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Interesting Blog

 
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Plague
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:09 pm    Post subject: Interesting Blog Reply with quote

One of the guys from whempys is doing a blog.... For those of you that ever came to Whempys, he was guy that ran the tourneys.

I read it an found it to be a very interesting view point, I am going to follow it. I think some of you might find it interesting, if not I understand.

http://christianfearinggodman.blogspot.com/
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Grand Master Sef
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

meh...seems like a moron to me but whatever
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Admiral Trell
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have been reading this blog for a while now.... it is very well written and insightful. Vox isn't afraid to step on toes, but he does so with wit instead of seeing how many times he can curse in one sentence. If you're interested, he is an author, economist, and he is very libertarian. The second link is to a post he made that sums up my feelings on the course of world events of late, much better than I could ever write.

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Ravage
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 11:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I may follow that, Jared. I read what he had posted, and though I obviously have some differences of opinion with him, he does speak to something I've thought ever since MVNC - that our modern day concept of "the church" is inherently flawed, and possibly even counter-productive (in many cases I've seen, counter-spiritual).

Not that he said THAT verbatim, but he seems to have a similar thought process.
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Grand Master Sef
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

call me dumb but i guess i don't see where he's calling "our modern day concept of "the church" is inherently flawed, and possibly even counter-productive" when he's simply saying that the "GOD HATES FAGS.COM" church isn't actually a branch of Christianity, but stupidity. he makes fun of people who call themselves Christians by saying non-Christ-like things about them. thats generally known as a hypocrite. i think both parties need to seek out God to change themselves.

here is my view of the "the church". it has two meanings, at least from the point of view of the Bible. 1: the church universal meaning, that every Christian ever is the body of Christ and is known as "the church" 2: the local congregations throughout the world are also known as "the church"

i'm fascinated to know whatever your view is Damin. perhaps i already know it and just can't think of it off the top of my head BUT any discussion on church gives me pause when i hear it from people that don't actually go to church regularly. maybe most of you guys do and that would be great but i'm pretty sure that you don't. i just feel that you should...we all should. i feel that we can't call ourselves Christians and not go to a church to be strengthened. you can be jaded at "the church" universal or any local congregation that you want. i know im jaded toward them both at times. however, thats no excuse. we can only change ourselves and whatever local congregation we participate in. its our job as a Christian to search out a local "the church" where the Holy Spirit can fill us up and allow us to work through to help the community and help people know Christ. thats it.

that was a bit of a soap box i admit but its something that bothers me about people who profess themselves as Christians but don't participate in a local "the church"
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Admiral Trell
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ravage wrote:
.... something I've thought ever since MVNC - that our modern day concept of "the church" is inherently flawed, and possibly even counter-productive (in many cases I've seen, counter-spiritual).


Damin, I would agree that in a lot of cases, yes, you are right. Most of the old denominations, and their institutions, have allowed "church" and "Christianity" to become a cultural set of do's and don'ts, and is almost worthless for reaching the lost. That being said, there are also a lot of churches that DO get it right, and are being effective. I can say for a fact that my pastor and Adam's do try their best to make their churches about the Great Commission and not a "thing they do on Sunday." One of the best things I have ever gotten plugged into is our small groups.... I think I've grown more from these in the past few years than I have in a lifetime of Sunday AM activities.

Adam, you are also correct. Gotta be plugged in! If anyone needs a church in your area, please let me help you find one.
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Ravage
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't mean to offend by what I said, and I'm certainly not implying that Churches (as organizations) and clergy aren't doing God's work. I've seen many very good ones myself, but I'm a pretty harsh critic of churches, hence my lack of participation these days.

The Church, as Adam said, is the body of believers. I truly feel that our cultural ideas of church as a building/set of moral guidelines/rulebook/community center/think tank has very little to do with actual Biblical principles, and the idea of the Body of Christ that came to pass in the New Testament. That's not to say our modern churches are bad, or that them acting as a moral compass isn't a good thing, but I think too many denominations (meaning ALL of them, Catholocism included) take a very authoritarian viewpoint on faith.

In my mind, The Church is best represented by portraying a Christlike image in your day to day life. I'm certainly not saying I'm a pinnacle of development in this area, but I feel like the entire social construct of the church as we know it today may sometimes do more harm than good. We, as Christians are AFRAID of separating from the notion of that one hour a week worship service. A great example of how I feel actually comes back to the Tea Party, where we feel that government shouldn't be so centralized, and that the people hold the power. Faith is the same...why do we let certain individuals and social circles hold so much power over how our faith is interpreted? The Nazarene Church tells me that dancing is evil (well...up until recently, I guess), and they can screw right off. It's up to me to make that determination for myself.

Now I'm not saying faith is entirely subjective, either. I do believe in wrong and right, but there are VERY few things in the Bible that clearly outline right and wrong for the individual. In fact, most of the New Testament (again, the way I read it) encourages us to use our gifts of wisdom and discernment in finding our own way to God. I believe we will be judged based on our relationship with God, and that our relationship is based upon our understanding...and I would much rather form my own understanding than be "taught" how to understand.

A caveat - I actually like small groups. I feel in very small groups, Bible studies and the like can be not only enlightening, but fun. Faith is an experience to be shared, not a lesson to be taught, and this is best accomplished in small groups.

