Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Miller
In response to this post I stand on my first one. This TV vote did nothing to the doctrine of the UPCI. Why was it the last straw? Why is it even an issue. It is about evangelism methods, not about changing doctrine.
I still have not seen an answer to that question that made much sense on why the org. has to divide or split.
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JM, you are of course right.
The whole problem is - the radicals MAKE TV advertising an issue of "doctrine."
Let me share a memory with you.
I left the UPC ministry in 1991. I was out of touch for several years until message boards like this popped up.
I did muse to myself when the internet became widespread around 1997-99 that I just KNEW pentecostal preachers were up in arms about it and of course that the UPC had banned it and put the hammer down even harder on it than on television.
My thinking made sense: the internet is a cesspool 100 times worse than television.
Imagine my big surprise to find "ole time" pentecostal preachers all over the internet and message boards and to find that the internet was pretty much swallowed, hook, line and sinker by the tradtional oneness pentecostal movement.
It's quite simple, really.
No one is interested in making distinctions and applying principles. I have to admire the ultra-right wingers of the Canadian Plains for at least trying to apply principle and banning the internet.
But principle and consistency need not come knocking at the door in this era where the modern day pentecostal ministry made themselves a laughingstock by accepting the internet, continuing their ban on television and feebly attempting to codify and make a theology out of the attempt.
Whatever chance "ole time pentecost" had to become a relevant force in modern-day religion vanished with that fiasco.
People with any common sense now look at them - if they even take a long enough look - and shake their heads slowly with amusement and bemusement.
Bottom line: pentecostal preachers love their toys.
And their internet is the biggest toy of all.
Heck, I'm sure their feelings would be accurately summarized with a bumper sticker somewhat like the gun-nut crowd:
"You'll Take Away My Internet When You Pry It Out Of My Cold, Dead Hands."
And principle, consistency and
rightness?
Who needs it?
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