Preacher questions hell, loses congregation

Puppycow · 9th July 2007, 03:09 PM

This video what might happen when an honest evangelist actually uses his brain. My favorite line: "The more he studied, the more he saw the bible not as the literal word of God, but a book by men about God--primitive men, prone to mistranslations, political agendas and human emotions."

This is why Martin Luther warned that "Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of his reason." And: "Reason should be destroyed in all Christians."

Rev. Pearson, the evangelist, still hasn't apparantly realized the full implications yet, because he still apparantly believes in heaven, but maybe he's on his way.

kellyb · 9th July 2007, 03:21 PM

Smart guy.
That must take a lot of humility to be honest with yourself after preaching that doctrine for so long.

andyandy · 9th July 2007, 03:22 PM

what the flip's with the newsreporter's summary -

"And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"*

Since when is that a serious question?

...those theological concerns could really hit his bottom line....

unbelievable.

*[paraphrase]

Miss Anthrope · 9th July 2007, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by andyandy

what the flip's with the newsreporter's summary -

"And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"*

Since when is that a serious question?

...those theological concerns could really hit his bottom line....

unbelievable.

*[paraphrase]

I'll second that on all counts.

Puppycow · 9th July 2007, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by andyandy

what the flip's with the newsreporter's summary -

"And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"*

Since when is that a serious question?

...those theological concerns could really hit his bottom line....

unbelievable.

Yes, I thought that a bit odd, but in practice it is an important consideration. If preachers have a financial incentive to preach hell and brimstone, then most probably won't be as honest as Rev. Pearson. I think one of the points of the video is that he thought himself right out of a lucrative job.

l0rca · 9th July 2007, 03:32 PM

I guess the atheists never got the memo about superficial news reporters.

Ah, I found it:

"News reporters are superficial."

andyandy · 9th July 2007, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by l0rca

I guess the atheists never got the memo about superficial news reporters.

Ah, I found it:

"News reporters are superficial."

i think that memo's marked US internal

lolurigeller · 9th July 2007, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by kellyb

Smart guy.
That must take a lot of humility to be honest with yourself after preaching that doctrine for so long.

Not really, if he was smart enough to realize it own his own, what kept him from questioning and mired in his perpetual state of delusion was the congregation and environment itself.

In fact it took way too long, but eventually the truth of the situation will emerge much like being smacked around with a newspaper until you finally wake up.

Zep · 9th July 2007, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by andyandy

i think that memo's marked US internal

Nope. The internet is global. We got superficial news reporters here too.

Susan Gerbic · 9th July 2007, 07:06 PM

Quote:

"And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"*

I thought he said that "the preacher says 'how am I going to get people to give me money to keep them out of hell'".

I think the guy has nerve to say what he did. I'm not comfortable with the idea that Earth is Hell. I mean what can you say about us Atheists living in Hell (Earth) and have pretty good/happy lives?

I guess they are going to talk to a mass murderer when they run this special. How can you reconcile this notion that he will be going to heaven?

The preacher is thinking and that should be commended....I think he needs to keep reasoning this out. In the end the only conclusion a thinking person should come up with is that there is no heaven or hell as there is no god(s).

Susan

Puppycow · 9th July 2007, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by lolurigeller

Not really, if he was smart enough to realize it own his own, what kept him from questioning and mired in his perpetual state of delusion was the congregation and environment itself.

In fact it took way too long, but eventually the truth of the situation will emerge much like being smacked around with a newspaper until you finally wake up.

Yes. When co-religionists are constantly reaffirming one's beliefs, it's hard to break out of that. The only way is through objective reasoning. The incurious will be unlikely to break out of it, because one shortcut to a worldview is to listen to others. Kids are made to soak up information as well as disinformation like a sponge. Then, once there is enough information and disinformation to form a semi-coherent worldview, the phenomenon of confirmation bias takes over.

Tumblehome · 9th July 2007, 11:31 PM

I'm willing to give Rev. Pearson more credit. He isn't just a street corner preacher; he has some status in the Christian world, and he's risking all that, as well as a good livelihood, presumably, by having the sense to question a central tenet of his religion. Even if it's just the one idea he can't accept, it's that all-important first step. I'll bet more will follow eventually.

And nobody was smacking him around with a newspaper. He did it all on his own.

Good on him!

9th July 2007, 03:09 PM	#1
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 15,704	Preacher questions hell, loses congregation This video what might happen when an honest evangelist actually uses his brain. My favorite line: "The more he studied, the more he saw the bible not as the literal word of God, but a book by men about God--primitive men, prone to mistranslations, political agendas and human emotions." This is why Martin Luther warned that "Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of his reason." And: "Reason should be destroyed in all Christians." Rev. Pearson, the evangelist, still hasn't apparantly realized the full implications yet, because he still apparantly believes in heaven, but maybe he's on his way.
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

9th July 2007, 03:22 PM	#3
andyandy anthropomorphic ape Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: up a tree Posts: 8,190	what the flip's with the newsreporter's summary - "And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"* Since when is that a serious question? ...those theological concerns could really hit his bottom line.... unbelievable. *[paraphrase]
	__________________ "Contentment is found in the music of Bach, the books of Tolstoy and the equations of Dirac, not at the wheel of a BMW or the aisles of Harvey Nicks."

