capture from video at GCBC website
“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” —G.K. Chesterton.
Wow. This is a different sort of post for me. A month ago, I received a call from a person who is a representative of the West Wilson Community Coalition. As I listened to her well-reasoned narrative, I was reminded of other forms of abuse. Sometimes, churches can hurt their neighbors, and that is what happened here.
Who are the two key parties in this conflict?
West Wilson Community Coalition
Here is a link to their Go Fund Me page. Locke’s church seems so loud with music, sermons, and deliverance services that it is disturbing the neighbors. There is no local noise ordinance. After contacting the police and not receiving any help, they decided to hire an attorney.
Here is a picture of one police log with complaints. There are pages and pages more.
They have almost reached the money they need to begin the lawsuit. Their Go Fund Me page is a good explanation of what is going on.
GVBC is currently building new ‘structures’, but these measures have been minimally effective at minimizing noise thus far. Most of the surrounding neighbors continue to have their peace impeded upon multiple days of the week with varying hours both day and night for extensive periods of time. The incessantly loud music and yelling continue to be heard inside people’s homes, with doors and windows closed. We are unable to enjoy spending time outdoors during their meetings, children have difficulty getting to sleep, and this repeated noise is causing a significant amount of psychological stress to those in the surrounding area. Currently, 76% of the 2,002 petition signatures are those from local neighborhoods of Mt. Juliet, Green Hill, and Old Hickory. It is evident that this nuisance impacts a geographically large number of homeowners.
Considering the contentious tone taken by Greg Locke and GVBC, it is understandable that some may not feel completely safe bringing a personal lawsuit. Therefore, we are proposing a multiple-plaintiff lawsuit with a minimum of 100 people who are adversely affected by the noise. The egregious noise affects many surrounding subdivisions including Chandler Pointe, Normandy Heights, Cobblestone Landing, Hickory Hills, Brookstone, Radford Farms, Kelsey Glen, Mount Vernon Estates, and Willoughby Station. There are approximately 3,400 homes in the area and approximately 8,500 inhabitants. There should be an ample amount of participants with this dense population.
The WWC has spoken to several attorneys and has found one well-versed in our cause and believed to be best suited for the job. In order to move forward with litigation, the attorney requested a retainer in the amount of $10,000. We have created this fundraiser in an effort to raise funds for the suit and maintain momentum. We will need funds AND enough willing participants to move forward with this.
Communities affected include Chandler Pointe, Normandy Heights, Kelsey Glenn, Mount Vernon Estates, Willoughby Station, Brookstone Landing, Hickory Hills, Cobblestone Landing, Caravelle, and Mt Vernon Woods. Not to mention those who do not live within a subdivision.
- Subdivisions include ~3,400 homes
- ~8,534 people live in those homes according to the average number of inhabitants per household in TN
Additionally, this intrusive noise creates a substantial burden on the Sherriffs department. From December 4, 2022, until May 21, 2023, WSCO received 479 calls related to GVBC. 433 of those were specifically for ‘Disturbing the peace’. I have included a spreadsheet of the call logs for ease of reading along with the actual logs received from WSCO.
- 479 total calls for GVBC
- 433 for disturbing the peace
This well-organized group also seeks to develop a noise ordinance for the area.
Another issue or concern is the casting out of demons in a child.
A healthcare professional attended one of the meetings with a deliverance service. This person observed a young child having what appeared to be a serious seizure. They claim the church held the child down and attempted to “drive out a demon.” This person stepped in and said the child needed immediate medical help. They claim that some men “carried the child out,” and they have no idea if the child received help.
The county is suing Greg Locke’s church, and others are noticing the noise issue.
According to The Tennessean, Wilson County sues Greg Locke’s church following growing conflicts with neighbors.
Facing increasing pressure from neighbors over church services and property expansion at Global Vision Bible Church, a local battle with Pastor Greg Locke’s church escalated with a new lawsuit from Wilson County.
The county based its case on construction and stormwater zoning violations, narrowly tailoring it to avoid a fight over protections for religious practice.
Yet, the suit is significant because it marks an important moment in a lengthy conflict between Locke and his neighbors and because a government entity is going after Locke,
…Locke, who has gained a reputation nationally for his political rhetoric and more recently a mass deliverance ministry, has drawn the ire of his neighbors for noise and traffic issues related to worship services and construction
Please note the highlighted portion. There were massive and possibly lengthy deliverance services at this church.
