Dead Reverend, now a few questions

[Moai]

P.S.

 

Let this man lie in peace. I can't believe educated people can harp on about this indefinately! It sounds like midday T.V. reality garbage..and we all know the type of audience that "religiously" watches this kind of crap!!! Come on! Get real!!!

 

If you don't find human sexuality interesting, that is your problem. There are hundreds of other threads for you to read and post on. And you aren't judgmental at all....

[rangie]

why is it our leaders and spiritual guides all preach good living and a godfearing way of life yet so many get found out to be so far from the truth they all seem worse than us in thier everyday lifes

it would be nice to hear about someone who actuall practise what they preach

[taiko]

why is it our leaders and spiritual guides all preach good living and a godfearing way of life yet so many get found out to be so far from the truth they all seem worse than us in thier everyday lifes

it would be nice to hear about someone who actuall practise what they preach

Man bites dog is a story, dog bites man is not. In my opinion the entire thread is an attempt to say, "what are you stupid."

Here is the claim.

 

A follower of god maybe has said that he has been saved since he was 6 years old, a man who dedicated his life to learning, preaching the gospel and teaching others to follow the path of god has this kink, therefore there is no god. Followed by don't you feel foolish and betrayed in this case Christians.

 

To which the Christian just shakes his head, thinks there they go again, and points to the story of King David. As all followers have their own sin, which they attempt to keep secret and defeat. In Christian thought all are sinners. In any case their sin probably was not as bad as what David did. In the Jewish and Muslim tradition they believe that God will look at their lives in total and the good teachings to help the community will outweigh the bad of their private behaviour they hope.. Christians meanwhile believe that their admittance of sin and faith in God will result in a pardon for their sin but are still called upon to help make a better community through the teaching God's plan for life.

[marlena]

Can I take this post to suggest that you think that his behavior was sick? If so, why is he a "poor man" as you described earlier?

 

No, I do not think it was sick. Different stokes for different folks as the saying goes. What I find sick is discussing a person's, whether he be a representative of God or not, private sex life in gory detail...especially when that person is dead.

 

This could have been discussed without personalizing the issue. Names could have been omitted. In my opinion, the MME should not have disclosed his name either given the fact he was a public figure.

 

The quality of a society's culture is judged by its members willingness or unwillingness to cater to cheap sensationalism.

[Moose]

In any case their sin probably was not as bad as what David did.

Time for some clarification here.....

 

There are no sin(s) greater than the next. What this Rev. did was sinful, yes....but it's no worse than going 61 mph in a 60 mph zone. It is no worse than a man walking into a bank shooting everyone in it, then leaving with a bag full of cash either.......God hates ALL sin, man is the one who placed degrees on it.....

Christians meanwhile believe that their admittance of sin and faith in God will result in a pardon for their sin but are still called upon to help make a better community through the teaching God's plan for life.

It's not as simple as that or EVERYONE would be doing it!

 

I agree, the Reverend should've admitted his sin(s) to his congregation, and his congregation should've been his accountability team. That didn't happen and the Rev. got caught in it.

 

Once we are saved, the Holy Spirit lives within us. I don't see how this man, having the Holy Spirit, can get up in front of his Church and preach the word of God without literally falling apart behind the pulpit.

 

IF the Holy Spirit is in you, teaching God's plan and living a holy life should become second nature to the true believer....not a, "calling"....

 

I would have doubts the Reverend was even saved at all if in fact all of this rubber fetish news is real......

[Herzen]

Oh, it's real, here's the link to the autopsy report: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1008072scuba1.html

[taiko]

Time for some clarification here.....

 

There are no sin(s) greater than the next. What this Rev. did was sinful, yes....but it's no worse than going 61 mph in a 60 mph zone. It is no worse than a man walking into a bank shooting everyone in it, then leaving with a bag full of cash either.......God hates ALL sin, man is the one who placed degrees on it.......

Yes but these words are addressed to men. Afterall the tread is not about the Reverend Doctor X, leader of Y denomination who got a speeding ticket. The gotcha moment was in something most men would turn their heads in shame or embarassment. The King David story was probably chosen over those of other Judges, Prophets and Kings because he committed the gravest sin against another man that could be done. Took a friend's wife and arranged for his death to escape human punishment. Compared to that secretly shoving something up your own butt is nothing to other men.

[Moose]

Yes but these words are addressed to men. Afterall the tread is not about the Reverend Doctor X, leader of Y denomination who got a speeding ticket. The gotcha moment was in something most men would turn their heads in shame or embarassment. The King David story was probably chosen over those of other Judges, Prophets and Kings because he committed the gravest sin against another man that could be done. Took a friend's wife and arranged for his death to escape human punishment. Compared to that secretly shoving something up your own butt is nothing to other men.

Not so. Your entire post was directed to all Christians, and you're assuming that which is not. Hence, the clarification....

[Moai]

Man bites dog is a story, dog bites man is not. In my opinion the entire thread is an attempt to say, "what are you stupid."

I do think that the Rev. Aldridge was stupid, but not because he was a believer, or because he had a fetish.

Here is the claim.

