What Hagee says is fairly common in the minds of most pastors.
I hope you're mistaken. I don't think it's common for a pastor of one Christian denomination to inveigh against another Christian denomination as 'Satanic', or to label the spiritual leader of that denomination the 'anti-Christ'.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2605 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Originally posted by Jack White: I hope you're mistaken. I don't think it's common for a pastor of one Christian denomination to inveigh against another Christian denomination as 'Satanic', or to label the spiritual leader of that denomination the 'anti-Christ'.
Sure it is, Jack. It's common for a pastor, Rabbi, Imam, etc. to tell the congregation/followers that their way is the only way. All other roads lead to hell. That is how they get people to stay within that church. I'm sure you know this happens.
I think it is going too far to label others as satanic. However, it is not really all that inconsistent with what goes in in most churches. Is calling another church satanic really all that different than telling your congregation that if you follow another religion, you will not go to heaven and end up in hell? If another religion/church leads to hell, then calling it satanic is more or less just underscoring what is already being said.
It's common for a pastor, Rabbi, Imam, etc. to tell the congregation/followers that their way is the only way. All other roads lead to hell. That is how they get people to stay within that church. I'm sure you know this happens.
It does (though I've never heard it from a rabbi, I must say, and I can speak only from a Christian perspective) but it's rarely a message of hatred, at least in my experience -- rather, it's a matter of not having yet "seen the truth". And while Christian evangelicals commonly state the only way to God is thru Jesus Christ, I've never known a Presbyterian or Methodist, for instance, to say Catholics are doomed to eternal damnation.
quote:
Is calling another church satanic really all that different than telling your congregation that if you follow another religion, you will not go to heaven and end up in hell?
Yeah, I think it is. In my opinion, saying something like, "If you haven't come to Jesus, you're not yet saved", and saying "You're a disciple of Satan and evil!" is widely different.
That aside, I still don't know why Sen. McCain sought out this particular evangelical pastor, out of many with an equally wide following.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2605 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
It's common for a pastor, Rabbi, Imam, etc. to tell the congregation/followers that their way is the only way. All other roads lead to hell. That is how they get people to stay within that church. I'm sure you know this happens.
It does (though I've never heard it from a rabbi, I must say, and I can speak only from a Christian perspective) but it's rarely a message of hatred, at least in my experience -- rather, it's a matter of not having yet "seen the truth". And while Christian evangelicals commonly state the only way to God is thru Jesus Christ, I've never known a Presbyterian or Methodist, for instance, to say Catholics are doomed to eternal damnation.
quote:
Is calling another church satanic really all that different than telling your congregation that if you follow another religion, you will not go to heaven and end up in hell?
Yeah, I think it is. In my opinion, saying something like, "If you haven't come to Jesus, you're not yet saved", and saying "You're a disciple of Satan and evil!" is widely different.
That aside, I still don't know why Sen. McCain sought out this particular evangelical pastor, out of many with an equally wide following.
I'll refer you to John 8:44- You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stayed not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Mark 8:33. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Christianity, when practiced as it is intended, is not politically correct. Jesus was not politically correct when he preached, so I say that those who follow him may do the same. If I remember correctly, in biblical times, Christ was quite controversial.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." Ronald Reagan
... Jesus was not politically correct when he preached, so I say that those who follow him may do the same. If I remember correctly, in biblical times, Christ was quite controversial.
Here's a website I wanted to share with you, Presley! I know you'll accept its message! You can even get the t-shirt.
Please give generously!
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2605 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
... Jesus was not politically correct when he preached, so I say that those who follow him may do the same. If I remember correctly, in biblical times, Christ was quite controversial.
Here's a website I wanted to share with you, Presley! I know you'll accept its message! You can even get the t-shirt.
Please give generously!
ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'
TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'
THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'
FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'
SIX: 'You shall not murder.'
SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'
EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'
NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'
TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40).
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." Ronald Reagan
Well, the Roman Catholic Church claims it is descended from Peter's church, but this is a tenuous argument.
Yeah, I agree it is. It's an argument I have with my Catholic brother all the time. Most telling, in my view, is the two different words for "rock" in the original Greek manuscripts of Matthew.
Don't you mean the original Aramaic manuscripts j/k. The NT in Greek in quite interesting. Of course, I haven't read all of it in Greek because I'm not that skilled to just fly threw it.
Appaerntly, the OT in Hebrew is pretty ambiguous. I don't know Hebrew, but that's what I've been told. I would learn Hebrew, but if I have to sit through another 100 level ancient language course, I might go crazy. Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit coming up is plenty.
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."-Mark Twain
Ummm ... maybe. I can never remember which documents were originally in Aramaic and which were in Greek. I think more were Greek than Aramaic, but I wouldn't bet my house on it.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2605 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Ummm ... maybe. I can never remember which documents were originally in Aramaic and which were in Greek. I think more were Greek than Aramaic, but I wouldn't bet my house on it.
Yeah, it was Greek. Remember we had that discussion a while back? I was just screwin with ya.
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."-Mark Twain
j/k. The NT in Greek in quite interesting. Of course, I haven't read all of it in Greek because I'm not that skilled to just fly threw it. 