The Daily Beast wrote MAGA Pastor’s Unholy Racket Is Driving Neighbors Nuts.
But it is not simply the content of Locke’s pronouncements that trouble local residents such as Sarah Moore, a paralegal who is raising two teenagers just under a mile from the church.
What bothers her most is the extraordinary volume of the loudspeakers Global Vision employs when 2,000 people pack into the church at least three times a week.
“It seems like I’ve been hearing it for over a year, but it seems like the past several weeks it’s gotten louder,” Moore told The Daily Beast. “These services go on for hours. You can hear the music and then you can hear him yelling and then you can hear some more music.”
Moore added, “You can hear it in my house with all the doors and windows closed… On New Year’s Eve, it was going on past midnight.”
A number of the county commissioners in surrounding Wilson County are also concerned with the pastor’s decibel level.
The church attempted to mitigate the sound, but their efforts were insufficient to lower the decibels.
WKRN wrote Wilson County church puts up new tent to mitigate sound
Locke took News 2 inside the new tent Monday.
“It’s the same size, and we will build walls in the inside and insulate it, so we are just doing our best to fix the collateral damage of the sound for the community,” Locke said.
According to Locke, what contributes to the noise is the growth they’ve seen since 2020.
…As far as sound goes, Locke said they plan to put walls up around the tent which could take another month or so before the tent is more soundproof.
I was about to conclude this post when the unexpected happened. Greg Locke returned my call. Let me first review who Locke is.
Greg Locke
This is the Greg Locke, who has been in the news for other issues. Here is a link to Wikipedia. Please pay attention to the sections I bolded.
Locke founded Global Vision Baptist Church in 2006. In 2011, the church officially split from the Independent Baptist movement and changed its name to Global Vision Bible Church.[4]
…Locke kept his church open through outbreaks of COVID-19, and claimed that it was is a “fake pandemic”.[9]He said that those who wore masks to his church would be asked to leave,[10] and discouraged his congregation from getting vaccinated.[11]
Locke was present during the January 6 attack on the Capitol.[12] He encouraged his congregation to travel to Washington, D.C. , and was scheduled to speak before Trump at the Ellipse; this did not eventuate, but Locke did preach at the Freedom Plaza on January 5, and near the Capitol steps during the riot.[13] Afterwards, Locke condemned the violence but maintained that it had been instigated by antifa.[13]
Locke has been a speaker at several stops on the Reawaken America tour, which feature conspiracy theories about vaccines and the 2020 presidential election.[14][15][16]
On January 23, 2022 during a sermon, Locke claimed that OCD and autism “could be” a form of demonic possession, by saying, “Are you telling me my kid’s possessed? No. I’m telling you your kid could be demonized and attacked but your doctor calls it autism.” This statement was condemned by neurodivergent rights movements and the Autism Faith Network.[17][18]
On February 2, 2022, Locke held a burning of books and materials related to witchcraft and the occult.[19][20] During a sermon on February 13, he claimed to have discovered six witches within his congregation during an exorcism and threatened to expose their names.[21][22]
Other issues are of interest, but I want to focus on this situation. Locke built a huge church which is essentially a tent. Note the picture at the top of the post. It was built a few years ago when they had 300 people. They now have 3,000, according to Locke.
Greg Locke gives his side of the story.
I rarely get a returned call from a pastor, so I give him props. The following are the points he made to me in the discussion.
- He has spent over $250,000 on building sound walls around the campus.
- He feels he has cooperated in attempting to solve the problem.
- The tent is as big as a football field.
- The church services do not last late into the night, so neighbors shouldn’t lose sleep.
- He believes some people are really upset due to his public stance on Trump and COVID (See Wikipedia article above.)
- He said he didn’t expect the church to grow so fast, and the number of people coming to his church also caused problems. He has put no trespassing signs around the church campus to prevent attendees from walking on the neighbors’ properties.
I told him the story of the person who witnessed the seizure and asked him if he believed that seizures are always, sometimes, or never caused by demons. He said that demons sometimes cause seizures. He says he has no idea about the incident of the child with a seizure being held down or being carried out of the gathering.
