Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Sorry Guys (and Gals)

For those of you who came here hoping I'd pick up for Michael on the scandal front, I'm not going down that road anytime soon. Apparently even being caught with a prostitute isn't enough to bring down a Calvary Chapel pastor, so what more can be said on the scandals of CC?

Now if you want to discuss what is the real scandal, IE, the bad theology of Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel then I'm in. But I find most people don't have much of a stomach for theological issues. Smith's heretical view on the resurrection should be more than enough to disqualify him as a Biblical teacher. Add to that Smith's naming of dates for the Return of Jesus Christ in 1981 was so blatantly foul that it would make even a JW cringe.

Now before Dave Rolph or someone else gets on here and claims Smith has changed, and that's all in the past, let me put forth a challenge. If you believe Smith has repented, post the tape number and time offset into the tape. Let's listen for ourselves and see. I don't think he has, but I've got better things to do than check if Smith is still spouting heresy.

Lest you think I'm just picking on an old man, he's been an old man a very long time and a lot of people have kept silent for years. Time for a clear way forward out of the heresy of the past.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Phoenix Preacher Cry for Attention - Another Swan Song

Yet another swan song and cry for attention came today from the Phoenix Preacher BLOG (June 2007 Swan Song). I've stopped counting the number of times that Michael has "shut down" the BLOG because of some alleged "word from god".

Today there is another swan song. Not sure when he will be back but you can be sure that someone with such a thirst for attention can't stay gone long!

I missed most of the events that led to the blowup this time, but gather it had something to do with a tiff between Michael and Stephen Hopkins. Hopkins and I have had our share of interactions in the past and I found him to be of a consistently poor character one rarely finds outside of the CC pastorate. Michael was publicizing the charges by family members of one of his archenemies, George Bryson, that Bryson was a spiritually abusive father. Michael's dislike of Bryson stemmed from Bryson's debates with Michael's personal hero, aomin.com cult leader, James White. For those not in the know, among other gifts Bryson is a strident anti-Calvinist.

In large part, it was Hopkins demands that I be banned from PP along with Michael's personal dislike of me that led to my permanent banning. Ironic since Michael made his fame taking other's ideas (calls for accountability, criticism of the Moses Model, etc). In fact, I can't think of a single original contribution Michael ever made to the subject of CC. He did come a long at a time there was a vacuum and had a nose for publicizing CC scandals. In short, he majored on scandal where others had majored on doctrine and church operation. There was pretty much a CC scandal of the month for the past few years. Perhaps that will remain as Michael's sole contribution to the arguments against CC - boys behaving badly.

I can say I have seen it all and predicted it all. I did. Holly came to be rejected by her pastor-crush Skippy Heitzig and has now turned on him. Michael came to be rejected by the very CC pastors he tried to compromise with.