Losing My Religion

Sonoma County Independent ^ | April 2-8, 1998 | David Templeton

[irishtenor]

Would "I wet my pants for Jesus" be considered a good tagline?

[drstevej]

***Would "I wet my pants for Jesus" be considered a good tagline?***


Depends.


Batta-boom.

[P-Marlowe]

A man is known by his friends.

Here's some stuff from a site friendly to Telmpleton but unfriendly to Calvary Chapel. What does this tell you?

Chapel of the Skull (a.k.a. Calvary Chapel): A Ministry of Lying Spirits? A very little known fact is that Calvary is from the Latin Calvaria, meaning skull).

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When finished, this page will contain links and other pertinent information concerning Calvary Chapel Christian Ministries and their deceptive and bitter campaign against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the course of the last few years, it has been remarked that CCCM has begun actively persuing filing lawsuits against people who put CCCM in a bad light and tarnish their open public image (quite similarly to the Church of Scientology but see Disclaimers below).

Indeed, there are a good number of persons who are affiliated with Calvary Chapel who are very good Christian people (one of my cousins and his wife among them). Unfortunately, in my many years experience with others of this group, together with recent "encounters" with some of the leadership and others of CCCM, there is a dark and relatively unknown intentional campaign of deception and misinformation at the roots of this organization. Some are under control of lying spirits.

Again, there are a great many Pastors and adherents of Calvary Chapel who are good, honest people, but there are also many who are actively involved in deceit of their flocks, spreading misinformation and fear amongst those who would seriously investigate the LDS faith by repeated showings of the Godmakers films (many Calvary Chapel bookstores make these readily available for rent), spreading of stories about Mormons without checking out their validity, presenting the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the worst possible light, etc.When the pages are finished, we believe the open-minded reader will see this for him/herself.

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David Templeton, Losing My Religion

Anonymous, I've Discovered a Whole, Big World Outside Those Doors

Cult Research Website Visitor Stories about the cultic nature of Calvary Chapel

More to come...

[lockeliberty]

After I read this piece I came to understand why you have a propensity to test other Christians with your emotional experientialist litmus tests. It appears to me that this guy finally just OD on his own emotions.

[Gamecock]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day....

[P-Marlowe]

After I read this piece I came to understand why you have a propensity to test other Christians with your emotional experientialist litmus tests.

Such as?

[irishtenor]

"GROAN"

[GirlShortstop]

**Would "I wet my pants for Jesus" be considered a good tagline?***

Depends.

Batta-boom.

ROTFLOL!!!

[Alex Murphy]

Do new Calvary Chapels pay a "franchise" fee to Chuck Smith's church?

Can't speak for CC, but IIRC Chuck Wimber's "Vineyard Christian Fellowships" did in fact operate as franchises.

[lockeliberty]

In this new enlightened age of freeperdom we no longer bring up old posts. "We just love each other, baby!"

[drstevej]

Ah, Chuck Wimber. Reminds me of a parody I wrote long ago...


"Walking in a Wimber Wonder Land"

[Gamecock]

Go ahead. We'll let the mod decide.

[irishtenor]

Nah, wouldn't be prudent :>)

[Bismark]

Have you been to the Calvary Chapel website? It would help answer some of your questions.

http://www.calvarychapel.org/

[Gamecock]

If they were a little bit off center, would they admit it. That's why I am asking for first hand accounts.

[HarleyD]

I agree with Dr. Steve. This is a hit piece.

There are numerous examples in this article which indicates he never knew our Lord Jesus. His "...endless hours of therapy--to shed the anger, guilt, and self-hatred that I inherited..." suggest there were other problems in this person's life besides Calvery Chapel.

"They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us." 1 John 2:19

"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made paratakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance." Hebrews 6:4-6

[aikido7]

Maybe the "other problems in his life" came from a broken spirit.

In my opinion, the article merely points out our fantasizations of Jesus writ large. It is interesting how most believers use the incident with the money-changers in the temple as Jesus acting against someone ELSE's "religion."

Doubt is a necessary component of faith; without it, we can become fanatics. As Jesus' parables attest to, it is a very popular error to have the courage of one's convictions; rather, we should have the courage to ATTACK one's own convictions.

[fishtank]

"that he contact Bishop Gene Robinson for a recommendation."

That's "Bishop Vickie".

[fishtank]

One piece of truth is here in the article:

"THERE IS A TENDENCY among New Age, born-again Christian groups to promise people that if they dedicate themselves to Jesus, their lives will suddenly be better," comments therapist Francis Dreher. The director of the Institute for Educational Therapy in El Cerrito, Dreher is an experienced marriage, family, and children counselor, with a distinguished track record working with former fundamentalists. In these churches you often end up placing your whole life and belief on this one single idea," he further explains, "the idea that you will receive redemption here on Earth, along with all the love and the sense of family that you desire, simply by focusing on Jesus. When that doesn't happen, people can tend to sink into serious depression."

As a corollary to this: I know a former pastor who was on his way to being one of the 'superstars' of modern Christianity. He has fallen into an affair, and he has rationalized it by saying that since God wants him to be happy, therefore this affair is a good thing.

[Bismark]

If they were a little bit off center, would they admit it. That's why I am asking for first hand accounts

I'm sure that almost any church would consider other churches to be at least a little "off center." I go to Calvary in Apex, NC. and consider it a very good bible teaching church. I was going to a Baptist church before this and don't think that any of the major doctrines of Calvary would be too different from their views. Calvary does use the "strong pastor" type of church government which is different than the normal Baptist type of elder-control.