Help needed. Due to the illness of my mother in law, I lost track of a number of things. If you submitted a post for us to publish in the last number of months, could you please email dee@thewartburgwatch.com? I apologize for overlooking it.
Help needed. Due to the illness of my mother in law, I lost track of a number of things. If you submitted a post for us to publish in the last number of months, could you please email dee@thewartburgwatch.com? I apologize for overlooking it.
FIRST!!!!
Best regards,
God
Second! š
God wrote:
As should always be the case…
But is anyone answering Dee’s question?
I submitted my story, but I think Deb has it so you could check with her.
There’s been many other top stories that you’ve been covering.
Feel free to shorten my story, use quotes from it, add your own commentary.
Headless Unicorn Guy wrote:
Well, I didn’t answer Dee’s question directly. But in general, I move in a mysterious way, My postings to submit.
Best regards,
God
Headless Unicorn Guy wrote:
I don’t have a story. I could make one up! (well, I have had some brushes with church nonsense, but nothing dramatic).
Headless Unicorn Guy wrote:
Is the OP topic the only thing ever discussed in the comments? š
@ Velour:
Yes, I have your story and hope to get it posted soon.
And to think I was hesitant to start this blog with Dee because I didn”t think there would be enough to write about three times a week.
@ God:
Dear Mr Trinity,
Question: How do you feel about genuflecting and should I do it when I get a direct message from God?
Amen
Stan’s daughter
Since god is active in these comments, I have a question: If you are only interested in one small planet circling a nondescript star why did you make such an incredibly vast universe? (If I had an answer, I’d write a guest post so I hope this keeps my comment relevant to the OP.)
I do not have a story. I rather fancy that a few individuals may have a story in which I am the villain, but what can I say.
dee wrote:
OK: let Me take these in order.
I look at the heart, rather than the knees per se, remember. A flected genu can mask a pompous, proud, fearful or hard heart. Or just a bored one. But, of course, it can also express a heart full of love. Fortunately, My discernment is infallible!
None of this “Stan” fellow – I’m claiming dibs on your spiritual parentage.
Best regards,
God
OldJohnJ wrote:
Because I could.
But don’t hold back on the guest posts!
Best regards,
God
Deb wrote:
Thanks, Deb.
Shorten my story, if you wish. Or use quotes from it and write your own article.
I just had a Muslim neighbor for tea. We had a fun time and she has college degrees in fine arts, psychology, physical education and is working on a Master’s in Special Education. She asked about my faith (I still have it) and about my church (I was excommunicated). She was horrified that the pastors/elders told hundreds of people to never speak to me again, what a horrible person I was, etc. She has been my neighbor for five years. She said, “But it’s not true! You are one of the nicest people — to everybody. Why would they do that to you?” She started to cry that it had been done to me.
She a Muslim said, “Even Christians can come to the mosque. Everybody can come. What do you mean that people can come to your church. That a doctor in his 70’s isn’t permitted to come, a woman in finance – middle aged isn’t permitted to come, you aren’t permitted to come?”
Yes a college-educated, kind woman from a Muslim nation — horrified by the practices of 9 Marxists.
@ OldJohnJ:
Hi OldJohnJ
Haven’t heard from you in awhile. Let me know if you are into writing another post!
God wrote:
Mr Trinity
It could also mean my knees gave out. If they do, does it still count as a *flected genu?* Of did you mean flicted? Flicted is a diagnosed condition down here in the South which means one cannot decide on whether to eat fried chicken or fried okra.
Glad to think that I am your daughter but there is a small cadre of folks that think I am a minion of Satin (sic). Do you believe that dry clean only items are more godly, in a Trinitarian sort of way?
dee wrote:
Why choose? Have both! Now I want fried okra in the worst way.
dee wrote:
Seconded!
Best regards,
Not God.
Velour wrote:
I don’t know if this is applicable for your upcoming post, but TGC posted a link on their front page today from an elder at your former church: https://fromthestudy.com/2016/10/10/7-practices-for-preserving-unity-among-your-elder-team/.
Ken F wrote:
Yes, someone just sent it to me on Facebook last night.
I read it and thought, “Oh it’s Thought Reform” — even of elders. It’s NOT “unity” it’s “uniformity”.
Interestingly, ex-church members and staff members who left Grace Bible Fellowship of Silicon Valley called the pastors/elders the most abusive, screaming, yelling, raging, accusing people that they’ve encountered in any church.
