Comments on: The Church is full of Hypocrites http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/ Thoughts on faith and culture from the community of NewLife Christian Fellowship, Glastonbury, CT Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:05:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: James http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-3487 James Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:20:58 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-3487 You know, as a former Christian, I have to say that the conclusions reached in this article are actually very accurate. Whether or not being driven away from religion is a good thing or not is a completely different matter that I won't discuss, but seeing people manipulate religion to take advantage of others, and others who live in lavish luxury, in direct contradiction of their claimed beliefs does a lot to hurt a person's belief in the credibility of religion. You know, as a former Christian, I have to say that the conclusions reached in this article are actually very accurate. Whether or not being driven away from religion is a good thing or not is a completely different matter that I won’t discuss, but seeing people manipulate religion to take advantage of others, and others who live in lavish luxury, in direct contradiction of their claimed beliefs does a lot to hurt a person’s belief in the credibility of religion.

]]> By: Donna http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-3051 Donna Sat, 22 Sep 2007 02:22:30 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-3051 I was going to a church with my mom ,sis and brother to make a long story short. We had 4 preachers and the head preachers wife all ran this church my mom was married to one of the preachers, my mom got lung cancer and 1 month before she died her husband was already trying to find him another woman, he also became violant, we had to remove my mother from the home, then infront of my sister he prayed that my mom would did. another one of preachers left town he was a man of god. The main preacher had bee making passes at my brothers wife he even tried to kiss her. The other preacher was caught kissing the head preachers daughter he and his wife split up. And the main preachers wife was forever getting in the middle of my brother and his wife's problems and creating more now there getting divorced..i dont go to church anymore mainly because i cant trust... I am so tired of church people hurting my family. Ive had the hardest year of my life. I dont know when its going to end. I was going to a church with my mom ,sis and brother to make a long story short. We had 4 preachers and the head preachers wife all ran this church my mom was married to one of the preachers, my mom got lung cancer and 1 month before she died her husband was already trying to find him another woman, he also became violant, we had to remove my mother from the home, then infront of my sister he prayed that my mom would did. another one of preachers left town he was a man of god. The main preacher had bee making passes at my brothers wife he even tried to kiss her. The other preacher was caught kissing the head preachers daughter he and his wife split up. And the main preachers wife was forever getting in the middle of my brother and his wife’s problems and creating more now there getting divorced..i dont go to church anymore mainly because i cant trust… I am so tired of church people hurting my family. Ive had the hardest year of my life. I dont know when its going to end.

]]> By: A seeker http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-2835 A seeker Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:40:18 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-2835 There is another word for pretending to have it all together-to present a version of yourself to the world that is not who you really are. That word is idolatry. Setting up an image in your own mind of who you think you should be, and then living to fullfil that image, is to worship that image above God Himself. What to do? Embrace the person you really are, the person God created. To do that is to humbly accept that you are created in God's image, that you are unique and can never be compared to another person; this truth will set you free from the bondage of worshipping your own image of who you think you should be. God is looking for broken people through whom His Spirt can flow, not people who can do it all on their own strength! God actually opposes us when we are walking in our own strength, for He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. There is another word for pretending to have it all together-to present a version of yourself to the world that is not who you really are. That word is idolatry. Setting up an image in your own mind of who you think you should be, and then living to fullfil that image, is to worship that image above God Himself. What to do? Embrace the person you really are, the person God created. To do that is to humbly accept that you are created in God’s image, that you are unique and can never be compared to another person; this truth will set you free from the bondage of worshipping your own image of who you think you should be. God is looking for broken people through whom His Spirt can flow, not people who can do it all on their own strength! God actually opposes us when we are walking in our own strength, for He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

]]> By: Eric Stillman http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-1733 Eric Stillman Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:57:53 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-1733 rob - thanks for the good words rob – thanks for the good words

]]> By: Rob http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-1722 Rob Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:42:48 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-1722 keep challenging us mate! keep challenging us mate!

