Political Crossfire Forums

Enoch · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 9366

The United Church of Christ is at it again. With a new commercial showing "undesirables" getting ejected from church pews, and a voice saying "God doesn't reject people, neither do we," it appears that the controversy which started in December 2004 might be renewed.

All of the ads, which can be viewed here, vary from the ejecter pew, to bouncers keeping people out of the church.

My question is this: Do you feel that these ads give an inaccurate representation of other Christian churches, or are they just showing what people are thinking?

Snarf · Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Posts: 5459

UrielsFyre wrote: The United Church of Christ is at it again. With a new commercial showing "undesirables" getting ejected from church pews, and a voice saying "God doesn't reject people, neither do we," it appears that the controversy which started in December 2004 might be renewed.

All of the ads, which can be viewed here, vary from the ejecter pew, to bouncers keeping people out of the church.

My question is this: Do you feel that these ads give an inaccurate representation of other Christian churches, or are they just showing what people are thinking?
These ads are accurate, as Christianity has become little more than a set of sectarian beliefs that you must follow or be rejected for. There’s a very good reason why Jesus never built or even suggested attendance at a church...

Silkheat · Joined: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 5981 Location: Austin

UrielsFyre wrote: The United Church of Christ is at it again. With a new commercial showing "undesirables" getting ejected from church pews, and a voice saying "God doesn't reject people, neither do we," it appears that the controversy which started in December 2004 might be renewed.

All of the ads, which can be viewed here, vary from the ejecter pew, to bouncers keeping people out of the church.

My question is this: Do you feel that these ads give an inaccurate representation of other Christian churches, or are they just showing what people are thinking?

No they're pretty accurate. Christianity with all its many sects is usually nothing more than a tool of pointing out the assumed shortcomings of others. Christianity is mired with hypocrisy, and only really has a few true good christian people left.

Have you taken a look at Christianities evangelist? If you can't see a problem there then.....

airo · Joined: 31 Jul 2004 Posts: 2583 Location: Tampa, Florida

The funny thing is, i personally know members of the United Church of Christ that fit right into those ads.

DarkMerlin · Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 10:58 pm Post subject:

Do you really? In my experience the UCC is pretty much what they bill themselves as: one of the most liberal sects of Christianity there is.

connermt · Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 1526 Location: CMH OHIO

UrielsFyre wrote: The United Church of Christ is at it again. With a new commercial showing "undesirables" getting ejected from church pews, and a voice saying "God doesn't reject people, neither do we," it appears that the controversy which started in December 2004 might be renewed.

All of the ads, which can be viewed here, vary from the ejecter pew, to bouncers keeping people out of the church.

My question is this: Do you feel that these ads give an inaccurate representation of other Christian churches, or are they just showing what people are thinking?

A very large & well know church in my city has asked gay people to leave; no one else (so far), just gay people. The preacher said something to the effect that :"You shouldn't be here"

In another church, one member once told little kids that they were not dressed well enough (they were dirty 9-10 year olds from a rather rough area of town) that they couldn't come in that dirty. I will say that the preacher of the second church blew a fuse when he heard that. Needless to say that NO ONE EVER turned someone away from that church again.
So it does happen, unfortunatley. Many churches (especially the bigger ones it seems) are more of a country club now than an actual church. Some people that are turned away are either bitter towards God/religion at that point, or turn to the TV preachers (which deserve a thread specifically for them) :roll:
It is sad really

airo · Joined: 31 Jul 2004 Posts: 2583 Location: Tampa, Florida

DarkMerlin wrote: Do you really? In my experience the UCC is pretty much what they bill themselves as: one of the most liberal sects of Christianity there is. I'll venture to say that many members of a specific church i've attended are still subscribers to the whole "reign fire and brimstone down upon the f**s" mindset.

That's not very Christianlike if you ask me.

(Most of this post is facetious, but the church would more than likely ask an openly gay individual to leave the premises should they show up for a Sunday service.)

Enoch · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 9366

airo wrote: DarkMerlin wrote: Do you really? In my experience the UCC is pretty much what they bill themselves as: one of the most liberal sects of Christianity there is. I'll venture to say that many members of a specific church i've attended are still subscribers to the whole "reign fire and brimstone down upon the f**s" mindset.

That's not very Christianlike if you ask me.

(Most of this post is facetious, but the church would more than likely ask an openly gay individual to leave the premises should they show up for a Sunday service.)
Which is something I have never understood. Even if you dislike, or condemn religiously, the actions of someone in the congregation...shouldn't it be looked at as a chance to share "the word of God" with them, rather than denying them the opportunity to worship? You gather more flies with honey than with vinegar, as the saying goes. Being open and kind to those with whom you disagree is going to offer a much better chance to "save" them than denying them entrance to the church. All that will do is turn them off to either your church or, worse, Christianity as a whole.

eynon · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:12 pm Post subject:

UrielsFyre wrote: airo wrote: DarkMerlin wrote: Do you really? In my experience the UCC is pretty much what they bill themselves as: one of the most liberal sects of Christianity there is. I'll venture to say that many members of a specific church i've attended are still subscribers to the whole "reign fire and brimstone down upon the f**s" mindset.

That's not very Christianlike if you ask me.