Pastors/elders who talk about “unity” can’t get along with other people. Go figure!
Velour wrote:
I found it creepy. If one is to have an elder-led church, there should be diversity of thought among the elders so that there are appropriate checks and balances. The type of unity this article describes is destructive and is more akin to totalitarianism than to Christianity.
Ken F wrote:
Spot on, Ken F. I thought it creepy too.
Steve Hassan, psychologist/author/Thought Reform/cult expert on the BITE
Model: https://www.freedomofmind.com/Info/BITE/bitemodel.php
“As employed by the most destructive cults, mind control seeks nothing less than to disrupt an individualās authentic identity and reconstruct it in the image of the cult leader. I developed the BITE model to help people determine whether or not a group is practicing destructive mind control. The BITE model helps people understand how cults suppress individual member’s uniqueness and creativity. BITE stands for the cult’s control of an individual’s Behavior, Intellect, Thoughts, and Emotions.”
“The BITE Model
I. Behavior Control
II. Information Control
III. Thought Control
IV. Emotional Control”
@ Ken F:
Video of psychologist Steve Hassan on Thought Reform:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pvpd6wCeM4
@ Ken F:
Brad/FuturistGuy, who comments here, and his excellent blog article about Dr. Robert Jay Lifton, psychiatrist who is now at Yale University, and his research when he worked for the Air Force about Chinese Communist Thought Reform techniques. It turns out all authoritarian groups use the same basic techniques. https://futuristguy.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/the-hunger-games-trilogy-5a/
@ Ken F:
Steve Hassan interviewing Dr. Robert Jay Lifton, psychiatrist at Yale University, about Thought Reform techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sauEbGgCZZU
Deana Holmes (fka mirele) wrote:
With semolina and boiled brussels sprouts?
Deana Holmes (fka mirele) wrote:
I agree – fried is the worst way. But cook it into some kind of soup/stew along with tomatoes and it’s amazing. I’m not from the South, but I learned to like okra.
Nick Bulbeck wrote:
A Canadian (Gardein) makes a vegan version of fried fish. Like fish and chips. It looks like fish, tastes like fish…and I love it!
Velour wrote:
Nick, here it is: https://gardein.com/product-type/fishless/
Oh yes, they make fake crabcakes…which are delicious. I am deadly allergic to crab so I really like having vegan seafood.
@ Deana Holmes (fka mirele):
š
Nick Bulbeck wrote:
Make that roasted with Parmesan cheese.
@ Velour:
Not to mention, but the treatment they want between elders is no different than how we should all treat one another. I guess the elders have to learn the basics of human decency. So why are they elders? Bangs head!
dee wrote:
While I am not actively writing anything at present there are two topics that interest me:
The Garden story in Genesis: I read this as God giving our species the knowledge of good and evil. There doesn’t seem to be any evolutionary pressure for such positive behavior as shown by our current culture, religion and politics.
Global Warming: This appears to have been folded into the anti science bucket along with YEC and anti evolution by many of the usual suspects.
Nick Bulbeck wrote:
Is this a new dietary law?
Ken F wrote:
Sorry. But in the south we know about boiled okra. It’s so slimy your socks will slide down after you eat it.
NC Now wrote:
I completely agree with your assessment of boiled okra. But my wife, who is a foodie, found a recipe in “The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine” by John D. Folse that is incredible. It’s Black-Eyed Pea and Okra Soup (page 265). The taste and texture are awesome. It changed my opinion of non-fried okra. Fried okra is ok, but I’m not a big fried food fan (living in Alabama, that makes me a heretic).
Ken F wrote:
Here are some similar recipes: http://www.food.com/search/black+eyed+pea+and+okra+soup
Ken F.: You and your wife should type up the recipe you use, if you have time, and
post it at the top of the page here under the Interesting tab, Cooking tab.
Friend wrote:
Well, I just thought that eating anything with semolina and boiled brussels sprouts (they should be roasted with cajun seasoning, NEVER boiled) would constitute just about the worst possible way of eating anything…
Velour wrote:
Proving that, as I have long believed, the godly are frequently not Christian at all, & that “Christians” spend all too much time being ungodly. May she be blessed in her life; she is a truly good woman, whom I am sure God knows & greatly appreciates, in spite of her theology.