At this point, he had a meeting but said I should keep the number on which I called him if I had further concerns.
My thoughts:
- The county should have a noise ordinance and consider passing one ASAP, with or without the petition.
- There is no question that the neighbors believe the sound levels are too high. I saw the pages and pages of complaints to the sheriff’s office. I think there is a noise problem, and the local authorities need to get creative and figure out a solution.
- The neighbors have done a phenomenal job of organizing.
- A lawsuit is a good idea to keep the pressure on.
- I believe that Greg Locke is frustrated and wants this problem to go away, which presents an opportunity for the neighbors.
- Wilson Community, focus on your nine-ball shot. I would assume there is much about GVBC that is concerning. However, the problem seems to be the noise, and I would make that the main thing if you get my drift.
An idea:
How about an independent, third-party investigation or mediation to clarify the issues and come to some reconciliation? This problem is NOT going away, and Locke and his church should not stick their heads in the sand and yell, over the loudspeakers, “La, la la.” Lawsuits will be expensive for all involved. Perhaps this has already been considered. My guess is that trust is broken on all sides, and the only way to proceed is with a lawsuit or a third-party intervention.
The second most important commandment.
I call on Greg Locke to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who said the second most important commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself. That’s a hard one, but He said it was a must. Mark 12:28-31 NIV.
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
Hi Dee, my husband and I along with neighbors, took on excessive noise from a tent for events near a residential neighborhood. The noise was awful. It took almost two years, and a lot of work, but by the grace of God, we won. I can empathize with these folks. In our case, the noise could be heard (faintly, but still), two miles away depending upon which way the wind blew. Sadly, you’re probably right: “My guess is that trust is broken on all sides, and the only way to proceed is with a lawsuit or a third-party intervention.”
What a rotten testimony on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I’ve said before, if people refuse to honor God, He will bring in others to clean house, in America is often law enforcement and government. Regardless, His name is irrevocably tarnished in situations like this.
Sigh…
And, with politics getting mixed in, double sigh… How has American church come to this…
The church services do not last late into the night, so neighbors shouldn’t lose sleep.
– Locke
Not everybody works a nine to five, Monday through Friday job!
I’ve never seen this church, but I am somewhat familiar with the area where the church is located. Yes, the church is in Wilson Co., but it’s less than 3 miles from the Davidson Co. line. Mt. Juliet is almost like a suburb of Nashville. If you don’t watch for the signs, you won’t know that you’ve left Nashville/Metro Davidson Co. I know that Old Hickory and Cobblestone Landing are in Nashville/ Davidson County – not Mt. Juliet/Wilson County. So, this could become a serious issue involving two counties for GVBC.
The area is all River bottom land…. GVBC is sandwiched in between the Cumberland River and Percy Priest Lake. Sound really carries in that area, and there are subdivisions all around.
A tent is not a solid building that can be soundproofed.
You’d think those geniuses would take note of that, and realize they’re urinating into the wind.
From the main article up-top:
“On February 2, 2022, Locke held a burning of books and materials related to witchcraft and the occult.”
These people would burn the witches too if they could.
Nancy2(aka Kevlar),
Oops. My mistake. I just pulled up a map. Cobblestone Landing is in Nashville/Davidson Co. …… the Covblestone Landing neighborhood is in Wilson Co., about 200 ft. from the Davidson Co. line.
Now that man is definitely at least one plastic toy short of a happy meal, IMO. But, it’s a remarkably successful grift. Another indictment on so-called “evangelical” “churches” in America, just like Kenneth Copeland, Pat Robertson and their ilk.
Muff Potter,
But the tent has the “revival vibe”…..
I suppose that if one is going to attribute autism to demons (writing here as one who notices patterns in his life suggestive of a diagnosis of “autism” [not, I hasten to add, of “demons”], then it would be seem to be justified to make the same attribution for other syndromes, such as narcissism and sociopathy.
We have reason to think that these are pretty common in the upper reaches of the megachurch movement.
This gives a new spin to the claim one sometimes hears that a prominent church leader is “under demonic attack.”
No supporter of Locke, or of his services, and especially of the use and location of a tent.