]]> By: Rob http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-1721 Rob Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:41:32 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-1721 I just came from a reading an equally challenging blog from a friend of mine who wrote pretty much along the same lines... it really gives our God a bad reputation!! As I'm writing this I'm listening to a song called "Way of the World" by a group called MaxQ (an experimental late 80's band headed by Michael Hutchence from INXS). The chorus goes like this: Whether it's God or the bomb it's just the same it's only fear under another name... It's not a failing of God giving Himself a "bad image", it's a failing of His followers who misrepresent Him. Do we portray Him as a redeemer? Is not Grace a wide, warm, embracing welcome? No, I confess, sometimes my embrace is not wide and warm and welcoming. Sometimes I am hypocritic! I just came from a reading an equally challenging blog from a friend of mine who wrote pretty much along the same lines… it really gives our God a bad reputation!! As I’m writing this I’m listening to a song called “Way of the World” by a group called MaxQ (an experimental late 80’s band headed by Michael Hutchence from INXS). The chorus goes like this:

Whether it’s God or the bomb
it’s just the same
it’s only fear under another name…

It’s not a failing of God giving Himself a “bad image”, it’s a failing of His followers who misrepresent Him. Do we portray Him as a redeemer? Is not Grace a wide, warm, embracing welcome?

No, I confess, sometimes my embrace is not wide and warm and welcoming. Sometimes I am hypocritic!

]]> By: Eric Stillman http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-1194 Eric Stillman Sat, 28 Jul 2007 12:43:21 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-1194 Thanks Mat & Gordon. Those of us who have been in the church awhile know that the failings of church leaders doesn't mean God has failed, and the hypocrisy of man doesn't mean God is a hypocrite. But unfortunately your average person judges Christianity by the Christian, not by what the Bible says about God, and that's why hypocrisy is so damaging. Thanks Mat & Gordon. Those of us who have been in the church awhile know that the failings of church leaders doesn’t mean God has failed, and the hypocrisy of man doesn’t mean God is a hypocrite. But unfortunately your average person judges Christianity by the Christian, not by what the Bible says about God, and that’s why hypocrisy is so damaging.

]]> By: Gordon Lawrence http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-1161 Gordon Lawrence Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:39:51 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-1161 I agree with Matt, I read the entire story from the reporter, and it makes me very sad. However, many of us as we grow older have many similar personal stories to tell, of what we have personally seen go on in the church. Some of us do survive the church. What is paricularly disturbing me however, is that having personnally seen what goes on in the church, to still see similar pharisaical attitudes in myself. Satan has a go at us all. We all need to pray that we may see the moat in our own eyes, and be able to see what Jesus is saying when we read the scriptures. It seems to be so ease to see what we want to see, and filter out what we think Jesus could not have said. The church is full of hypocirites, and we are one of them. We need to be very humble about the visible church. Gordon I agree with Matt, I read the entire story from the reporter, and it makes me very sad. However, many of us as we grow older have many similar personal stories to tell, of what we have personally seen go on in the church. Some of us do survive the church. What is paricularly disturbing me however, is that having personnally seen what goes on in the church, to still see similar pharisaical attitudes in myself. Satan has a go at us all. We all need to pray that we may see the moat in our own eyes, and be able to see what Jesus is saying when we read the scriptures. It seems to be so ease to see what we want to see, and filter out what we think Jesus could not have said.
The church is full of hypocirites, and we are one of them. We need to be very humble about the visible church.
Gordon

]]> By: Mat http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/comment-page-1/#comment-1146 Mat Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:00:46 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/07/24/the-church-is-full-of-hypocrites/#comment-1146 it's sad reading about the reporter. He needs our prayers. I'm reminded of the exasperated and befuddled disciples who didn't follow others in leaving Jesus, offering their own creed as recorded by John's gospel, "[but] to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life." it’s sad reading about the reporter. He needs our prayers. I’m reminded of the exasperated and befuddled disciples who didn’t follow others in leaving Jesus, offering their own creed as recorded by John’s gospel, “[but] to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life.”

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