 

A follower of god maybe has said that he has been saved since he was 6 years old, a man who dedicated his life to learning, preaching the gospel and teaching others to follow the path of god has this kink, therefore there is no god. Followed by don't you feel foolish and betrayed in this case Christians.

Wrong. While common sense should tell you not to put words in other people's mouths (re:false witness), the fact that the Rev. Aldridge did these things has nothing to do with whether or not the Christian religion is The One True Religion, or whether or not god exists. I never said it did, as that would be inane. I would imagine that his flock probably feels betrayed, but I am not one of them so I can't say for sure. Given the specific claims of certain segments of the Christian population, I would think that his death would raise some questions. Hence me asking them.

To which the Christian just shakes his head, thinks there they go again, and points to the story of King David. As all followers have their own sin, which they attempt to keep secret and defeat. In Christian thought all are sinners. In any case their sin probably was not as bad as what David did. In the Jewish and Muslim tradition they believe that God will look at their lives in total and the good teachings to help the community will outweigh the bad of their private behaviour they hope.. Christians meanwhile believe that their admittance of sin and faith in God will result in a pardon for their sin but are still called upon to help make a better community through the teaching God's plan for life.

Interesting point. I am aware that according to Christians all men are sinners. I am also aware that for Protestants one sin is the same as anny other. All of that is well and good. However, Jesus certainly didn't like hypocrites, did he? That being so, why would he call a hypocrite to preach his word? Doesn't it bother you at all that a man would claim god removed his protection because of America's immorality, and he is immoral himself? I will repeat that I do not think that his sexual behavior was immoral, but his public conduct certainly was. I also think that most people, Christian or not, would consider his sexual appetites deviant and immoral. I never heard him or his handler Jerry Falwell say that OUR morality caused god to remove his protection, they claimed it was "THEIR" immorality that was to blame. They didn't say "all sins are the same, and we are a nation of sinners, so we were punished." No, they said, "Our nation tolerates homosexuals, adultery, and all sorts of sexual immorality and because of this god removed his protection. When the US experiences revival these sins will no longer exist and we will again be god's country." I have said before, I am not asking this as a point of debate. I am only curious as to how Christians of every stripe would rationalise this, and other things. That is why I asked. As I have demonstrated, I did not start this thread to debate the existence of god, or to use this incident as an indictment of the entire belief system. Why so defensive? Why jump to conclusions?

[Moai]

Time for some clarification here.....

 

There are no sin(s) greater than the next. What this Rev. did was sinful, yes....but it's no worse than going 61 mph in a 60 mph zone. It is no worse than a man walking into a bank shooting everyone in it, then leaving with a bag full of cash either.......God hates ALL sin, man is the one who placed degrees on it.....It's not as simple as that or EVERYONE would be doing it!

 

I agree, the Reverend should've admitted his sin(s) to his congregation, and his congregation should've been his accountability team. That didn't happen and the Rev. got caught in it.

 

Once we are saved, the Holy Spirit lives within us. I don't see how this man, having the Holy Spirit, can get up in front of his Church and preach the word of God without literally falling apart behind the pulpit.

 

IF the Holy Spirit is in you, teaching God's plan and living a holy life should become second nature to the true believer....not a, "calling"....

 

I would have doubts the Reverend was even saved at all if in fact all of this rubber fetish news is real......

 

Good post. I would agree with you, Moose, that one could reasonably doubt his salvation based on the circumstances of his death. That is for god to decide, of course, but are we not supposed to be able to tell the quality of the tree by its fruit (or soemthing like that!)? Do you think that someone he may have led to salvation would now doubt their own situation, or doubt salvation in general? I would say that it doesn't matter who leads you to the Lord, it is your relationship with him that matters, but I am not going through that so I can't say. Maybe the question isn't whether such an event would cause a crisis of faith for some, but rather a crisis of doctrine. Maybe some would seek a more reasoned sect after this? What do you think?

[Moose]

but are we not supposed to be able to tell the quality of the tree by its fruit (or soemthing like that!)?

Yes, we should be judging the tree by it's fruit. However, what the Rev. was involved with is of a personal nature and doesn't neccessarly reflect what his works were like outside of his personal behaviour.

 

That is entirely between him and God.

Do you think that someone he may have led to salvation would now doubt their own situation, or doubt salvation in general?

You've pretty much talked yourself through this already, but I'll expand a bit if I may.....If they do, (doubt their salvation), then one would have to doubt whether or not the person was saved in the first place. In other words, if you experience geniune salvation, you would know that his, (again personal) behaviour doesn't negate the Saving Grace of Christ. But yes, there is a distinct possible that some would doubt......

Maybe the question isn't whether such an event would cause a crisis of faith for some, but rather a crisis of doctrine.

Not really. Doctrine clearly says that there isn't one on Earth who's enitirely clean. But if you're referring to his, "right" to proclaim doctrine, that's a whole nuther' story. I would say that he was certainly qualified, but not neccessarly in God's will while he was doing so. To me that's a big no-no....

Maybe some would seek a more reasoned sect after this? What do you think?

Again, some might.....but if they all do, I think they'd discover there's always going to be something they don't agree with 100% no matter what sect they decide to migrate to....and would ultimately come back. BUT, when they do, they'd most likely join a different congregation within the original sect.....