Awesome post!!
This is the exact issue that upset me being raised Pentecostal, and actually caused me to ask questions about my beliefs outright. My mom, bless her, was adamant about us not watching HP movies or reading books. In church, the ministers were deadset on preaching the "demonic influence" HP was supposedly putting into kids and young adults. This also went for Yugi-Oh and Magic card games and the Ouiji boards. My little brother who loved Pokemon had his card sets taken when he went to middle-school because our mom saw it as a spiritual threat, thanks directly to the church group she was involved with. My brother and I knew then that Pentecostalism was no less a cult than many of the secular "heretics" they accused of witchcraft. My biggest questions to them, and to all religious people in general based on my post high school research and reasoning was this: If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light, and The Bible is the inerrant Word Of God, shouldn't it be able to stand up to a Harry Potter book, or a music album, or a movie, or a game? Shouldn't it be able to withstand modern science and biological truth? Why is it necessary to hide and forbid things from children if Pentecostalism/Christianity is the truth? Wouldn't our vast amount of knowledge of the universe stand up to the Bible and vice versa? Deep down, Christian leaders know it doesn't. Instead of being able to discuss secular works and being able to compare it to biblical teaching and having an open mind, they shun you from it outright less you be "guided by Satan from the Word Of God". That was my first clue that something was off and that they were hiding important things regarding their tenets. The "truth" doesn't need to shield works of art. The "truth" shouldn't need to torture rationalists thinkers ala The Inquisition, because the truth can be proven about Christianity without having to convince anybody at threat of pain or death. The "truth" should stand up to science, and it doesn't. The "truth" would not need to be edited as The Bible has been and have gospel tracts be discarded and sealed, and it certainly wouldn't need to be broken up into close to a dozen different Christian church sects (Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, Episcopalian, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Church Of Christ, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Mennonite). The "truth" would never insist on childhood indoctrination regarding heaven or hell, we'd already know or be cognizant of God subconsciously, and we most definitely aren't.
Even my mom, who is still a dedicated Christian, eventually had to leave the church and go Baptist because she found the Pentecostal church way too controlling and contradictory, not to mention petty, argumentative, and dangerous as well as responsible for toxic marriages she endured (she has divorced three times). My father, a Pentecostal minister, is on his fifth wife. It is incredible that with as much dysfunction as what goes on in the Christian/Catholic church that they claim to be the ultimate authority on morality and reason, when in reality they are every bit the terrorists and chauvinists that their centuries of barbaric practice shows them up to be. By the time I heard the sermon from a minister recently declaring that Noah's Ark might just take place if same-sex marriage is legalized and therefore cause God to strike America, I walked right out of church and organized religion. If I still wanted to have a personal relationship with Jesus, I would do it privately. But I'm slowly becoming more agnostic in my thought process thanks to secular and intelligent reasoning. I still believe in God, but I refuse to limit Him to a 2,000 year old bronze-age text that is contradictory and inflammatory which says slavery is cool, homosexuality is of Satan (go tell that to the 1,500 animal species who practice it), and looking and admiring a female's body is lust and of the devil, but then turns around and praises sexuality in the Song Of Songs and sings of the wonders of the woman's breasts (really God?).
"He not busy being born is busy dying."-Bob Dylan
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laura-170
12 years ago
Since you were raised Pentecostal, could you answer a question for me? I hope its not offensive, but I am dying to know...
What is the difference in the type who wear skirts and those who do not? I must say from personal experience, the "skirted" group is literally the sweetest, nicest, calm, friendly, non-pushy group of people I've ever met. I've met tons of them, and yet never once heard religon come out of their mouths except when some rude dummy just HAD to ask, "How come you wear them skirts all the time? How come you don't never cut yer hair?" And they would just answer, "Oh, its my religion..." and that's that.
Unfortunately, the other group is like the people on Jesus Camp, all the way down to Harry Potter. I can't say that being acquainted with them is the same experience as with the first group. Its simply not as pleasant (generally speaking, of course). So I was wondering if it were an evangelical issue? One group witnesses more, the other not so much?
I once worked with a Pentecostal lady of the second group. She came to me one day whooping and hollering about Harry Potter - which I don't even read and I've never seen one film. It just not my "thing."
She told me that the HP books have actual DEMON SPELLS in them! Demon spells for children to read and conduct themselves!
I asked, "How do you know they are demon spells?"
She replied, "Because they're not in English and they are spells!"
I laughed and said, "Oh! Well, Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo!"
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literacylabyrinth-430-971171
12 years ago
A pastor got up one day in my church and said that he had an answer to how much makeup a woman should wear "I do not know! It depends on the face!"
The congregation laughed at the time but it is true. God does not care one iota about the way women dress or their appearance, but he is very concerned if they dress in a provocative way, that means too much leg, cleavage or back showing is out - because if it causes men to look, or fantasize, is that really want God wants, for men to be oggling the body.
I think it needs to be a conscious decision.
Many women dress precisely to make men look. As a male myself my wife saw me look at a girl who passed but she had a massive cleavage. She said "your eyes went right down that woman's dress". She was right! The woman succeeded in making me look although I had no interest in her. That is called dressing to arouse the male gaze. If you note the male gaze on you then think about the way you dress and what is causing it. Note the celebrities at functions and how they dress - there is very little left to the imagination, and that is to say 'look at me!' to the world.
On the Harry Potter thing - well, I do not like my kids getting into it as there are so many more wholesome books they can read. I would prefer Emily Rodda anyday from Rowling's worldview. She studies witchcraft so why do I want my kids to read her doctrines in the form of a fantasy. Evil dressed up as fantasy for kids is still evil.
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cordeliaenator
11 years ago
if they dress in a provocative way, that means too much leg, cleavage or back showing is out - because if it causes men to look, or fantasize, is that really want God wants, for men to be oggling the body.
The woman succeeded in making me look although I had no interest in her. That is called dressing to arouse the male gaze. If you note the male gaze on you then think about the way you dress and what is causing it.
I just love statements like this. As if all men are innately incapable of controlling their own eyeballs (or urges), therefore it must be the woman's fault for dressing 'that way' or 'tempting' them. These same, weak men will be the first to tell you that women don't belong in politics or business, because they can't control themselves. Hilarious.
She studies witchcraft so why do I want my kids to read her doctrines
You might want to research that a bit. Also, making something forbidden just gives it power and makes it more attractive (see what I said above).
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