Posted on 11/12/2010 10:13:27 PM PST by hiho hiho
On 18 October 2010, Southern California's landmark Crystal Cathedral, the prototype of all late 20th Century American Megachurches, filed for bankruptcy. I drove up the following Sunday to get a look at the place while it was still in operation.
The Crystal Cathedral proper, a spectacular glass structure designed by Philip Johnson and completed in 1980, dominates a landscaped campus that includes the congregation's original church building, designed by Richard Neutra, Richard Meier's "Welcoming Center", and a variety of other buildings, reflecting pools and religiously themed statuary. A German tourist prevailed on me to take a picture of him and his wife posing in a larger-than-life tableau of Jesus as Good Shepherd.
The campus and decor are the culmination of a high-church revival in American Protestantism that began in the 19th century. It was then that evangelical Christians, who had traditionally assembled in meeting houses and preaching halls, constructed faux-Gothic edifices, dressed their preachers in gowns, and "beautified" their services, exchanging tedium for vulgarity. By the mid-20th century, they had appropriated all the "potent symbols of cinema secularism" theologian Reinhold Niebuhr described in his rendition of an evangelical Easter service conducted, as was not uncommon, in a movie theatre:
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I thought religion was a window into heaven, into another world of power, glory and intensity, to the contemplation of divine beauty. When I got religion, I never imagined this flat, dull evangelicalism.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
KURT VONNEGUT JAILBIRD BY THE SAME AUTHOR PLAYER PIANO THE SIRENSApr 7, 2010 ... What is more protean than adultery? Nothing in this world. "I am thinking of going on a ...... Love as Always, Kurt: Vonnegut as I Knew Him ... www.docstoc.com/.../KURT-VONNEGUT-JAILBIRD-BY-THE-SAME-AUTHOR-PLAYER-PIANO-THE-SIRENS - Cached
I have found that the truth of Gods Grace today is sorely only understood by so few; and mega churches like this one preached many incorrect doctrines which we’re not accurate from the Bible doctrine given to the apostle Paul. I only attend after fully reading their statement of faith; and I have visited on-line many mega-church web sites to review their statement of faith and then follow the writings of these often false teachers. First point: 1 Timothy 2:12-13 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Men should be teachers, not women. Churches that promote women as teachers have brought in deceiving spirits of false doctrines. If you do not believe me, then check out the scriptures in Romans through Philemon: these are the doctrines and scriptures for the church today. 1 Timothy 4 reads: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron... The apostle Paul through Christ, speaks volumes of truth here to Timothy and us today. Let us learn from Paul and Christ, not doctrines of devils which are so often taught at these mega-churches, simply to raise money and self fame; and not to preach Christ and His correct doctrines rightly. Avoid such teachers. Note The reference to smaller churches above which have only a few believers is indicative that only a few people inside my community would come to the knowledge of correct Bible doctrine and believe it from the Bible alone and not man’s tradition and/or additions to the Bible (as is common in so many large churches, like mega-churches and Roman Catholic churches). I have found that true Bible doctrine is rarely found in large population of membership... but God’s Word has been deposited and understood correctly and Biblically by the unknowns of the world; and certainly small in numerical numbers: thus I only attend small churches with few believers.
I didn’t go to the link but just did when you mention Pastor Rick - SO hoping you didn’t mean Rick Warren.
But you did. An another one that so many got suckered into. Strange he built so close to the CC.
Are we being spotlighted? It certainly seems so. A google search of “protean” returned, for its FIRST HIT, just now:
Crystal Cathedral had its day20 posts - 11 authors - Last post: 4 minutes ago
I recall a line from one of Vonnegut’s later novels - “What is more Protean than adultery. Nothing.” Maybe spirituality is more Protean than ...
www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2626526/posts?page=18
I think now that you asked he is still affiliated somehow! I remember interview with larry king. If you want go to You Tube type His name and larry king. It will come up with video’s. His answer for not talking about hell or repentance is strange.
When a religious scheme is shattered (as Christianity was shattered at the Reformation), it is not merely the vices that are let loose. The vices are, indeed, let loose, and they wander and do damage. But the virtues are let loose also; and the virtues wander more wildly, and the virtues do more terrible damage.
The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity (I am sorry to say) is often untruthful
- "Orthodoxy"
I read about how Warren’s book was used by many churches (as a study) throughout the country. The pastors of these churches lacked wisdom and discernment and allowed deception to enter in.
If orange county were to legalize gambling and want to open a casino, I think they have a head start.
They veered about from God’s Word or never knew God’s Word.
It’s not complicated. Those churches are all about ‘man’.
God’s Church is ALL about JESUS! And His Body of Believers go to HIM for everything. Never man.
Totally agree! Evil always wants to be associated with good. That’s why they want to pro-claim they are Christians.
Yet, they don’t know the ‘good news’, the Gospel.
Christians follow Christ, not man.
Fashion dominates the world of evangelical Christianity and its therapeutic penumbra. The Crystal Cathedral, that glitzy architectural marvel, has become a 1980s nostalgia item. Now Rick Warren is the anointed leader of America's "People of Faith" and, for the time being, Orange county crowds are flocking to Saddleback's dull preaching halls
Well, that seems like some kind of a blog thing they’ve got going, weighted by most recent time. I guess “protean” ha ha! isn’t mentioned that often.
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