If a person can no longer defend what he thought was defensible, that’s cool, but it is an immoral act to take a living from an organization that you can no longer support.
>> the growing number of Americans who are atheist, agnostic, humanist or just plain disinterested in identifying with a religion.
I have to ask why individuals with this affliction would go to the trouble of listening to a sermon about it. Isn’t that identifying with a faith system?
No shock that an atheist would lie and steal from people who trusted him.
“helping clergy”.
Puke.
And they need to be shown the door.
This guy is a liberal’s dream. Since liberals tend to denigrate religion, they will love someone like him, who for whatever reason, has fallen away from faith.
He’s probably been doing this for years already, and CNN is just helping him with publicity.
There have been times when I've been bitterly let down by God but I know my life is worthless without Christ and I would rather kill myself than live without that belief because I already know how futile life is otherwise.
The only thing that keeps me going is the belief that, in some way, God has a plan and a reward for me. If that's not true, my life was already wasted.
“A little more than a year later, 270 members are contributing to the message boards and connecting anonymously with one another.”
Wow, 270 people on an online message board and CNN thinks it’s a story! Forums for flat earthers probably get more participants than that.
I am all for unbelieving clergyman “coming out” as long a they resign their positions and renounce membership in their church.
This is an anonymous, on-line forum where religious hucksters can exchange techniques in scamming parishioners. These are people who faked it from the beginning to gain power over the faithful and accumulate riches under a tax-exempt status. The clergy is riddled with sociopaths.
From the last paragraph of the article:
“When I was 17, I preached what I believed was best for people at the time; when I was 20, it was a little different; at 25 it was different, too,” he said. “And now at 42, I am still the same guy preaching what I see is best for people.”
“... what I believed was best for people ... I am still the same guy preaching what I see is best for people.” OK. So, what has changed? My guess is that the “gospel” he used to preach was not really the gospel. The truth of God’s word was just his rendition of what he saw as truth. This guy is so full of himself that there is no room for Anyone else.
p.s. What the devil (term used advisedly) was he doing preaching at 17? What possible good could come of that? (1 Timothy 3:6)
“...17, launching a 25-year career as a Pentecostal preacher.”
There is the beginning of the problem. He was too young to be given that responsibility, and most likely unprepared for it. His real problem is that he has never had a real job, one where he doesn’t live off of others. Let him earn a real living for awhile, and then tell me what he believes or doesn’t believe. At least then, he ill have earned my consideration.
This isn’t a suprise to me. Many ministers are most likely fakes. Jesus said (to those who worked in his name) that on the last day he will say, “Depart from Me; I did not know you.”
It doesn’t surprise me that CNN has a place in their news for this. For them, 277 people saying what they want to hear is an important story for them.
By the way, I’ve been a minister for 25 years. All true believers will have moments of doubt—but I’ve “cast my lot” with Christ. I will not deny what I believe through the scriptures.
He could be an Episcopalian Bishop.
Very sad..
Atheists just worship themselves as God!
When you run out of sheep to fleece...find a new flock.
(Am I a cynical so-and-so or what?)
A lot of preachers, especially in the deep South, were raised as preachers as a family business, a highly competitive business often wracked by cynicism and greed.
For them, they were showmen, who provided entertainment under the guise of religion. This was often the case, as life in the deep South, from reconstruction to about the 1960s, was impressively boring.
It has even been suggested that the only two entertainments available to many people were tent revivals and lynchings.
The rather crude comedian Sam Kinison was raised to be such a preacher, and just couldn’t stand it anymore, revolted by the entire enterprise. Faith had nothing to do with it.
So I am not particularly surprised that there are those of that type who are atheists. They have rejected what they do as being to benefit others, and is just a profit making scheme.
Most that I know didn't start that way, but when you've built a "career", it's tough to walk away and start again.
I have had some of these same pastors and clergy come to me asking for help, stating “I am afraid I threw the baby out with the bath water when I abandoned my religion!” I guide them back to the path.
Remember Saul who became Paul. Sometimes it is your greatest critics who become your greatest evangelists!