But we did have an experience in the 1980’s at a tiny Church of the Nazarene. It was in the northern plains in a heavily Catholic and Lutheran area. We kept our windows closed, had no sound system back then, just a spinet piano and a song leader, no praise team. Pastor was not the shouting type. And yet for about a year every week folks complained that they could hear our “loud music and services.” The cops kept tabs, and while if the people went outside on their porches and the wind was right you might maybe faintly hear the piano or singing, it was nothing intrusive. Sunday mornings 11 to noon, evenings 6 to 7.
Finally the city stopped accepting complaint calls, stating they thought the neighbors simply wanted to church to cease to be. The city said it was unreasonable to expect to never hear the music at all.
Fast forward a quarter of a century and we were in a town with a Santa Fe Trail festival and a booze–excuse me, blues–fest every summer. The loud speakers from those and the amplification meant the whole rather spread out town were blasted until around 1 in the morning daily during them.
Again, no fan of Locke or his services or his tent, but resolution probably won’t please any side in this thing.
Demons are not scared of shouts and loud music. Perhaps the demons are causing all the racket; it’s obviously very tormenting to surrounding neighbors. Jesus didn’t raise His voice to deal with demonic possession; He simply said “Go!” However, walking into a tent full of thousands of wackos under the influence of decibels would scare the hell out of me!
I wonder to what extent there is a “failure to love self” as well as “failure to love neighbors”.
My experience of over-amplified church music in a wannabe mini-mega (perhaps one could call such congregations “kilo-churches”) suggested to me that repeated exposure could cause hearing loss (which I suppose would make the sounds seem less loud to long-term participants). I started showing up after the “before the sermon” auditory assault and leaving before the “after the sermon” audio-injury. It seemed paradoxical that a subculture of a religious movement whose founding texts place such emphasis on “hearing the Gospel” would be so enthusiastic about worship practices that have the effect of deafening people.
People who are willing to self-injure as part of their church activities may be “loving neighbor as self”, even if their practices are not objectively loving toward the neighbors.
IMO the same goes for the CV mitigation practices, or lack thereof.
Having seen news items about Locke I’m surprised and impressed that he would talk to you and give you his number.
He sounds to me like one of these people who have no awareness of how their actions impact on other people, which given his apparently reasonable approach to you, may explain quite a lot of the wilder things he says and does.
We who live in Nashville have to hear about Locke’s antics on the local news on a regular basis.
It gets so old . . .
John Berry,
I was startled. I guess that he knows he has a problem. A tent is not a good idea for a church unless someone is out in a rural area.
Old Timer,
Thank you for telling me about your experience. I bet some folks from Wilson County are reading these comments. My opinion is that they will be successful.
Nancy2(aka Kevlar),
I hope the folks from Wilson County read your comment. I really appreciated how you described the area.
Simple.
Revenge Jesus never came back to destroy the world and SMITE! SMITE! SMITE! all their enemies into Eternal Hell. They got tired of waiting and found a NEW God who (like the Dark Powers in ritual magick) WILL Get Things Done and Give Them Everything They Want.
MAGA!
You’re over-spiritualizing, Max.
More easily explainable by the Stupidity and Arrogance of GAWD’s Anointed Greg Locke, no demons necessary.
Someboy really needs to start sneaking in Tarot Cards, Blair Witch twig sculptures, and maybe a Ouija Board into Greg Locke’s tent and hiding them where they will soon be found. ANd if you could scare up one of those old paperback Necronomicons from a couple decades ago…
Somebody was trolling him that way a year or so ago, and it was entertaining.
Lots of fireworks. DANCE, MONKEY, DANCE!
P.S. The Necronomicon is a FICTIONAL book from The Cthulhu Mythos, the cosmic horror stories of H.P.Lovecraft.
The Necronomicon paperback was a literary hoax.
But GAWD’s Anointed Spiritual Warriors think it’s all for real.
You’re thinking In The Flesh(TM), Muff.
They’re In The Spirit(TM).
I really would not like to be “HALE, MIKE MAJOR” from the Sheriff’s Office.
He must have spent half his day going to Greg Locke’s tent and back, over and over and over.
“supposed to be going all night they’re already beating drums” — Remember how Drum Rhythms were supposed to be part of Voodoo, Witchcraft, and Satanism?
