How close should a pastor get to the members?

[Charnock]

Praxeas, I really think you are off your rocker on this one Bro.

Originally, you did not specify "some" pastors. You lumped all of us as bad.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Amos

Sir, you have made some huge leaps here with all your blathering about "untouchables" and such.

You know, I started out talking about an attitude that I don't think MOST Pastors have and you turned it into me bashing all Pastors and hating Pastors in general.

Is that how you deal with disagreements in real life? Rather than addressing my point and showing how you don't think it is true you instead trip along into a war of words?

I have seen the excessess..some of them were Pastors. Some were not. It happens. But if you think I am going to treat the word Pastor or that class as something that can never be discussed as to those excesses then you have another thing coming.

You can call that "hate" for Pastors, and continue to believe that lie. You can tell me I am arrogant or whatever else you want. It won't change anything. I'd say the same thing if the topic was a Pastor, a Husband or just a nobody saint in the church....but ONLY when it applies to Pastors do you scream fowl....why is that?

[ChTatum]

I believe in transparency. Total transparency.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Charnock

Praxeas, I really think you are off your rocker on this one Bro.

Originally, you did not specify "some" pastors. You lumped all of us as bad.

quote me saying ALL Pastors are bad. In fact you were the one that said first that they were evil...I figured you were saying that TIC so I said of course there are some good ones. There are probably a lot MORE than Some..'

Never the less that does not change my feelings about the topic of this thread and your attacks only solidifies that view.

[Charnock]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Prax, it usually is a defense mechanism, and having grown up in a pastor's home, I can tell you there are often good reasons for a man to feel protective of himself and his family. Hopefully that culture is changing.

As for the dividing of classes into "inferior/superior"--I think it's more likely a "trustworthy/untrustworthy" division, and again, with good reason in many cases.

I like the ideal of pastors (and their families) being on friendly, congenial terms with the congregants. However, in practicality, close friendships aren't always possible, especially within the church culture as it exists now, where even finding out that your pastor's kid watched a movie can be information used as leverage at some point.

Personally, I would like to feel free to pick up hitchhikers and take them to wherever they need to go. I always think they look cold and tired and feel compelled to stop and offer a lift. But truthfully, it would be a bad decision--not because they're all bad people, or because I don't think they're "worthy" of a pick-up, or even because I think they're somehow inferior, but simply because I don't want to put my life or the lives of my passengers at risk because of a "few bad men."

Not that I'm comparing saints to hitchhikers.

I'm just saying that it's a trust issue, NOT (usually) a holier/better-than-thou issue.

For the life of me, I don't understand his unhealthy fixation with the private lives of pastors. I mean, my goodness, can you imagine if we wanted to be the saints best friends? With them all of the time?

People would say we were control freaks. Stalkers.

[Amos]

Originally Posted by Charnock

Praxeas, I really think you are off your rocker on this one Bro.

Originally, you did not specify "some" pastors. You lumped all of us as bad.

Alas poor Prax...he needs a reminder that words mean things.

I have tried to carefully differentiate between the post and the poster.

In his emotion, he has not.

One must rule one's spirit, or he is like a city without walls, Solomon said.

[Charnock]

Originally Posted by ChTatum

I believe in transparency. Total transparency.

Okay, lets' test that.

Please post your financial statements for the past year.

Please share intimate details about your love life.

Get real.

You believe in no such thing.

It's a myth.

[Charnock]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

quote me saying ALL Pastors are bad. In fact you were the one that said first that they were evil...I figured you were saying that TIC so I said of course there are some good ones. There are probably a lot MORE than Some..'

Never the less that does not change my feelings about the topic of this thread and your attacks only solidifies that view.

You heard it here first!

Prax grudgingly concedes that there may be a lot more than "some" good pastors.

Be comforted AFF, be comforted.

[2020Vision]

Originally Posted by ChTatum

I believe in transparency. Total transparency.

No clothes, buck naked transparency right. No door on the bathroom transparency. Vomit in front of me transparency. Like real transparency. No muzzles. No holding tongues. Just let it all out. That kind?

[Amos]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

You know, I started out talking about an attitude that I don't think MOST Pastors have and you turned it into me bashing all Pastors and hating Pastors in general.

Is that how you deal with disagreements in real life? Rather than addressing my point and showing how you don't think it is true you instead trip along into a war of words?

I have seen the excessess..some of them were Pastors. Some were not. It happens. But if you think I am going to treat the word Pastor or that class as something that can never be discussed as to those excesses then you have another thing coming.

You can call that "hate" for Pastors, and continue to believe that lie. You can tell me I am arrogant or whatever else you want. It won't change anything. I'd say the same thing if the topic was a Pastor, a Husband or just a nobody saint in the church....but ONLY when it applies to Pastors do you scream fowl....why is that?

Husbands and saints don't get singled out and dogpiled here; pastors do.

As for a war of words, there is no war here; the conflict is within and can only be won by you and Jesus, Prax. You and Jesus.