This Is Why We Get a Bad Rap!!

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

LOL!!!! Okay, surprisingly, I'm going to agree with you on this finer point. Although I do believe we should try to keep our mouths clean for the sake of our own consciences, it is true that much of what is offensive is determined by who is in the room. (Same with modesty--obviously God isn't offended by nudity, in and of itself.)

I do believe that taking God's name in vain is disrespectful to Him, and since He can always hear, then I don't suppose there's ever a "safe" time for that.

Yay! Agreement! It's been a long time since I've had that with anyone (Timmy naturally excluded! LOL)

We agree on both points. I do have a few friends that are more conservative than I, (they live far away), and I am careful of what I say when we talk on the phone, because I know they don't like certain words...or topics of conversation for that matter.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Monkeyman

And then we get this...sheesh, come on my lib friends, please defend us who are still in the ark!!!!!!

DG, this post was garbage

It's not entirely garbage. Some of the more conservative churches turn out the wildest teenagers, and some very immoral grownups, who do anything at all when they're on vacation, and out of the pastor's watchful eye.

That's a whole new thread, regarding living by principle, rather than the letter of the law.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

It's not entirely garbage. Some of the more conservative churches turn out the wildest teenagers, and some very immoral grownups, who do anything at all when they're on vacation, and out of the pastor's watchful eye.

That's a whole new thread, regarding living by principle, rather than the letter of the law.

Right.

And it need not be related to dress codes or even religion at all. Any strictly regimented family may produce children that feel the need to persue a pendulum swing away from it all.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

It's not entirely garbage. Some of the more conservative churches turn out the wildest teenagers, and some very immoral grownups, who do anything at all when they're on vacation, and out of the pastor's watchful eye.

That's a whole new thread, regarding living by principle, rather than the letter of the law.

That's a silly statement, Abigail. As I stated before, having not been raised in the UPC, I had friends in various denominations making the same mistakes - teenagers and adults. It's an unfounded broadbrush statement, IMO.

It is nothing more than and only as simple as - those that choose to walk after the flesh and not the Spirit. For those that choose to walk carnal, there were and are many that choose to walk after the Spirit. That's a fact that cannot be denied, IMO.

Many other teenagers that go away to college, from other denominations, sow their wild oats - just as much as a Bible college kid would.
They have simply lived a religion, just like any other child, and have to find God for themselves at some point in their life. It can't get any more simple.

Living in a Holy Ghost filled home is no guarantee. It's a personal choice to be made.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Well, pel?


That's fun to say, btw.



Anybody want a peanut? (Only the wise will understand.)

Yes I see your point, after re-reading Dordrecht's post it does seem to be confrontational toward Sherri's original post.

I guess you could look at it this way - "Sherri, the ex-UPCer is gossiping and spreading scandalous tales about someone and won't even back it up..."

That's kind of the take I get from Dordrecht. The problem is: The blog is also from an "exUPCer" -so anything Sherri may say would be self deprecatory as she herself has indicated by her title selection.

So, the real "scandal" appears to be that Sherri is concerned about gossips gossiping about "exUPCers" in general and the "bad name" that gets hung on people. Hardly a scandal, in my opinion.

So we're back to the real problem: there is apparently an audience that wishes to read the "exUPC" pastor's wife's blog's PG-17 language and that audience has no material to read.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

That's a silly statement, Abigail. As I stated before, having not been raised in the UPC, I had friends in various denominations making the same mistakes - teenagers and adults. It's an unfounded broadbrush statement, IMO.

It is nothing more than and only as simple as - those that choose to walk after the flesh and not the Spirit. For those that choose to walk carnal, there were and are many that choose to walk after the Spirit. That's a fact that cannot be denied, IMO.

Many other teenagers that go away to college, from other denominations, sow their wild oats - just as much as a Bible college kid would.
They have simply lived a religion, just like any other child, and have to find God for themselves at some point in their life. It can't get any more simple.

Living in a Holy Ghost filled home is no guarantee. It's a personal choice to be made.

It is a broadbrush, I'll concede to that, but it's not unfounded. I did grow up in the UPCI, and we fellowshipped often with conservative, Independent churches.

I agree that many kids sow their wild oats--obviously. But those who are sent off on their own without having had a moral compass instilled seem to do far worse. When they're good, they're very, very good, but when they're bad, they're horrid.