John Berry,
dee,
Well, when Locke was claiming that some of the people in his church were witches. He said that demons told him about the witches. So, if he’ll talk to demons and preach to witches, I don’t see how he’d have any problems with talking to Dee!!! (wink, wink)
BBTW Dee, how is Poppy doing? And no, no, no; demons and witches did not make me think of her. I’ve been meaning to ask about her for several days.
I realize there are a lot of people, but could they break the meetings into smaller groups? No more than 500? Keep the music soft and low, have a spirit of peace and meditation on the Lord, or is shouting really necessary. Even Elijah mocked it (1 Kings 18:27). It is wonderful he called you back, but yes love thy neighbor should be at play here, and mediation is a great suggestion. If he has $250,000 to spend on big sound proof tents, then maybe after mediation he can discover some of his neighbors other needs, besides peace and quiet, and use the money to fulfill those.
A 21st century gimmick to draw a crowd. Without a loud band, charismatic worship leader, fog machines, laser lights, and free coffee/donuts most folks wouldn’t have anything to do with Christianity Lite.
But easy to pull up stakes and get out of Dodge when the heat gets turned up.
Wow, HEADLESS
i think you nailed it . . .
the ‘planned’ coming Christian Dominionism seems designed to ‘smite’ the already broken and wounded at the hands of an ‘angry God’s minions, who of course will rule the country
a grim forecast?
indeed
Christianity?
no way
You are looking for a solution, a compromise that everyone can live with.
I don’t think this “pastor” wants a compromise. He seems to want to do anything to provoke a negative reaction which will eneble him to cry “persecution!”
Gus,
Yeah. He’s FAMOUS, now!
I wonder if Greg Locke ever did street preaching? The type where they stand on a corner and yell at sinners with a megaphone. His church reminds me of that, albeit on a much larger and louder scale.
And you know how PASTOR Greg Locke KNOWS who the Witches are?
DEMONS he was casting out told him who!
(And before the NAR wannabes start going off, it’s a lot more likely Locke was BSing when he claimed that.)
“If this is too loud, You’re Too Old!”
“If Greg Locke talks to demons, does that make him a warlock?”
And if he did (which I very much doubt), how does he know said demon gave him a straight answer? As far back as Sun Tzu, that has been a classic shtick to pass disinformation to an enemy.
christiane,
Any means to achieve good disapproval ratings and ensure plenty of people feel like outsiders
OT: lots of reactions, afterglow, regarding Duggar’s “Shiny Happy People”, on youtube. Lots of folks were into Gothard and now are having their moment, apparently. “I was raised IBLP,” they say, “and here’s how I was damaged.”
https://youtu.be/1kiBZZGDYUA
Go to one of the reaction videos, and there’s more: “Gothard’s Girls”, “The Real Problem with the Duggars”, “Duggar Theology”, etc., etc.
There was a live forum the other night on youtube with Duggar cousins, not in the cult. They said it’s about time the lies and deception and SECRETS – lots of SECRETS – their emphasis – come out.
The oddest thing was that an ad popped up before one of these videos advertising a “Christian Financial Surge” rally to be held in July. Tim Tebow and other Christian Celebrities will demo how to amass those golden shekels from God with their Christian methods of financial gain – as you pay to attend this rally, so, yes, THEY are making money off of your aspirations to make money. The rally meets in a megachurch, of course.
So, watch the video exposing Christian lies and deception but once more be deceived and scammed by errant theology, Celebrity Christians, and gimmicks for grift. All in the name of God and for the love of Jesus. NOT.
On and on with no end in sight.
The pursuit of riches is not a New Testament charge. What you will find are numerous verses such as:
“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
“Christian Financial Surge” rally to be held in July. Tim Tebow and other Christian Celebrities will demo how to amass those golden shekels from God with their Christian methods of financial gain –
Ava Aaronson,
….By living a televised lie, kinda like the Duggers did?
I haven’t ever heard of any of those scams that’s not making money.
Fundagelical Protestantism is one of the biggest legal rackets in America.
They call it “The Jesus Racket” for a reason.
CHRISTIAN Football Star CELEBRITIES and all!
Headless Unicorn Guy,
Tim Tebow…. from failing at pro football, to failing at pro baseball, back to failing at pro football….. again.
Maybe there’s more money in “The Jesus Racket”????
