Friday, July 13, 2007

"Religion Is A Fringe Activity..."

For twelve years or more, I have been reading a Baptist "newsgroup" on Usenet, the original internet. Today, one of the resident atheists made a comment that, unfortunately, rings true and hits too close to home. She was responding to a post by the resident Baptist schizophrenic. Her simple statement was as follows:

Religion is a fringe activity even for the believer andit's just as well. Look
at Bush and Blair, the former was told by God to go to war, the latter will only
answere toGod!

I thought this quote was priceless. For most people, their "Christianity" really is a fringe activity. They go to the motions of church on Sunday, maybe go back on Sunday night or Wednesday night. They read their Bible just enough to get by on Sunday. They never witness to their neighbor. They never seriously invite anyone to church, then follow up with a card or letter or phone call or even another personal visit. Their "Christianity" is a fringe activity.

A fringe activity.

That explains how a preacher can lie to and mislead a congregation and feel no guilt. This explains how church staff members can shun and put-down others while feeling indifferent about it. This explains how Christians can defraud each other and feel no pain. This explains how Christian parents can set bad examples for their kids, then blame the kids when something goes wrong in their life. That idea also explains how a congregation can never witness, yet claim they know God told them to build a new building and, against scripture, go into debt to the tune of millions of dollars.

"A fringe activity."

No truer words were spoken.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Vision...Sixty Four Residences? Not In This Life!

The Vision, the Will of God...reaching lost people WHERE?


The FBCA web site proclaims that moving out of town and leaving the most strategic location in the entire county

"represents both the will of God and our best opportunity to reach lost people."


However, many members disagree. Many church members think moving out of town, moving AWAY from the most strategic location in the county is the antithesis of the will of God.

If you stand at the church, to the southeast of the church is downtown for a couple of blocks, followed by homes. To the northwest of the church is a few homes and farmland. If you stand at the church, to the east and northeast is another church and many, many homes. If you stand at the church, to the west and southwest is another church and many, many homes.

I went to the church. Then I drove west on Church Street only two blocks and counted the number of residences located within two blocks of the church in only one direction. There are approximately SIXTY-FOUR RESIDENCES within TWO BLOCKS of the church in only one direction.

SIXTY-FOUR RESIDENCES !!!

How many people do you think live in those SIXTY-FOUR RESIDENCES within TWO BLOCKS of the church in ONLY ONE DIRECTION ???

How many?


Let's say two people live in each of those sixty-four residences. Sixty-four front doors time two people each equal one-hundred twenty-eight people.


128 People live within two blocks of the church building.

That is allot of poeple. Last Sunday, how many people were at church? Were 160 people at church last Sunday? How about 170 people. Either way, 128 people within two blocks of the church is roughly two thirds of the regular attendees. If you reached those 128 people living within two blocks of the church and if they were "added to the church" in one year, that would be 300 people every Sunday, coming to worship and sing and pray and praise.

THREE HUNDRED PEOPLE on Sunday morning!

But rather than reach those 128 lost people who live within TWO BLOCKS of the church, somehow "God" has miraculously told "someone" that "His will" is to move that congregation AWAY from those sixty-four residences and go out in the country and let those 128 people rot in Hell, without even trying to reach them!

Jesus actually said his will was for you to be his witnesses first at home, within two blocks of the church, then out in the county, then in the surrounding counties, then further away.

Yes, we have softball for Jesus while the people who live within two blocks of the church are going to Hell.

And you are saying THAT is the will of God?

Seriously?