Blog on the Lillypad
Sunday, August 31, 2003
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Thanks for another great quote, Father Ted Over on the Fighting Fundamentalist Forums, "The Equalizer" is still arguing that a man who has committed adultery or even the sin of molesting a 15 year old girl, can still hold church office. Everybody has been hitting him with the coherent declaration of Scripture that the pastor/elder/deacon must have a blameless life. His defense is that as we are all sinners, no one has a right to remove a pastor from office. I have explained to him that the basis of the blameless life is not in the man, for we are all depraved. But a blameless life is the evidence that God is at work in a person, overcoming sin and keeping a man back from his most base desires. That's the only hope for any of us, I explain to him. The work of Christ in us holds us back from what we are and restrains us. He doesn't comprehend this line of reasoning at all (though it is the entire basis of the doctrine of sanctification in all major Protestant catechisms). He just ignores this and goes back to his point that as we are all sinners we cannot put a fallen pastor out of office. I picked out another great Father Ted quote for him. Father Ted's famous explanation to Dougal on how to praise God. |
Like most people who try to excuse sin inthe pulpit, Equalizer accuses those who defend the purity of the pulpit of being unloving. He castigates us for not forgiving, not loving, not helping a pastor keep his pulpit, even when he abuses his office. On the other hand, Equalizer has no problem in behaving in the very way he has accused us of behaving. Here are some quotes from him,
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Doctor Who Reviews On a less theologically horrific front, I just got an e-mail from a new reader who says she enjoys my Doctor Who fiction very much, and her favorite story so far is "Christmas With Friends," which featured the Third Doctor, Liz, and the Brigadier. Indeed, my new reader tells me: "I've found other fan fic out there, but yours is my far the best characterization I've come across." thank you! I can also juggle while under water, but I would have to charge you extra for that! No, just kidding. I do appreciate e-mail from readers. I have not posted any new fiction, and the engines aren't firing like they used to. I do have a Liz Shaw forensic mystery on a back burner, and I have also tried to construct a short (three episode) story that is supposed to be for Sarah Jane but at the moment looks better for Liz. Click the pic to the right to view the story. |  |
Love Doctor Who? Send a message to
jeriwho@pipeline.com
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Code Red Meanwhile, we are approaching code red here at the Lillypad. Will it be a throw-up fest like last time, or have fasting, juicing, and other alternative health measures purchased a more peaceful event? My inclination to kill people is not very high at this point, but I am achy and starting to feel tired and sleepy. I cannot begin my newly approved exercise program until I'm out of the red zone. Did you know that most women with chronic back trouble experience their "crisis events" (throwing out their backs) within a few days of starting their periods? Nobody knows why (of course). My chiropractor theorizes it is from the swelling of fluid retention that makes them more susceptible to inflammation. I say the opposite. Though my ankles swell, the rest of me dehydrates a LOT, and I think it makes my back less likely to handle even minor stresses. Anyway, once again my life is on hold until I'm out of code red. And, by the way, emotional swings were never a part of it for me until I started early menopause. I HATE early menopause. |
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Day of thunder and Occasional Lightning Today started with blue sky and sun. Then we had a massive clouburst at about eleven, and ever since then, thunder has never stopped rumbling. It goes far away and then comes back. I cannot hang on my inversion table as the storm returns because the frame is metal. I have turned off and unplugged the computer three times. The thunder is distant at this moment, but I assume it will come back again. Equalizer pulled a whole slew of his posts off the FFF. He did this because he said some really out of bounds things about browsing, and browsing told him he had crossed a line and better pull those posts or risk action for libel. So he did, while sulking furiously and insisting that browsing was picking on him. |
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I warned Equalizer that he has not been prepared to deal with a courageous man, and he'd better just leave it alone. Browsing has taken a lot of pains in the lat 20 years or more to help people (including me) with legal advice, and he has been a spokesman for a child whose death was declared suspicious but was left unresolved. He doesn't adorn himself with fanfare; he just does the right thing. These rabid IFB-KJVO people are used to ranting and raving and especially namecalling. I learned from my own experience that they don't know what to do when you just toss off their antics and continue to calmly face them. So I warned this kid that browsing is the type of man who simply acts at the proper moment and doesn't waste time with words. I told Equalizer he'd be wise not to push against a brave man. At this point, it looks like he has taken my advice. |
When will we Christian Fundamentalists stop congratulating ourselves for doctrinal purity, stop haranguing those who act in good faith, and stop berating our opponents? When will we turn to Christ, clean up our pulpits, and make the church that beautiful Haven of Rest for the brethren?
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Rise up, O men of God! The church for you doth wait, Her strength unequal to her task; Rise up and make her great! Lift high the cross of Christ! Tread where His feet have trod. As brothers of the Son of Man, Rise up, O men of God! |
And don't forget the women!
