Reverend Jeffress preaching at Trump's Inauguration service.

[Michie]

I think you are misunderstanding me. You must think I'm a rotten person.

If that's true it hurts my heart & it helps me to better understand why Christianity is declining. Especially with young people. I do hope good people stand up against such hatefulness instead of being apathetic about it or trying to mitigate / normalize it bc some other pastor who supported a politician they didn't like said something that was also un-Christ-like. I don't think Catholicism is a cult-like pagan religion inspired by Satan like this man said it was & it makes me sad if other evangelical leaders have said that it is, or worse.

 

[Cimorene]

I think you are misunderstanding me. You must think I'm a rotten person.

I promise I don't think you're a rotten person, Michie! Never even crossed my mind to think that. I do mean what I wrote but I wasn't trying to imply that those who don't agree about speaking up aren't good people. I live in an area where Christianity has been on the decline for a while, especially with people who are young. When prominent Christian leaders say toxic things it repels even more. It makes even harder to justify being a part of it. I've also seen how when adults say hateful things it makes teens think it must be OK to repeat them, & it's not true that words can never hurt, bc they really can. But maybe where you live & with people your age most people are lifelong Christians & they can just brush off nasty rhetoric bc it doesn't lead to the same harmful effects.

 

[Michie]

I promise I don't think you're a rotten person, Michie! Never even crossed my mind to think that. I do mean what I wrote but I wasn't trying to imply that those who don't agree about speaking up aren't good people. I live in an area where Christianity has been on the decline for a while, especially with people who are young. When prominent Christian leaders say toxic things it repels even more. It makes even harder to justify being a part of it. I've also seen how when adults say hateful things it makes teens think it must be OK to repeat them, & it's not true that words can never hurt, bc they really can. But maybe where you live & with people your age most people are lifelong Christians & they can just brush off nasty rhetoric bc it doesn't lead to the same harmful effects.

No we care. But we can't control everything that comes out of people's mouths. And I have full confidence that these preachers will not be allowed to downgrade different faiths when they speak during the inauguration. I have heard many people speak badly about Catholicism and lost a few friends during my conversion. I just feel we can't control free speech. There are many on the planet that have not said something or believed something that we wish we hadn't. There are going to be many speakers during inauguration. And I believe people of faith are a lot more perceptive than we give them credit for. I guess my point is there is an awful lot of hate directed towards this presidency as there was with Obama's. There does not seem to be much being done to close the divide. Do I wish Trump had chosen a different speaker? Yes I do. But at the same time many of us are trying to hope for the best whether we like this incoming administration or not. People are sending death threats to entertainers who dare contemplate performing, people are going to protest, people are committing some horrific things to one another and using Trump as an excuse. This seems like a different type of hate than Obama endured. There are many anti-catholic preachers here in America and has been since the beginning. I just feel there is a fine line to walk in that type of atmosphere so I choose not to feed into it. Because there is not much we can do about it at this point and I choose for my own sanity not to feed into an already very unstable situation at this point. There is 4 years ahead of us with whatever will happen during that time. Jeffress seems to be the least of our worries. I'm sure there will be discussion about Jeffress in the press afterwards, we'll see. But I feel the best option is to not add to the unhealthy atmosphere some in the media are trying to propagate. If we want unity we have to be willing to unite and dispel wrong that way. Because right now, the atmosphere here borders on hysteria. You would not believe the stuff my husband comes home and tells me about when he comes home from work when politics are brought up anymore. I just don't think this preacher is important enough to add to the distress people are already feeling. If we want unity then we need to unite and choose our battles wisely without adding to the fear.

Thanks for your post btw! Glad you do not think I'm rotten.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

they are a cult.
1 John 2:22 ESV / 5 helpful votes
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.


John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."
Mormons deny that.

So do Jews but you don't hear much about that....

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

I wonder, EastcoastRemnant, do you consider this fake news because you know, in fact, that he won't be preaching, or is it because you're claiming he hasn't said those inflammatory things about Catholics and those of other faiths....in other words, what makes this story false?

Just commenting on the deceivableness of that "news" service. My comment of the pastor was the first part of my post.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Lol, you posted yours while I was posting mine about how people here were bound to call CNN fake bc Trump had told them it was fake. Jw. When exactly did CNN become the "epitome of fake news"? Before or after Melania Trump picked them to give an exclusive interview defending her husband after his sick tape bragging about sexually assaulting women came out?

No, after they were caught faking news as far back as the Gulf War... google it if you're interested.

 

[Tallguy88]

If that's true it hurts my heart & it helps me to better understand why Christianity is declining. Especially with young people. I do hope good people stand up against such hatefulness instead of being apathetic about it or trying to mitigate / normalize it bc some other pastor who supported a politician they didn't like said something that was also un-Christ-like. I don't think Catholicism is a cult-like pagan religion inspired by Satan like this man said it was & it makes me sad if other evangelical leaders have said that it is, or worse.

While Evangelicals do tend to be somewhat hostile toward Catholicism, that in particular is a bit more extreme than the mainstream among evangelicals. Usually they will accept that there could be Catholics who really are Christians if we don't believe a lot of the Catholic-specific stuff.

As far as Christianity declining, it's mainline Christianity, such as Methodists, Episcopals, Presbyterians, and some kinds of Lutherans that are in decline in the USA. Evangelicalism is growing, as is Catholicism and Mormonism. Basically, the more conservative branches are growing or holding steady, while the more middle of the road or left leaning denominations are in decline. It's not necessarily a result of conservative vs liberal theology, however.