Headless Unicorn Guy,
America sounds like Lourdes, only bigger.
Nancy, even now there are some Duggars who are making money going around and condemning (throwing under the bus) any and all of their own family that supported (past tense) or STILL support the infamous ‘golden boy’ “precious Josh” who now sits in a jail cell contemplating his ‘right’ to molest his own sisters, to cheat on his wife, to view the worst of child porn’ . . . .
and those who are Duggars who see him for what he is, have chosen to speak up loudly and sell their own condemnations of Josh’s fall from grace to the public for profit.
Sometimes a family weakness gradually comes out in expressions not just of the weirdness of paternalism-run-amok (the quiver-full thing) but also of an horrific lust for GREED . . . to make profit from the dissolving of a cultic family’s image.
It might have been a better use of ‘free speech’ to having had the courage to try to ameliorate some of the evils whilst there was still a chance to do it. But, no.
Not this family. Wierdness smells of money to them. Lots of money. It’s a shame.
I’m sure he has plenty of Christian psycopants telling him how great he is and how much he can do for the good lord, and make a living for himself while he’s at it.
Good grief.
From The Christian Post: “Popular Internet Pastor Greg Locke Marries Church Assistant After Divorce” (see link: https://www.christianpost.com/news/popular-internet-pastor-greg-locke-marries-church-assistant-after-divorce.html)
In the posted police report, does anyone know if different people were calling or if it was the same person making the calls?
Nancy2(aka Kevlar),
Timbo’s back huh?
And God gives him a deliverance ministry?!
Smalling out DEMONS and WITCHES in every closet and under every bed – “DEMONS! DEMONS! DEMONS! SHEEKA-BOOM-BAH! BAM!”
Like the Seven Sons of Sceva.
Don’t forget:
“He who dies with the most toys is still Dead.”
— Luke 12:16-21
Which is a big disservice to Lourdes (the actual shrine, not the Jesus Junk with Rosaries dealers set up around it).
No matter who Tim Tebow actually is, TIM TEBOW(TM) is a CHRISTIAN Football Hero (a WITNESS for CHRIST in the NFL) and that’s all that matters.
There’s a lot of Wannabe Football Jock worship in that crowd, from Chuckles Mahaney’s Fantasy Football Leagues (i.e. “NFL Team Manager: The Role-Playing Game”) to the Pious Piper humblebragging about how “We” once “broke someone’s neck in FLAG football”.
It’s as bad as my old high school.
“I’m Gonna Be,
I’m Gonna Be,
I’m Gonna Be FAMOUS!”
— Opening Theme, Total Drama Island (reality show parody), Cartoon Network
Headless Unicorn Guy,
The Fantasy Football League angle is what really sets me off.
When I was at Cal Poly Pomona in the mid-to-late Seventies majoring in what’s now called IT, I had a second major in Dungeons & Dragons at Cal State Fullerton on weekends. A couple years later, I survived the Anointed Witchfinders-General of the Satanic Panic. (My college roomie didn’t, succumbing and burning all his Satanic gaming supplies. But then, when he got a fixed idea in his head, all you could do was stand back and wait for it to burn itself out. Someday I’ll tell you about the “God’s Invisible Starship” incident.)
I’m looking at the bookshelf next to my home laptop where I’m keying this. The entire shelf of D&D, the half-shelf of Old School Traveller, the folders of my frequent contributions (both finished and in-progress) to the online gamezine Freelance Traveller, the folders of my Old School D&D House Rules/Notes…
“Fantasy Football” is as much a Role-Paying Game as D&D, just the subject is different. Playing an NFL Team Owner/Manager/Coach instead of a Fighter, Magic-User, Cleric, or Thief crawling a Dungeon. With your Fantasy Team’s REAL NFL statistics as Characteristics, Levels, Pluses, and Minuses instead of Str/Int/Wis/Con/Dex/Cha on 3D6.
Yet because Fantasy Football is FOOTBALL, it’s Respectable for CHRISTIANS such as the Chuckles Mahaney crowd. The same CHRISTIAN types who would have burned my D&D stuff (and me if they could get away with it) as Witchcraft and Satanism. And who DID wreck a lot of gamers’ lives in the Satanic Panic, digging a chasm of mutual distrust between Christians and Gamers that continues to this day.
