tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post111815282308356046..comments2024-03-06T03:15:58.539-05:00Comments on <b>THE NEW REFORM CLUB</b>: Shiflett Prints Headlines from the PastHunter Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14961831404331998743noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1118263382508025832005-06-08T16:43:00.000-04:002005-06-08T16:43:00.000-04:00I think we may be having one of those "how do you ...I think we may be having one of those "how do you explain music to a deaf man" moments. No insult intended, but you've just got a screen welded into place that precludes the possibility of real devotion in church.Hunter Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14961831404331998743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1118239564661592012005-06-08T10:06:00.000-04:002005-06-08T10:06:00.000-04:00No, the various manifestations of the Christian ch...No, the various manifestations of the Christian church are not brands. In the case of those who are orthodox, the denominations stand for particular theological emphases that actually mean something. You clearly prefer the Democratic party. Is that just a consumerist brand or do they stand for certain things you think are important?Hunter Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14961831404331998743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1118191238280252382005-06-07T20:40:00.000-04:002005-06-07T20:40:00.000-04:00The nice thing about focus groups is that they pay...The nice thing about focus groups is that <I>they</I> pay <I>you</I>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1118186331482632102005-06-07T19:18:00.000-04:002005-06-07T19:18:00.000-04:00Tlaloc, the Christian doesn't believe he gets anyt...Tlaloc, the Christian doesn't believe he gets anything special from the building. It is simply a place to gather, to worship God through the preaching of the word and the making of music, and a context for the intermixture of lives. Through the church, I meet others who have placed their hope in Christ. We encourage one another. We help one another. We listen. We consider. We rejoice. We feel sadness. We pray.<BR/><BR/>What is not happening is that we enter a building with a brand like McDonald's or Burger King and get our head filled with focus group blather. At least, that is not what is happening in a true church. There are some places where I'm afraid you'd find exactly that.Hunter Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14961831404331998743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1118173972470908812005-06-07T15:52:00.000-04:002005-06-07T15:52:00.000-04:00Tlaloc, it's hard to explain the experience of Chr...Tlaloc, it's hard to explain the experience of Christianity to someone determined to see it in a certain light, as I think you do.<BR/><BR/>All I can tell you is that prior to becoming a Christian, my parameters of life were the sports page, comic strips, and lots of television. I was a perfectly normal consumerist American. <BR/><BR/>When I went to college at Florida State and had people approach me about Jesus, I was frankly embarrassed for them. When I finally attended a meeting, it was to mollify a friend and make up for shoddy behavior.<BR/><BR/>Since attending that first meeting, I've seen my horizons expand immeasurably. Through the faith, I gained an interest in literature, history, law, religion, and marriage. All of these things have made my life more full and broad than it would have been otherwise. <BR/><BR/>What I'm trying to say is that the Christian faith has been much less like a prison and much more like a spaceship or an airplane. I've seen more and done more than I ever would have otherwise. <BR/><BR/>Even the practice of giving away a substantial fraction of income, though almost unthinkable at first, has improved me and made me more generous. The church is no scam, my friend, not when it is really the church.Hunter Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14961831404331998743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776899.post-1118171971254515922005-06-07T15:19:00.000-04:002005-06-07T15:19:00.000-04:00Oh, is that I've been doing, looking for someone t...Oh, is that I've been doing, looking for someone to treat me like a child and rigidly control me? <BR/><BR/>Wow, the doors of perception are opening. I should be a full-blown atheist by next Tuesday!Hunter Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14961831404331998743noreply@blogger.com