9th July 2007, 03:25 PM	#4
Miss Anthrope All your post are belong to us Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: A Tiny Oasis in the PNW Posts: 3,597	Originally Posted by andyandy what the flip's with the newsreporter's summary - "And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"* Since when is that a serious question? ...those theological concerns could really hit his bottom line.... unbelievable. *[paraphrase] I'll second that on all counts.
	__________________ We're not elected officials, nor are we paid professionals. You want us to act as such? Fine. Cough up the cash - because as a professional, I don't come cheap."-Jmercer, who happens to rock.[/color]

9th July 2007, 03:30 PM	#5
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 15,704	Originally Posted by andyandy what the flip's with the newsreporter's summary - "And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"* Since when is that a serious question? ...those theological concerns could really hit his bottom line.... unbelievable. Yes, I thought that a bit odd, but in practice it is an important consideration. If preachers have a financial incentive to preach hell and brimstone, then most probably won't be as honest as Rev. Pearson. I think one of the points of the video is that he thought himself right out of a lucrative job.
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

9th July 2007, 03:38 PM	#7
andyandy anthropomorphic ape Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: up a tree Posts: 8,190	Originally Posted by l0rca I guess the atheists never got the memo about superficial news reporters. Ah, I found it: "News reporters are superficial." i think that memo's marked US internal
	__________________ "Contentment is found in the music of Bach, the books of Tolstoy and the equations of Dirac, not at the wheel of a BMW or the aisles of Harvey Nicks."

9th July 2007, 03:21 PM	#2
kellyb Illuminator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tennessee. Ain't you jealous? Posts: 4,410	Smart guy. That must take a lot of humility to be honest with yourself after preaching that doctrine for so long.

9th July 2007, 03:32 PM	#6
l0rca I know so much karate Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,100	I guess the atheists never got the memo about superficial news reporters. Ah, I found it: "News reporters are superficial."

9th July 2007, 06:19 PM	#8
lolurigeller Thinker Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 197	Originally Posted by kellyb Smart guy. That must take a lot of humility to be honest with yourself after preaching that doctrine for so long. Not really, if he was smart enough to realize it own his own, what kept him from questioning and mired in his perpetual state of delusion was the congregation and environment itself. In fact it took way too long, but eventually the truth of the situation will emerge much like being smacked around with a newspaper until you finally wake up.
lolurigeller Thinker Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 197

9th July 2007, 06:26 PM	#9
Zep Banned Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 26,985	Originally Posted by andyandy i think that memo's marked US internal Nope. The internet is global. We got superficial news reporters here too.
Zep Banned Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 26,985

9th July 2007, 07:06 PM	#10
Susan Gerbic Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Salinas Posts: 1,521	Quote: "And he raises some serious questions - like how is he going to get people to give him money to prevent them from going to hell if there is no hell?"* I thought he said that "the preacher says 'how am I going to get people to give me money to keep them out of hell'". I think the guy has nerve to say what he did. I'm not comfortable with the idea that Earth is Hell. I mean what can you say about us Atheists living in Hell (Earth) and have pretty good/happy lives? I guess they are going to talk to a mass murderer when they run this special. How can you reconcile this notion that he will be going to heaven? The preacher is thinking and that should be commended....I think he needs to keep reasoning this out. In the end the only conclusion a thinking person should come up with is that there is no heaven or hell as there is no god(s). Susan
	__________________ Quit Complaining and Get Active! formerly known as sgf8

9th July 2007, 07:07 PM	#11
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 15,704	Originally Posted by lolurigeller Not really, if he was smart enough to realize it own his own, what kept him from questioning and mired in his perpetual state of delusion was the congregation and environment itself. In fact it took way too long, but eventually the truth of the situation will emerge much like being smacked around with a newspaper until you finally wake up. Yes. When co-religionists are constantly reaffirming one's beliefs, it's hard to break out of that. The only way is through objective reasoning. The incurious will be unlikely to break out of it, because one shortcut to a worldview is to listen to others. Kids are made to soak up information as well as disinformation like a sponge. Then, once there is enough information and disinformation to form a semi-coherent worldview, the phenomenon of confirmation bias takes over.
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

9th July 2007, 11:31 PM	#12
Tumblehome Graduate Poster Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Beside the point Posts: 1,445	I'm willing to give Rev. Pearson more credit. He isn't just a street corner preacher; he has some status in the Christian world, and he's risking all that, as well as a good livelihood, presumably, by having the sense to question a central tenet of his religion. Even if it's just the one idea he can't accept, it's that all-important first step. I'll bet more will follow eventually. And nobody was smacking him around with a newspaper. He did it all on his own. Good on him!