103-Year-Old Woman Banned from Church for Criticizing Pastor's Preaching Style

[c.d.]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/103-year-old-ga-woman-banned-from-church-for-criticizing-pastor%E2%80%99s-preaching-style/ar-AAekm7M

c.d.

[GUT]

My two cents totally wrong. And she's better off in another Church.

But hey who owns the Church?

[Shaggyrand]

Every other Baptist church in Atlanta is scrambling to get her. Whoever wins is probably going to have a nice boost of parishioners of the older age variety.

[Mayerling]

This is one the poor lady will just not win. She may find a more acceptable Baptist pastor elsewhere, but this religious revivalist type will attract a new crowd of extreme revivalist shouters to his congregation, slowly driving out the older, more staid types. One only hopes the new members can't financially support this pastor and his church after he has "won".

[Robert]

It's a shame.

[Steadmund Brand]

Being kicked out of church is the best thing for her!!! Would only be better if she kicked the church out of her life......and before you jump on me for that, no , I am not against religion, I am against the church that says "Only I am right, if you disagree with ANYTHING you are wrong".. again, I thought Jesus was all about tolerance.. yet again the "church" proves me wrong.....

It pains me because my Brother and I have both been treated terribly, and threatened and mocked by "good Christians" because I am non-Christian and my brother is a proud Atheist...so much for peace, love and acceptance...instead it's hate and intolerance, (Hmmm, wonder what Jesus would think of that!!).....my favorite was the time I said (very respectfully I may add, after someone started to preach to me) I'm sorry, I understand what you are saying, but I am not a Christian, to which the responded.. "oh, you are one of the f***'n Muslims (there goes that understanding again), and I said no, I'm not, then they said "oh a Jew huh", when I said no again they actually said " well what else is there then" when I refused to answer, they said, "then you should get the hell out of this country... this is a Christian nation, no room for you"... then I realized it wasn't worth the breath it would take to explain how it is not a Christian nation and I just walked away...As this woman should!!!!

Steadmund Brand

[Pcdunn]

"What else is there?" -- let's see:
Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism, Paganism, Theosophist, Rosicrucian, Wiccan, Voudou, Unitarian, assorted Native American, African, and Native Australian beliefs... Etc., etc. and, of course, Atheism.

There's no dealing with the under-educated, when they are also blinkered as to the world they live in. It's sad, really.

[Robert]

Stead, it would have been interesting if you'd said, "Oh, you're one of those peace-and-love-turn-the-other-cheek-give-all-your-money-to-the-poor hippies.

[Mayerling]

Being kicked out of church is the best thing for her!!! Would only be better if she kicked the church out of her life......and before you jump on me for that, no , I am not against religion, I am against the church that says "Only I am right, if you disagree with ANYTHING you are wrong".. again, I thought Jesus was all about tolerance.. yet again the "church" proves me wrong.....

It pains me because my Brother and I have both been treated terribly, and threatened and mocked by "good Christians" because I am non-Christian and my brother is a proud Atheist...so much for peace, love and acceptance...instead it's hate and intolerance, (Hmmm, wonder what Jesus would think of that!!).....my favorite was the time I said (very respectfully I may add, after someone started to preach to me) I'm sorry, I understand what you are saying, but I am not a Christian, to which the responded.. "oh, you are one of the f***'n Muslims (there goes that understanding again), and I said no, I'm not, then they said "oh a Jew huh", when I said no again they actually said " well what else is there then" when I refused to answer, they said, "then you should get the hell out of this country... this is a Christian nation, no room for you"... then I realized it wasn't worth the breath it would take to explain how it is not a Christian nation and I just walked away...As this woman should!!!!

Steadmund Brand

Hi Steadmund,

I am not sure you are aware of this, but some idiot named David Brewer who was put on the U.S. Supreme Court in the late 19th Century (he was on it until he died in 1910) put dicta in one of his decisions for the court that began "We are a Christian nation." I guess, at least to Brewer and his fellow jackasses. that made it official.

The second most irritating comment of a like nature I ever read was from FDR of all people. In 1940 he had a meeting with Catholic and Jewish religious leaders and began it by saying, "You are aware we are a Protestant nation and you are here on our sufferance!" Funny, while all the Presidents before JFK were Protestant, and Al Smith had run as a Catholic in 1928 (with the "sufferance" support of his protégé FDR?) for the Presidency, the U.S. Constitution never put down that we were a Protestant nation and all other religious peoples were here on the sufferance of the Protestants. It would have been of equal concern to FDR if after making that stupid comment the Catholic and Jewish religious leaders (most of whom were Democrats) had upon getting this spit in their face rose to their feet and left the President's presence immediately, with one turning around and saying, "You realize you are seated in the Oval Office at our sufferance!!"

Jeff

[c.d.]

I often see elderly black people dressed up on Sundays. My guess is that they are going to the Baptist church. Meaning no disrespect, they look like they have worn that same outfit for years and it has clearly seen better times. This is what I always think of when I hear the term "shabby genteel."

c.d.

[Pcdunn]

Jeff,

What is your source for the story about FDR, please?
I believe his "Four Freedoms" speech (which inspired the famous illustrations by Norman Rockwell) included the "Freedom of Religion"-- so your anecdote seems very at odds with that line of thought.

[Shaggyrand]

FDR's Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau & Leo Crowley are where that quote comes from. There are plenty of stories and evidence that FDR the man was nothing like FDR the public figure. Like his ignoring pleas for the US to take in refugee children, the letters of these pleas are in the national archive. Actually the US dealings with refugees before and after WW2 is pretty shameful, didn't take in nearly what they easily could and should have. So much so it led directly to Morgenthau's religious radicalization.
FDR was very aware of public perception and played that masterfully in a way that was, arguably, exactly as needed at the time.

[Pcdunn]

Thanks for the reply, Shaggyrand. Interesting.

[DirectorDave]

Woman from nation that was settled by people who thought were they came from was not religiously intolerant enough might have a point.

I do find people who believe in a sky fairy intriguing...funny but intriguing.