During the Satanic Panic, there was even a cottage industry of Satanic Conspiracy Experts (AKA Spiritual Warriors a la the NAR) who alone KNEW What Was REALLY Going On hiring out (for con$ultant and $peaking fee$) to police and schools and Concerned Parents – GOD’s Anointed Spiritual Warriors going mano-a-mano against The Devil and his Secret Satanists who control EVERYTHING (including all media, all government, and your kid who’s into D&D), protected from The Vast Satanist Conspiracy by The Holy Spirit, whom Satan hath singled out for Special Attention.
Sound familiar?
Just back then the Satanic Ritual Abuse Pedophile Rings were in the basement of your DayCare instead of Epstein’s Island and Hollywood and Comet Ping-Pong and nobody’d heard of Adrenochrome or Vaxx Jabs as THE Mark of the Beast that turned you into Nephilim. And there were no Online Oracles spreading their Secret TRVTHs over the whole world with one tap-and-swipe. Other than that, I see no difference.
P.S. I have heard of Fantasy Football Fanboys sending death threats to NFL players and coaches on their Fantasy Team when they lose a game and torpedo the Fantasy Team’s stats. In all my years around D&D i encountered some pretty odd types but NOBODY that far gone. Plenty of weirdness, but nothing approaching that level of Bad Craziness. (Real-life death threats? Really?)
Headless Unicorn Guy,
The RCC (to pull a name out of a hat) doesn’t believe in the ACTUAL Lourdes (where the Mary person’s message was to ask the people to repent) or La Salette.
Headless Unicorn Guy,
I think it wouldn’t weaken your argument to provisionally leave any loose Ep-steen grouping (and similar) and Hollywood out of your visible subset cited.
There is genuine anguish in all allegedly notorious milieus, not excluding “sceptical agnosticism”.
If there is such as thing as actually “satanic” it would look quite suave (to some people’s eyes), there would be degrees of severity, there would be any raison d’etre in methods for making one’s tentative discernments known to others, etc.
Nephilim and Nibelungs are altogether ordinary people living in fog-shrouded countries. They would get talked about in the late ice age. Periodic intermixing (large and small) of populations has been the norm in all parts of world for some tens of thousands of years.
Scripture shows snapshots both of Christ and some saints leaving from the ground viewpoint, and of Christ and some saints arising into an aerial viewpoint. Scripture doesn’t say which saints that is or isn’t, nor does it say how many hours or minutes before a more “final” instant that might be (nor years) (and if hours as workable measure exist by then).
God says what He is saying by saying what He is saying AND by not saying what He is not saying.
Clarification: insofar as it identifies itself as an organisation.
Various religious organisations have entree into politics or government somewhere which is not germane to Our Lord’s message one way OR another. The case is entirely similar to whether one feels that “The SBC” as organisation have left “southern baptists”.
P.S: are there “southern baptists” (real or fake) in Idaho?
Ref children and seizures: it’s a shame bodily differences and ailments are falling into more and more public neglect, indifference and occasions of manipulation.
Oh, there’s no doubt about it. SBC, with its current NeoCal leadership, is not representative of millions of non-Calvinist Southern Baptists. The reformed default in belief and practice of New Calvinism does not identify with where Southern Baptists have been for the last 150 years. This new bunch has come in by stealth and subterfuge, deceiving millions of Southern Baptists – many of which still don’t have a clue that they are financing this rebellion through their faithful tithes and offerings.
John the Baptist had entree to the power behind temple building, but was no dominionist in himself (unlike J Stott).
And I’m not the stereotype rebel: my family ensured we stayed on the fringes of organised religion and our prayers were very simple indeed. Much of my (real) catechesis came from secular teachers who happened to be believers of some kind.
Oh, my goodness, Greg Locke, go away already.
Already, but not yet!
There is medical evidence behind the suggestions from your experience. My wife’s audiologist, upon being told that we attended such a church, told us to leave and find another church as her ears really didn’t handle further assault.
This church literally made earplugs available as accommodations for those who thought the music was too loud. My take is when such a thing is considered necessary, that might indicate that simply turning down the volume a bit would be a more effective accommodation!
Mike S,
They will not admit it’s not worth “hearing” because they are sacred trolls and love wasting your time on Sundays and draining your brain of belief.