Obviously every person makes their own choices, but there are some church cultures that contribute to bad decision making skills because the emphasis is on obey the pastor, and rarely on developing personal convictions and applying biblical principles to an entire lifestyle.

There are SOME people who leave the UPCI, and once they are without the "trappings", they are as lost as a goose in a snowstorm. Since wearing pants is given a sin value as equal to that of adultery or theft or murder, suddenly nothing is off limits, and the ability to discern between right and wrong is lost. I had a friend of mine who told me that when she cut her hair the first time, and put on a pair of jeans that suddenly everything seemed "okay." That is not an isolated event. Man-imposed restrictions being equated with God-imposed commandments leads to a confusion that is blinding and deadly to many.

Now you know that I am a supporter of biblical authority, and I believe pastors should preach what they believe is right and necessary. I have no bone to pick with the UPC in general--I'm part of it. What I mentioned referred more to kids I've seen out of Independent and conservative trinitarian churches, rather than the UPC. However, I've seen it in the UPC and ALJC as well. Truth be told, it can probably occur in any extreme faction of a religion. Kids rebel against it all--not just the unbiblical junk.

And now I'm rambling, I've lost track of my point, so end of post.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by pelathais

...So we're back to the real problem: there is apparently an audience that wishes to read the "exUPC" pastor's wife's blog's PG-17 language and that audience has no material to read.

[KWSS1976]

Yea I am still trying to figure out what going on since I cannot read it and it is not posted...LOL

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

It is a broadbrush, I'll concede to that, but it's not unfounded. I did grow up in the UPCI, and we fellowshipped often with conservative, Independent churches.

I agree that many kids sow their wild oats--obviously. But those who are sent off on their own without having had a moral compass instilled seem to do far worse. When they're good, they're very, very good, but when they're bad, they're horrid.

Obviously every person makes their own choices, but there are some church cultures that contribute to bad decision making skills because the emphasis is on obey the pastor, and rarely on developing personal convictions and applying biblical principles to an entire lifestyle.

There are SOME people who leave the UPCI, and once they are without the "trappings", they are as lost as a goose in a snowstorm. Since wearing pants is given a sin value as equal to that of adultery or theft or murder, suddenly nothing is off limits, and the ability to discern between right and wrong is lost. I had a friend of mine who told me that when she cut her hair the first time, and put on a pair of jeans that suddenly everything seemed "okay." That is not an isolated event. Man-imposed restrictions being equated with God-imposed commandments leads to a confusion that is blinding and deadly to many.

Now you know that I am a supporter of biblical authority, and I believe pastors should preach what they believe is right and necessary. I have no bone to pick with the UPC in general--I'm part of it. What I mentioned referred more to kids I've seen out of Independent and conservative trinitarian churches, rather than the UPC. However, I've seen it in the UPC and ALJC as well. Truth be told, it can probably occur in any extreme faction of a religion. Kids rebel against it all--not just the unbiblical junk.

And now I'm rambling, I've lost track of my point, so end of post.

I agree with you to a degree, but not totally. Let me focus on this quote you made:

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

I agree that many kids sow their wild oats--obviously. But those who are sent off on their own without having had a moral compass instilled seem to do far worse. When they're good, they're very, very good, but when they're bad, they're horrid.

I was this person, after moving miles away from home, and landing in Houston, Texas. We were raised with a good moral compass, but no way as strict as a conservative apostolic/pentecostal church, yet.....the country mouse had come to town!

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

I agree with you to a degree, but not totally. Let me focus on this quote you made:

I was this person, after moving miles away from home, and landing in Houston, Texas. We were raised with a good moral compass, but no way as strict as a conservative apostolic/pentecostal church, yet.....the country mouse had come to town!

So you had a good moral compass and chose to be bad anyway.

*shrug* Been there myself.

The point I'm trying to get to is that since little things are given the same "sin value" (for lack of a better term), then when you do a little thing, you think that you might as well do it all--since you're already going to have to repent on Sunday AM. That's the mindset I'm talking about. There's no independent interpretation of what is right and wrong, based on a personal set of morals. Everything is interpreted through the lens of "will I get caught?" rather than "does this please God?"