Mainline Protestant - Wikipedia

 

[Mountain_Girl406]

Is Catholicism growing in the US? I didn't know that, but that's more from observations locally.

 

[Tallguy88]

Is Catholicism growing in the US? I didn't know that, but that's more from observations locally.

Holding steady, from what I've read. Whites are leaving, but the Mexicans are offsetting it. Plus Mexicans have big families.

 

[Mrs.PGL]

Ok, so you're saying that Trump invited the choir for a cult to perform at his inauguration? That makes sense since nearly everybody else refused to perform for him.

yes, Mormonism is a cult

 

[Mrs.PGL]

So do Jews but you don't hear much about that....

I wonder if that is not who the Lord was discussing.

 

[Tallguy88]

yes, Mormonism is a cult

I don't think cult is the right word. They aren't especially secretive and don't have a strong charismatic leader anymore. They are just an extremely unorthodox version of Christianity, or even a non-Christian religion that claims to be Christian. Both Catholicism and CF take the latter view.

 

[Mrs.PGL]

I don't think cult is the right word. They aren't especially secretive and don't have a strong charismatic leader anymore. They are just an extremely unorthodox version of Christianity, or even a non-Christian religion that claims to be Christian. Both Catholicism and CF take the latter view.

No. They deny the divinity of Jesus.

 

[Tallguy88]

No. They deny the divinity of Jesus.

They deny the eternal divinity of Jesus. They do believe he is a God now, but not that he has always been.

 

[MikeK]

Is Catholicism growing in the US? I didn't know that, but that's more from observations locally.

In terms of raw numbers, there are more Americans who claim Catholic as their religion than at any time in the past. Participation in Church services and Sacraments is decreasing steadily even when only raw numbers are considered. When looked at from a perspective that factors in population growth the situation looks more dire.

A decent article:
For U.S. Catholics: growing numbers, shrinking rites

 

[Mrs.PGL]

They deny the eternal divinity of Jesus. They do believe he is a God now, but not that he has always been.

There is more to their problem than just that.
The deny the divinity of Jesus, and then accept it when it is put on their way.
Ask a Mormon how many Hells there are, and who goes where.
It is a very extensive subject.
They are a cult

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Your logical fallacy is genetic

Website policy and general politeness prevent me from responding.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

I don't know that CNN said that, but it is my opinion as a Catholic.

I do not believe your statement here.

My knowledge and experience indicates the Catholic Church does not teach anything that would support such a conclusion. The left-wing proponents in the United States does; no doubt some of those are in the Catholic Church, they're everywhere else.

In any event, your initial comment is political, not Christian.

 

[Cimorene]

No we care. But we can't control everything that comes out of people's mouths. And I have full confidence that these preachers will not be allowed to downgrade different faiths when they speak during the inauguration. I have heard many people speak badly about Catholicism and lost a few friends during my conversion. I just feel we can't control free speech. There are many on the planet that have not said something or believed something that we wish we hadn't. There are going to be many speakers during inauguration. And I believe people of faith are a lot more perceptive than we give them credit for. I guess my point is there is an awful lot of hate directed towards this presidency as there was with Obama's. There does not seem to be much being done to close the divide. Do I wish Trump had chosen a different speaker? Yes I do. But at the same time many of us are trying to hope for the best whether we like this incoming administration or not. People are sending death threats to entertainers who dare contemplate performing, people are going to protest, people are committing some horrific things to one another and using Trump as an excuse. This seems like a different type of hate than Obama endured. There are many anti-catholic preachers here in America and has been since the beginning. I just feel there is a fine line to walk in that type of atmosphere so I choose not to feed into it. Because there is not much we can do about it at this point and I choose for my own sanity not to feed into an already very unstable situation at this point. There is 4 years ahead of us with whatever will happen during that time. Jeffress seems to be the least of our worries. I'm sure there will be discussion about Jeffress in the press afterwards, we'll see. But I feel the best option is to not add to the unhealthy atmosphere some in the media are trying to propagate. If we want unity we have to be willing to unite and dispel wrong that way. Because right now, the atmosphere here borders on hysteria. You would not believe the stuff my husband comes home and tells me about when he comes home from work when politics are brought up anymore. I just don't think this preacher is important enough to add to the distress people are already feeling. If we want unity then we need to unite and choose our battles wisely without adding to the fear.

Thanks for your post btw! Glad you do not think I'm rotten.

We can't control what other people say. We can control what we say in response. Trump is the least popular incoming president in decades but even with the most popular presidents there has been divisiveness. Everyone won't be ever been unified but people still can unify. People have unified together in agreeing that what Jeffress has said has been extremely wrong. Then there are people who've unified together in agreement with him that Catholics, Mormons, are from Satan. People have unified in being like meh.

"If we want unity then we need to unite and choose our battles wisely without adding to the fear."

That's the thing. My fear is that good people will just be complacent with hateful rhetoric that is given prominence & that can lead to real harm & not bother to speak up about it. Maybe he said nothing at the inauguration but just by Googling you can see that him even being given the invitation has given him prominence. The click titles alone show the hate he's spewed. So for you, you feel more at peace with being like meh, but for me, I feel so much better when I see people saying no, that's wrong, that's not acceptable. So I'm glad Mountain Girl made this thread. Again you've spent the same amount of time on this "battle" as I have. My stuff here is linked to Twitter, so my friends are glad that I spoke up. It's the tiniest bit of effort on my part & it helps, so to me it's wise to make it.

 

[USincognito]

Website policy and general politeness prevent me from responding.

Yeah...