only natural that it will soon fall. I don't think there is any indication whatever that either he, or I, am *blaming* G-d for anything. But I can see where HE might believe that G-d is just plainly disgusted with what we have done with all that we have been gifted with. Millions or so dead fetuses for starters.
OWK, you know it has been discussed on this forum many a time. Some of the more religious posters have wondered in print how long and how much it would take to piss the Lord off. Any cursory reading of the Bible tells you that the Lord ain't above getting ticked. It also says the Lord is quick to forgive. So whatever evil, there have always been adversaries, and we have always been tested. I am not about to stop believing now.
I was responding to another poster, not the article.
Try to keep up.
You might want to save that word for those to whom it actually applies. It will have more impact, then.
And to equate God-fearing Americans with the godless 'peaceniks' is wrongheaded on your part, in the extreme.
Why is the idea that God has protected America for lo these many years, and that He may possibly be partially withdrawing such support, (to the end that we might wake up to how much we are dependant on Him) such a threat to some?
Could it be that such a thought might force them to confront some of their worst fears?
Throughout the founding period of this republic, whenever hardship came upon the country, our leaders instinctively assumed the exact thing that Falwell is eviscerated for...and called upon Americans to pray, and fast, and above all, to repent.
In each and every case, Americans did as they were asked by their leaders, and God delivered the nation, often miraculously.
It is happening again, and many are heeding the call.
Many are not.
If you killed by the "light" or have your family partly destroyed by it, you won't be blessing it.
I believe like Jesus, if you pray for a fish, and you get a snake, it is not a blessing and not an answer to your prayer.
Hank
And when the Lord gets pissed (because we have too many homos and pagans in New York for example), he grabs the nearest airplane (which unfortunately happens to be loaded with innocent children) and smashes it into the World Trade Center.
Yup... that'll teach people for not driving out the homos and pagans.
Don't you people see anything WRONG with this thinking?
Does this sound like a just and loving God to you?
God didn't say he did this stuff.... PEOPLE SAID GOD DID THIS STUFF.
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his Father, in the womb of a virgin will be classified with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. --Thomas Jefferson
So, Jefferson didn't believe the virgin birth. How does that nullify the other quote?
Gosh.... I'm persuaded.
Please bear with me, I do not mean this as a sarcasm. If the prayer is for an "answer", I presume you mean to some question, as a request for an explanation or information. How can the answer to such a question be "no?"
Also, what is the question. For example, in light of 9/11, what would have been the question that would have brought it on?
Hank
Jefferson didn't believe in the divinity of Christ at all. Nor did he believe in anything resembling the God that most do. There are MANY examples of Jefferson's writings that run quite contrary to the quote posted.
My point was not to suggest that the posted quote was irrelevant. But rather to suggest that perhaps the author would have better chosen from a quote by John Adams.
I don't think Jefferson was exactly in the author's corner on things. I find it somewhat ironic that the author chose Jefferson.
My problem is with the implied one for one correspondennce. It is with the writer's absolute assurance that if America does well, things will go well; if it does badly, things will go badly — with the implied corrollary that if things are going poorly, then America must be doing poorly, and if things are going well, America must be doing well.
This is the same assumption that Job's friends brought to that situation, and they were wrong. (Besides, isn't that roughly the same line of argument the Clintonolaters used? "Impeach him? Look at the economy! He's a great president!")
Identify modern movements that are sinful as sinful? Amen, go to it.
State that sinful behavior brings bad consequences, sooner or later? Amen, do it.
Say that Event B was directly caused by God because of Behavior A? Without specific Biblical authority, I do have problems with that.
I don't see anyone saying G-d did it but you in your accusations against us, OWK. Not one, single, solitary post on this thread has accused G-d of anything. We all know that evil exists in this world. None of us would BLAME G-d for creating it, but without it, how would we know what is good? Get off this. There is enough fanatacism coming from without and within this country that those who are left with any common sense at all can find better things to do than argue who or WHAT is to blame for a psychopath named Osama,...or bill...or hill, or a myriad of other less gentlefolk. I was talking about a fallible human being and you have pushed this into an argument about G-d. I don't see it if you have to twist words to make the point you are making.
well said.
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