You know folks, I've included the last two videos, first, for a reason. What I now know after reading just about 1/3 of The Political Seduction of the Church, is that, I, and I have to assume millions of others like me, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAS BEEN AND IS GOING ON IN AMERICA's RELIGIOUS HIERARCHY...
...By those who identify as Christians... I don't know exactly what I mean by that, since I've professed my belief in Jesus since I was 13, when I was baptized into the Baptist Church. I have been involved in small-town churches all of my life. And my last involvements with a large church were, first, with Billy Graham, who I watched on television and attended one of his rallies. Second, my Mom was a huge fan of Jimmy Baker and so I watched them often...I also visited their "theme park" for want of a better word. Indeed, I found happiness and peace there, even though later, it was discovered that much was happening behind the scenes that was criminal... Same with Jimmy Swaggart... I also remember my entire family laughing and joking about a preacher from the south who was on TV, EA were his initials...... His antics included shouting "Healed!" and pushing each of his supplicants to the floor in, I suppose, being overpowered by the holy spirit...
Even then we became aware that not every "prophet" of God was...without sin... and, even, perhaps, were "false prophets..."
My family includes a number of pastors who represented different denominations... and at least one Nun... So, you can imagine that most of my life was involved in one way or another with religion... So, I remember when, the well-known atheist, Madalyn Murray O'Hair's, and other activists resulted in the Separation of Church and State... and the removal of The Lord's Prayer from all schools... And, also, the inability to formally stop using any religions relationship in government buildings on Christmas... Indeed, these were shocking for us at that time, simply because, normally, most of us were insulated from the nation at large, simply due to geography...
I think it is important, therefore, for me to provide this preamble so that you all can consider that my life had already been changed due to the advent of television! And, of course, much more since the Internet was available across the nation. What I saw then, and now, was that people could be both good and bad... whatever those words might mean to each of us individually. Mostly, I say, good over evil, as I talk about murder mysteries, suspense or thriller novels.
What I never would have considered was that the church itself might reach a point where it was...not...spotlighting God, Christ, The Holy Spirit or similar belief terms used within other than religions not within the protestant faith of which I was a part.
Suddenly we were learning that there were some people who didn't even believe that there was a God! And they lived, perhaps, nearby... Fast forward to today... we now have many people in America that do not believe as, perhaps, I believe... Yet, you are my neighbor... In Morgantown, WV, I met many people from foreign countries either as students or faculty... Frankly, it never occurred to me to question my interpersonal relationships with these people.. Other than as, if asked, stating that yes, I was a Christian.
I remember one physics professor, with whom I got into a discussion about the existence of God... I can't remember how it came about, but we were standing in Hodges Hall where he was a distinguished professor and I was probably there to deal with some type of classroom issue, part of my job at that time... It WAS a discussion. Neither of us got angry. Neither of us raised our voices to speak and cry out our truth... I remember that I often would respond to him with the words, something like, "I believe because I have faith and His Spirit.." Finally, he laughed and agreed that he believed...my belief... But he never really said he believed in God because I did...
And that was ok... Jesus tells us to go out and speak of Him to others... I would never believe that God wants us to "stuff" belief in Him...down somebody's throats... Even though historically that was done! Consider the Crusades, for one instance which included violent acts...
Many of you will know that I have agonized over the connection of evangelical christianity with the republican party's choice of Trump as a candidate for the presidency. I could not understand. Even while members of my family voted for him...
But never, in the last 5-6 years or so, did I realize that it was, apparently, the church, itself...which initiated all that has happened since then. I had to include the second video above, because I would not have believed that I was considered a demon because I decided to vote democratic!
Some of the phrases that are used by Dr. Brown often is...Now What? What do we do? How do we move forward???
For me, here at Book Readers Heaven, I intend to go chapter by chapter...and give an overview for what is covered, doing the best I can to be objective... For, upfront, it is clear that Dr. Brown does not support our present president even though he acknowledges that Biden is indeed President of the United States...
Will you pray with and for me to
Have My Eyes Open
Have My Ears Open
Have my Mouth Speak Truth...
God Bless,
Gabbie
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