Texas Pastor Protection Bill

[RumTumTugger]

I'll make you a deal -- give me one case that went to trial over this matter and found for the plaintiffs. Then I'll cede the merit of such legislation.

So you want to allow the BULLIES TO GREENMAIL their way into forcing others to go against their right not to go against sincerly held beliefs. THIS LAW IS NEEDED so the BULLIES can no longer GREENMAIL OTHERS TO GET THEIR WAY. wake up idiot this is about stopping someone from taking away others rights when their(the bullies) rights are not being taken away.

[Leonhard]

Thankfully Danish pastors are ensured a moral exemption from performing this ritual, if they don't want it.

[Cow Poke]

This is where Sam avoids answering you but smugly tries to sound humble doing it.

I'm expecting the typical accusation of ... heck, I can't remember what he called it ... it's on the tip of my tongue.... some 'ism'. "Credentialism"?

That's a way of saying "I ain't doing squat, but it's unChristian and judgmental of you to call me out on it".

[Sparko]

So, what is your 'strategy', Sam, as a "fisher of men"?

This is where Sam avoids answering you but smugly tries to sound humble doing it.

[Cow Poke]

"Us vs. Them" is, in my humble opinion, a terrible strategy for ministers of the Faith.

So, what is your 'strategy', Sam, as a "fisher of men"?

[Cow Poke]

I guess we'll know when the tally comes in. I don't count the chickens while I'm here.

So, you're "one of those" who thinks that maybe somebody will see what a "Good Sam" you are, and convert to Christ without ever witnessing to them or praying with them to receive Christ as Savior?

[Sam]

How many folks is the Lord converting as a result of YOUR "strategy", Sam? Have you ever actually won anybody to Christ?

I guess we'll know when the tally comes in. I don't count the chickens while I'm here.

[Cow Poke]

And I maintain that it's a terrible one, destined only to make your flocks smaller, mostly filled with folks that were already converted. It's bad PR, any road.

How many folks is the Lord converting as a result of YOUR "strategy", Sam? Have you ever actually won anybody to Christ?

[Cow Poke]

That's called a "strategy."

Well, GEE, Sam, I guess I'm a rotten Pastor, then, because a LOT of my "strategy" is based on "us" vs. "them" -- only in the case of lost people ("them") I'm doing what I can to bring them into the fold with "us".

And I maintain that it's a terrible one, destined only to make your flocks smaller, mostly filled with folks that were already converted. It's bad PR, any road.

That's just dumb, Sam. And I'm not in the ministry for the "PR" value - I'm in the ministry to be true to the Word of God. Straight is the gate and narrow is the way, and all that, and it seems you prefer the broad path to the narrow one.

As to "making my flocks smaller", my experience has been that when I am faithful to preaching the Word, God blesses with souls. Our Church is considerably larger than it was 3 years ago, and MUCH of that growth is from the "unchurched".

[Sam]

It was an observation, Sam - not a 'strategy for ministry'. It's a preemptive protection so we can FOCUS on ministry, and not be bogged down in needless litigation.

That's called a "strategy."

And I maintain that it's a terrible one, destined only to make your flocks smaller, mostly filled with folks that were already converted. It's bad PR, any road.

[Cow Poke]

"Us vs. Them" is, in my humble opinion, a terrible strategy for ministers of the Faith.

It was an observation, Sam - not a 'strategy for ministry'. It's a preemptive protection so we can FOCUS on ministry, and not be bogged down in needless litigation.

[Cow Poke]

Churches as a whole haven't dealt well with social issues until well AFTER something happens. Then we wind up dealing with all the spiritual and legal challenges.

EGGzackly.

[Sam]

I don't expect you to, Sam. You're "them". And most of us (Pastors) have never seen the militancy coming from the dear sweet gay folks that we've been seeing in the past few years. Some (the minority, admittedly) of the "against" testifiers at the meeting Wednesday night were downright hateful, while accusing us (pastors) of doing this because we hate homosexuals.

"Us vs. Them" is, in my humble opinion, a terrible strategy for ministers of the Faith.

[Cow Poke]

Given the long history we've already been through regarding this potential for folks to force pastors who are "agai'n it" to marry them, I'm not buying that, Cow Poke.

I don't expect you to, Sam. You're "them". And most of us (Pastors) have never seen the militancy coming from the dear sweet gay folks that we've been seeing in the past few years. Some (the minority, admittedly) of the "against" testifiers at the meeting Wednesday night were downright hateful, while accusing us (pastors) of doing this because we hate homosexuals.

[Sam]

The whole purpose of the bill is to be preemptive, Sam. Not WAIT until somebody ends up in court. It's a whole new ballgame.

Given the long history we've already been through regarding this potential for folks to force pastors who are "agai'n it" to marry them, I'm not buying that, Cow Poke. We just haven't seen this sort of coercion from other groups (interracial, interfaith, remarrying, etc.).

That same logic, though, could rightfully be applied to equality laws that preemptively prevent wage discrimination based on gender or employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Instead of making victims of discrimination win in court (and, in contrast to your case, we know these things are already happening), why not preemptively prohibit it?