(Most of this post is facetious, but the church would more than likely ask an openly gay individual to leave the premises should they show up for a Sunday service.)
Which is something I have never understood. Even if you dislike, or condemn religiously, the actions of someone in the congregation...shouldn't it be looked at as a chance to share "the word of God" with them, rather than denying them the opportunity to worship? You gather more flies with honey than with vinegar, as the saying goes. Being open and kind to those with whom you disagree is going to offer a much better chance to "save" them than denying them entrance to the church. All that will do is turn them off to either your church or, worse, Christianity as a whole.

(shrug) I don't get it either, to take from connermt's post if something like that happened in my church(they asked some-one to leave) I'd blow a fuse, poor down a bit of fire and brim-stone on those nasty legalists.

DarkMerlin · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 4:56 pm Post subject:

airo wrote: DarkMerlin wrote: Do you really? In my experience the UCC is pretty much what they bill themselves as: one of the most liberal sects of Christianity there is. I'll venture to say that many members of a specific church i've attended are still subscribers to the whole "reign fire and brimstone down upon the f**s" mindset.

That's not very Christianlike if you ask me.

(Most of this post is facetious, but the church would more than likely ask an openly gay individual to leave the premises should they show up for a Sunday service.)

Interesting. Well, the UCC is pretty decentralized, unlike the Methodists or Presbyterians, so I can see how things might be different in your part of the country.

sLiPpY · Joined: 24 Nov 2004 Posts: 10088

Ejector pew! :rotf:

btw...I was a little disappointed to realize the faithful weren't being raptured, and in reality the "Christians" were left behind! :shock:

:wtf:

MJB · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 594

UrielsFyre wrote: The United Church of Christ is at it again. With a new commercial showing "undesirables" getting ejected from church pews, and a voice saying "God doesn't reject people, neither do we," it appears that the controversy which started in December 2004 might be renewed.

All of the ads, which can be viewed here, vary from the ejecter pew, to bouncers keeping people out of the church.

My question is this: Do you feel that these ads give an inaccurate representation of other Christian churches, or are they just showing what people are thinking?

I've found the commercials to be quite annoying. I see them as manipulative, judgmental, and dishonest.

Enoch · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 9366

MJB wrote: UrielsFyre wrote: The United Church of Christ is at it again. With a new commercial showing "undesirables" getting ejected from church pews, and a voice saying "God doesn't reject people, neither do we," it appears that the controversy which started in December 2004 might be renewed.

All of the ads, which can be viewed here, vary from the ejecter pew, to bouncers keeping people out of the church.

My question is this: Do you feel that these ads give an inaccurate representation of other Christian churches, or are they just showing what people are thinking?

I've found the commercials to be quite annoying. I see them as manipulative, judgmental, and dishonest. Care to elaborate?

wormwood · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 2670 Location: The P-Brane

It occurs to me that, just by virtue of the nature of the commercial in question, they are in fact passing judgment on other Christians in the same breath that they are condemning these Christians for passing judgment 8:)

John · Joined: 02 Jun 2004 Posts: 24185

wormwood wrote: It occurs to me that, just by virtue of the nature of the commercial in question, they are in fact passing judgment on other Christians in the same breath that they are condemning these Christians for passing judgment 8:)

Basically.

Todd D. · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:19 am Post subject:

wormwood wrote: It occurs to me that, just by virtue of the nature of the commercial in question, they are in fact passing judgment on other Christians in the same breath that they are condemning these Christians for passing judgment 8:)
I disagree. Passing judgment on someone for exclusion/passing judgment is not in itsself an act of intolerance. The old addage of "It's intolerant to not tolerate intolerance" holds very little water because it is contradictory. There's a difference between passing judgment on intolerance and passing judgment on personal choices.

cap'n queasy · Joined: 15 May 2004 Posts: 34968

No there's not.

Passing judgment is passing judgment whether you agree with what is being judged or not.

Enoch · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 9366

cap'n queasy wrote: No there's not.

Passing judgment is passing judgment whether you agree with what is being judged or not.
That is human nature. Nobody is completely tolerant, it's just not possible. Everyone passes judgment on others from time to time.

MJB · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 594

UrielsFyre wrote: MJB wrote: I've found the commercials to be quite annoying. I see them as manipulative, judgmental, and dishonest. Care to elaborate?

The in your face implication is that other churches reject people, and do so because of race, homosexuality, poverty, age, physical disability, and other reasons, having deliberately created a portrait of bigotry and exclusion, to say, "Those other churches are mean and hateful (as we depict them). Come to our church because we aren't like them!"

Also, by showing homosexual couples as part of those rejected as undesirable, they are deliberately pointing a finger of condemnation at any church which adheres to scriptural teachings regarding sexual morality and virtue, insinuating they are neither compassionate, nor Christ-like, but self-righteous and arrogant.

Of course - it's obvious their main goal was to accuse and condemn, rather than to invite and embrace, otherwise they could have continued with commercials in the vein of, "Steeples."

There is an irony in these commercials of condemnation, however, since they are, unwittingly, showing their Pharisee nature, as they condemn the publican, instead of the other way around, as they would suppose.

DarkMerlin · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 12:50 pm Post subject:

Passing judgement? Come on guys, all they are doing is appealing to a very specific segment of the consumer base (namely gays, minorities, foreigners, and others that are or feel like they might be rejected by a church). Is a car company who advertises double anti-lock breaks on their vehicles "passing judgement" on those companies that don't have double anti-lock breaks?