I'll be the first to admit that my distaste of the organized churches stems largely from being forced to attend SO MUCH over my life, all the way through college. That taught me, however, that I needed to search for what seems right myself, and I have. I used to pot around here and there, going to different churches to find a "home", but they all had the same underlying problem...I never felt The Spirit move. It's a hard thing to put into words, really, but that's the problem. I feel God more powerfully when I'm saying a silent prayer driving home from work than I do attending 100 worship services. As such, I feel the organized churches may actually be counter-productive to many people's journey of faith.

Now as a much more minor point, I am on the fence towards your opinion of this particular blogger as "not Christ-like". He's mean-spirited, perhaps, and crass by social standards, but I saw nowhere in his blog anything that I would consider blasphemous. There are some things I consider disagreeable, but if I don't find things to disagree with on a topic as INCREDIBLY complex as my own faith versus someone else's, then I'm not paying nearly enough attention. You have every right to be offended by his blog, Adam, and I wouldn't fault you for it...some things, I feel, he's misled on and needs to develop a better understanding of, but so do we all. I just REALLY enjoy the dissenting voice to the pop-culture church. Also, how do we have the capability to determine if something is "Christ-like" or not? Is it even a valid term, or just something created to help bring us in line?

Well, there's Damin's thought of the day to chew on. I welcome your input.
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Grand Master Sef
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i only have a few rebuttals.

Ravage wrote:
I don't mean to offend by what I said, and I'm certainly not implying that Churches (as organizations) and clergy aren't doing God's work. I've seen many very good ones myself, but I'm a pretty harsh critic of churches, hence my lack of participation these days.


i wasn't offended at all. i just thought i'd share my opinion on the subject. funny enough, my pastor, Greg (the brother of Troy, Daniels pastor, my old pastor who married Ry & I) spoke about this last week and it was really good.

Ravage wrote:
That's not to say our modern churches are bad, or that them acting as a moral compass isn't a good thing, but I think too many denominations (meaning ALL of them, Catholocism included) take a very authoritarian viewpoint on faith...


i happen to feel that ALL denominations are pretty bad. the issue is that they are too big to control. this is why i've never become a member of any church since becoming a Christian. i've attended, Grace Brethren, Nazarene and Methodist though. All have great things to offer but none can control EVERY church. so do i just not attend church? no. i search one out that works for me and where i am on my journey with Christ. i'm not even sure how much i'd enjoy Troy's church anymore but Greg's is awesome. his style of preaching connects with me. its more like him sharing what he's been researching and discovering in his own journey recently. there is no speaking at but sharing with. i'd recommend trying our church for 3 or 4 weeks (or longer) to see if you like it. im consistently blessed there and have had plenty of opportunity to reach out and help the Powel community.

Ravage wrote:
A caveat - I actually like small groups. I feel in very small groups, Bible studies and the like can be not only enlightening, but fun. Faith is an experience to be shared, not a lesson to be taught, and this is best accomplished in small groups.


i love our small group. i've been in 3 or 4 of them over the years and have learned so much through that. its an awesome way to meet people and a great way to grow. my current one meets every other thursday night.

Ravage wrote:
Now as a much more minor point, I am on the fence towards your opinion of this particular blogger as "not Christ-like". He's mean-spirited, perhaps, and crass by social standards, but I saw nowhere in his blog anything that I would consider blasphemous. There are some things I consider disagreeable, but if I don't find things to disagree with on a topic as INCREDIBLY complex as my own faith versus someone else's, then I'm not paying nearly enough attention. You have every right to be offended by his blog, Adam, and I wouldn't fault you for it...some things, I feel, he's misled on and needs to develop a better understanding of, but so do we all. I just REALLY enjoy the dissenting voice to the pop-culture church. Also, how do we have the capability to determine if something is "Christ-like" or not? Is it even a valid term, or just something created to help bring us in line?


again, i wasn't offended by you or him. i don't get offended by much really. i was just explaining how it seems hypocritical to me to call the "GOD HATES FAGS" church people a bunch of vulgar names while pretending to be a man of God...if he even is. i don't like his views so i don't have to read his blog and i won't. i was more curious on your view points. we've talked and i'm glad we did. i miss discussions like this (like we use to have in college) as the people i hang out with all day at work are...lacking in the mental discussion department Rolling Eyes
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Dana
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Next time our old youth pastor from Cardington (Eric Wright) is in town, we should all get together and talk about this very thing. Eric just planted his own church in Dayton (he planted one in KC after leaving seminary). Eric takes a much different approach to church than the norm. I think he feels similarly about most denominations these days as we do, but he is MUCH better at putting it into words than I am.
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commandertracker
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dana wrote:
Next time our old youth pastor from Cardington (Eric Wright) is in town, we should all get together and talk about this very thing. Eric just planted his own church in Dayton (he planted one in KC after leaving seminary). Eric takes a much different approach to church than the norm. I think he feels similarly about most denominations these days as we do, but he is MUCH better at putting it into words than I am.


Seeing as how I'm in Dayton, what church is this? Not that I'm planning on leaving mine any time ever, but I'm curious anyway.
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commandertracker
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

////edit for spelling errors
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Last edited by commandertracker on Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Admiral Trell
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dayton Crossroads Vineyard Church
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Grand Master Sef
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Newstart Community Church
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commandertracker
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

commandertracker wrote:
////edit for spelling errors


Well, I had a big wall-o-text post here, but apparently when I edited it I accidentally the whole post. Nice.
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