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Can an atheist lead a Protestant church? A battle over religion in Canada.
Washington Post ^ | September 29, 2016 | Alan Freeman

Posted on 09/30/2016 4:00:54 AM PDT by C19fan

The Rev. Gretta Vosper is a dynamic, activist minister with a loyal following at her Protestant congregation in suburban Toronto. She is also an outspoken atheist. “We don’t talk about God,” Vosper said in an interview, describing services at her West Hill United Church, adding that it’s time the church gave up on “the idolatry of a theistic god.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: atheist; protestant
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To: CrazyIvan
The Catholic Church--- even under Pope Francis --- doesn't have rejectors of the Nicene Creed, women pastors, lesbian or gay marriages, atheists or abortion-enthusiasts at the pulpit, "teachers" who call theism idolatry, open deniers of the authority of Scripture or the deity of Christ, etc.

But other than that, yeah.

61 posted on 09/30/2016 6:44:41 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Unless I am mistaken, I'm infallible.)
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To: Campion
The Unitarians were originally Massachusetts Puritan Calvinists

Never mind THAT. I was born in 1950. I was placed in the cradle roll of a Congregational Church when I was three. I attended Sunday School, without fail, every Sunday from 1956 (when I received my first Bible) until 1965.

My church conformed to the Synod of Dort, had a liturgy which included the Gloria Patri and the Old Hundredth, taught Calvinism (more or less), and brought children up to know Jesus Loves Me and Lord I Want to Be a Christian, taught the virgin birth and the resurrection of the body, and taught substitutionary atonement. Of course, it conformed to standard NW European Protestant understanding of Holy Communion as a symbolic practice.

My church joined the "United Church of Christ" in 1959, and, of course, it goes without saying that all vestiges of Christianity have now been purged from that apostate and heretical sect, which is rapidly vanishing and will not exist in 50 years.

So, there are more recent examples to make your point than the devolution of Puritans into Unitarianism.

62 posted on 09/30/2016 6:57:55 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Rise)
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To: ZULU

50:50?

It might have been closer to that when the culture still made blatantly not being Christian to occasionally carry a price in society.

Right now we’re more towards the “7000 who haven’t bent the knee to Ba’al” category than 50:50.


63 posted on 09/30/2016 7:05:32 AM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: Jim Noble

Fella I used to work with had previously been with a group that presented plays based on Scripture. He was always having to tell folks that their group was NOT associated with the UCC in any way.


64 posted on 09/30/2016 7:09:24 AM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: C19fan
Can an atheist lead a Protestant church?

The title is a bit of a misnomer...First off this group is not a Protestant group...But by calling it Protestant attached with the word 'church', the public will be inclined to believe it is a Christian church...And it's no such thing...

Had there ever been any Christians there after they allowed a woman to stand at the pulpit, the last one would have left when this woman came out of the atheistic closet...

If in the end, if the church declares her unsuitable to continue as a minister, Vosper indicated that she’ll leave the United Church — and she thinks many of her congregants will come along.

The Mother church is just as guilty by allowing this social group of atheists to continue for one minute to be associated with it...

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

65 posted on 09/30/2016 7:17:06 AM PDT by Iscool
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To: RoosterRedux

I went to their website and spent a little time reading. Oh my, they’re about as far from Christianity as you can get.


66 posted on 09/30/2016 7:19:27 AM PDT by Kharis13 (That noise you hear is our Founding Fathers spinning in their graves.)
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To: C19fan
Can an atheist lead a Protestant church?

SURE!!


Zechariah 11:16
For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.

67 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:28 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: RoosterRedux

Ask the UU folks.
They know.


68 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:28 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Jim Noble
Protestant reasoning leads (or, can lead) to some unusual places.

Amen; Brother!!




69 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:28 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ZULU
My ex-church just appointed a fag minister.

Did you stand up in the congregation and protest before you left?

70 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:29 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ZULU
My ex-church just appointed a fag minister.

A BIBLICAL Message to LGBT folks EVERYWHERE!



 
Genesis 13:13
Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and
their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men
from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them
."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.


Leviticus niv

18:22 Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

20:13 If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

 
 


Psalms 12:8 The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Doonesbury Cartoon for Feb/08/2013

Isaiah 3:9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

2 Peter 2:13b Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.


Ezekiel 16:49-50
49. "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.


Romans 1     New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
 
 18 The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; 21 for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.
 

24 Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. 29 They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite. 


2 Peter 2

1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
5. if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
6. if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
7. and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
8. (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
9. if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
10. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
11. yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
12. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
13. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.
Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.



But there IS hope!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.


If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 


The Health Risks of gay sex.

71 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:29 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: txrefugee
Can Satan lead a “church”? Yes, and many so-called “Christian” churches are being led by Satan to go against the teachings of the Bible...


Revelation 2:20 NIV
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.


I've heard that this was a Catholic church from some FReepers.

72 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:30 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Campion
If the best you can do is to try to deflect the blame on Rome, you're just fooling yourself.

Oh?Wasn't ROME a bit; shall we say; off the rails at one time?

Did this fact not cause the rise of PROTESTANTISM?

73 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:30 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Campion
If the best you can do is to try to deflect the blame on Rome...

Yet poor ol' Denmark is invoked!

74 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:30 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: HarleyD; xzins
Why not a Muslim or a Jew leading a Christian service? Better yet can a Christian pastor lead a Hindu service?

Well; chaplains in the services...

75 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:30 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ZULU
I hope God hasn’t abandoned America

HMMMmmm...





Are you still killing your unborn?

-- GOD


 

76 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:30 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: txrefugee

In every book in the New Testament, there are warnings of false doctrine and false teaching. Some of them are generic while others are specific (mention names). Some were mentioned by the Apostles while others were discussed by Jesus Himself.

This ‘church’ and ‘pastor’ are testimony to when those warnings of false doctrine/teaching go unheeded for decades and decades.


77 posted on 09/30/2016 7:26:40 AM PDT by TMA62 (Al Sharpton - The North Korea of race relations)
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To: Elsie

Yep. Bad news.


78 posted on 09/30/2016 7:29:40 AM PDT by ZULU (Where the HELL ARE PAUL RYAN AND MITCH MCCONNELL ?????)
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To: Elsie

No. Just left.


79 posted on 09/30/2016 7:30:36 AM PDT by ZULU (Where the HELL ARE PAUL RYAN AND MITCH MCCONNELL ?????)
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To: C19fan

False prophets have a terrible judgement awaiting.


80 posted on 09/30/2016 7:31:04 AM PDT by Uncle Sam 911
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