The New Pharisaism: How Scriptural Bullies Attack the Church

[probinson]

I found this e-book from a link in another thread, and I found the preview I read of it quite fascinating.

Some of you will find it quite interesting. Others, not so much...

Ebook, The New Pharisaism: How Spiritual Bullies Attack the Church

 

[Faulty]

That's interesting as I ran across this response earlier today as well.

Link

 

[KingZzub]

I came across the link Faulty did and was really glad as it led to the link Pete gave and I purchased the book. It looks really interesting, I certainly agree with his premise and introduction.

It reminds me of Artega's book Quenching the Spirit and the role that a concensus of orthodoxy based on tradition and peer pressure often hold people back from a revelation of the Word.

 

[NorrinRadd]

What's the big news flash? "Pharisee" has been a choice warclub applied to the heads of apologists and discernment ministries for 20 or 30 years, just like "racist-sexist-homophobe" is wielded against conservatives in the political realm.

As for the "bully" part, I'm not aware of anyone in the discernment camp threatening divine judgment on those with whom they disagree -- unlike the ones who want to fire a "holy ghost machine gun," or invoke the penalties for "touching God's anointed" and "harming His prophets."

 

[AudioArtist]

Misquoting others, nit-picking, lying about others, and taking things out of context that others have said to make them look like heretics, though: that's bullying. And I've seen it on these heresy-hunting pages time and time again, back when I was silly enough to waste time looking at them.

The similarities between the Pharisees and some of these heresy-hunting folk are so, so obvious. The link is still perfectly valid - just as it is between the Pharisees and the left-wing politically-correct brigade today. But unfortunately, because the link has been over expressed, heresy-hunting fans and anti-Charismatics can say, "Oh, that old silly Pharisee accusation", and then onlookers get the impression that the spirit of Pharisaism doesn't live on in these "ministries" because it's an old hat argument that's been dealt with.

But, sorry to be clichéd about this: some clichés are there for a reason, and some are true, even if they aren't always correctly explained or if people roll their eyes at them.

 

[KingZzub]

Yes, just because something is a cliche does not mean it is not accurate.

 

[Simon Peter]

The New Pharisaism: How Spiritual Bullies Attack the Church

I doubt I will get a chance to read it, but tell me Pete, does it include those "Pharisee/bullies" who attack those in the church who are attempting to maintain traditional doctrines?



Actually, just writing this book makes him a

hypocrite




.

 

[probinson]

I came across the link Faulty did and was really glad as it led to the link Pete gave and I purchased the book. It looks really interesting, I certainly agree with his premise and introduction.

As did I. I'm about to purchase the book myself.

 

[NorrinRadd]

Misquoting others, nit-picking, lying about others, and taking things out of context that others have said to make them look like heretics, though: that's bullying. And I've seen it on these heresy-hunting pages time and time again, back when I was silly enough to waste time looking at them.

And back when I was fresh out of the heretic camp, I saw them make those claims about misquoting, ignoring context, etc., and recognized such was rarely the case. And I saw enough of their own anti-heresy-hunter "apologetics" to realize they were more than capable of employing the same tactics they ascribed to their critics.

The similarities between the Pharisees and some of these heresy-hunting folk are so, so obvious. The link is still perfectly valid

What has long been "obvious" to ME is that it's often the ones complaining about heresy-hunting who best fit the lables of "pharisee" and "bully."

 

[probinson]

Some of you will find it quite interesting. Others, not so much...

What's the big news flash? "Pharisee" has been a choice warclub applied to the heads of apologists and discernment ministries.....

...Actually, just writing this book makes him a
hypocrite

See?

 

[probinson]

As for the "bully" part, I'm not aware of anyone in the discernment camp threatening divine judgment on those with whom they disagree

Are you serious?

All you have to do is spend about 30 seconds on the average "discernment ministry" site before you'll read about someone who is headed straight for hell.

If that's not "divine judgment", I don't know what is.

 

[KingZzub]

I once listened to one of the discernment guys (international ministry) on the radio in England. Someone asked him "if all these guys are in the wrong, who is right besides you"

After a painfully long silence he said "I guess Billy Graham"

That is the nature of these people!

 

[nephilimiyr]

I once listened to one of the discernment guys (international ministry) on the radio in England. Someone asked him "if all these guys are in the wrong, who is right besides you"

After a painfully long silence he said "I guess Billy Graham"

That is the nature of these people!

If they are children of God then their nature is of righteousness in Christ. I will say that whenever people set themselves up as the finger pointers then they better be 100% correct on the doctrines and theologies that they believe, teach, and preach. And their unfortunate position is that I don't think anyone is ever 100% correct on everything.

Sounds like a very important book to read.

 

[probinson]

Sounds like a very important book to read.

I am thoroughly enjoying it.

I'm about halfway through with it, and I'll post a bit of a review here when I'm done for anyone interested.

Suffice to say, I believe this was well worth the $12.95 I paid for it.