Comments on: The Pulpit Speaks: May 9, 1959

By: Anon E. Mouse

Anon E. Mouse — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:28:30 +0000

I may have him confused with someone else, but I believe it was Jerry Falwell who, when an interviewer told him that people looked up to him as a role model, Falwell said (I’m paraphrasing), “Well, they shouldn’t. I’m imperfect, just like everyone else. If people look to me as a role model, I can only guarantee they will be disappointed. The only role model we should have, the only perfect man, is Jesus Christ.”

By: sj

sj — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:38:09 +0000

Now I see why we don’t debate in church, you guys just about messed up a beautiful sermon. It thouched my heart, there is no debate there!

By: RUSSIAN PROVERBS « Citizen Tom

RUSSIAN PROVERBS « Citizen Tom — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:40:35 +0000

[...] To a large extent, the point of blogging is the amusement it provides. When I got insulted here, I missed the allusion, “blind squirrel”? So out of curiosity, I decided to look it [...]

By: MB

MB — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:42:00 +0000

In the spirit of the blind squirrel, Tom, you’ve got that one right. I’m just not into making efforts where it’s all but certain to be wasted.

By: Citizen Tom

Citizen Tom — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:33:56 +0000

MB – Just as it easier to destroy than it is to build, it is easier to ridicule or communicate anger than it is to communicate calm, peace, or forbearance. Perhaps, if you tried it, you might better understand the difficulty.

By: MB

MB — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:11:53 +0000

No, we most definitely are not on the same team, Tom (see how easy it is to communicate that in a short and simple sentence?). I’m interested in improving our common lot, and you’re interested in a lot of sophistry.

By: Citizen Tom

Citizen Tom — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:07:25 +0000

MB – Because no one person can control the process, communications is of necessity a team exercise. When someone communicates, their message depends upon what they understand about the idea they are trying to communicate, what they want from the recipient, what they know about the recipient, and their skill as a communicator. The medium the sender chooses, in this case the written word on a blog, also affects how the message is received. Finally, the knowledge, biases and communications skills of those receiving the message affect what they get out of the message.

Am I on Rev. Paige’s team? Do I understand him well? It would presumptuous to say I do. I have not had the honor of being acquainted with the gentleman.

Do I understand the Bible well? I have read the Bible, and I have studied it, but I am certainly no Bible scholar. So far what I have learned of it strongly suggests the Bible deserves more careful consideration than at first I thought.

What I can say with some assurance is that you and I are not on the same team. Hostility generally makes the recipient of a message unreceptive. So we do not communicate well.

By: MB

MB — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:31:10 +0000

Huh. Reading this, and then CT’s quote, I can’t help but think that CT’s completely missing Rev. Paige’s point. Shorter Rev. Paige: It’s on *you* to make things better. Shorter Jeremiah: God will make it better, so don’t you dare take responsibility.

I could be wrong. But looking at history, it’s pretty clear to me which mindset leads to a better world.

By: DAR

DAR — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:02:00 +0000

That’s what I was thinking, Citizen Tom. It’s a good idea to not put any person up on a pedistal, because we are all imperfect humans capable of failing and then leading someone else to be greatly disappointed just like the young man in Rev. Paige’s article.

By: Citizen Tom

Citizen Tom — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:28:03 +0000

When I read your father’s sermon, I recalled these verses from Jeremiah 17.

5 This is what the LORD says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.

7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

There are other such verses that warn us not to trust in idols, which I suspect is why your father chose that term. Whether our idol is made of flesh, wood, stone, or metal, it will at some point fail us.

By: vjp

vjp — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:53:46 +0000

If you are looking for a Mother's Day post from my father's writings, check out this one.