Thursday, March 30, 2006
Nasty Nancy
First, let me say my good friend Steve has an excellent post about what I'm writing about at http://intentionalwalk.blogspot.com/
Second,
Before I get started a blurb about last night’s Palm Bay Spring Tournament Championship Game last night. Bad news - we lost 4 to 3 in 10 innings to Melbourne. Steven got in the game as a pinch runner. The Mel-Hi pitcher tried to pick him off at first but overthrew the ball. Steven legged it out to third sliding just under the tag of the third baseman. Our next batter was our senior right-fielder. He fouled the first pitch straight back which usually means the batter has the pitcher dialed in. The infield was back, senior hitter should be swinging away, and the pitcher chose to pitch out of the wind-up instead of the stretch. You know what time it is, say it with me bloggers - “Suicide squeeze!” Steven got a great jump and was three fourths of the way home when our senior right-fielder - bunted the ball straight up in the air! The catcher caught it and was able to easily double Steven up at third. Now on to the blog:
As Steve posted on his blog today, CNN’s Nancy Grace show has been focusing in on the murder of the brother who preached near Nashville. That is, she has been focusing in on the church he preached for, a Church of Christ.
On March 27th, Grace interviewed a Baptist minister and the following transpired:
GRACE: I want to go to pastor Tom Rukala, joining us tonight, a special guest, a Baptist minister. I’ve been researching the Church of Christ. I don’t know that much about it. What can you tell me?
PASTOR TOM RUKALA, BAPTIST PASTOR: Well, the Church of Christ is a relatively new church. It was started about 150 years ago by Alexander Campbell (ph). And it’s, unfortunately, a very legalistic sect, and they tend to use methods of intimidation and pressure tactics. They claim that they are the only ones going to heaven, and all other people are condemned to hell. So in case...
GRACE: Uh-oh, I’m in trouble. But I already knew that.
(LAUGHTER)GRACE: Now, wait a minute. What more can you tell me?
RUKALA: Well, they claim that if you’re not baptized by one of their ministers, that you’re doomed to hell, even if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, which, of course, breaks completely from the traditional Christian view that all those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved because we’re saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. For the Church of Christ folks, that’s not enough. You have to be a member of their narrow sect. It’s a very exclusive group. And if you’re not a member of their sect, you’re condemned.
GRACE: You know, Pastor, you keep saying "sect." "Sect." You make it sound like a cult.
RUKALA: It kind of is a borderline cult, unfortunately. I don’t want to make it out to be some kind of Hare Krishna group, but it has cult-like characteristics and...
GRACE: In what sense?
RUKALA: Well, in the sense of the exclusivism, the attitude that they are the only ones who know the truth. The tactics that they use are sometimes just -- not only un-biblical but unethical, and they can be very ungracious, unfortunately.
I had the following reactions not necessarily in this order:
1. Why are they questioning a Baptist preacher concerning the CoC?
2. I’m glad Rubel was on yesterday's show. By the way he was treated / cut off by Grace, it’s another point of confirmation that CNN isn’t interested in the news but rather ratings.
3. Sad to say but some of what Rukala said is true about some of our churches.
4. Having grown up in a Baptist Church until my early 20’s, some of what Rukala said is true of some Baptist Churches as well, even today.
5. I thought “methods of intimidation and pressure tactics” were only used by the members on the elders? Little joke there.
6. How sad it is that CNN is practicing “yellow journalism” to blur the lines of the true story, the sad incident perpetrated on this family by one of their own family members and the resulting effects on the children.
What are some of your impressions?
Are you going to watch Nancy Grace tonight?
Second,
Before I get started a blurb about last night’s Palm Bay Spring Tournament Championship Game last night. Bad news - we lost 4 to 3 in 10 innings to Melbourne. Steven got in the game as a pinch runner. The Mel-Hi pitcher tried to pick him off at first but overthrew the ball. Steven legged it out to third sliding just under the tag of the third baseman. Our next batter was our senior right-fielder. He fouled the first pitch straight back which usually means the batter has the pitcher dialed in. The infield was back, senior hitter should be swinging away, and the pitcher chose to pitch out of the wind-up instead of the stretch. You know what time it is, say it with me bloggers - “Suicide squeeze!” Steven got a great jump and was three fourths of the way home when our senior right-fielder - bunted the ball straight up in the air! The catcher caught it and was able to easily double Steven up at third. Now on to the blog:
As Steve posted on his blog today, CNN’s Nancy Grace show has been focusing in on the murder of the brother who preached near Nashville. That is, she has been focusing in on the church he preached for, a Church of Christ.
On March 27th, Grace interviewed a Baptist minister and the following transpired:
GRACE: I want to go to pastor Tom Rukala, joining us tonight, a special guest, a Baptist minister. I’ve been researching the Church of Christ. I don’t know that much about it. What can you tell me?
PASTOR TOM RUKALA, BAPTIST PASTOR: Well, the Church of Christ is a relatively new church. It was started about 150 years ago by Alexander Campbell (ph). And it’s, unfortunately, a very legalistic sect, and they tend to use methods of intimidation and pressure tactics. They claim that they are the only ones going to heaven, and all other people are condemned to hell. So in case...
GRACE: Uh-oh, I’m in trouble. But I already knew that.
(LAUGHTER)GRACE: Now, wait a minute. What more can you tell me?
RUKALA: Well, they claim that if you’re not baptized by one of their ministers, that you’re doomed to hell, even if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, which, of course, breaks completely from the traditional Christian view that all those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved because we’re saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. For the Church of Christ folks, that’s not enough. You have to be a member of their narrow sect. It’s a very exclusive group. And if you’re not a member of their sect, you’re condemned.
GRACE: You know, Pastor, you keep saying "sect." "Sect." You make it sound like a cult.
RUKALA: It kind of is a borderline cult, unfortunately. I don’t want to make it out to be some kind of Hare Krishna group, but it has cult-like characteristics and...
GRACE: In what sense?
RUKALA: Well, in the sense of the exclusivism, the attitude that they are the only ones who know the truth. The tactics that they use are sometimes just -- not only un-biblical but unethical, and they can be very ungracious, unfortunately.
I had the following reactions not necessarily in this order:
1. Why are they questioning a Baptist preacher concerning the CoC?
2. I’m glad Rubel was on yesterday's show. By the way he was treated / cut off by Grace, it’s another point of confirmation that CNN isn’t interested in the news but rather ratings.
3. Sad to say but some of what Rukala said is true about some of our churches.
4. Having grown up in a Baptist Church until my early 20’s, some of what Rukala said is true of some Baptist Churches as well, even today.
5. I thought “methods of intimidation and pressure tactics” were only used by the members on the elders? Little joke there.
6. How sad it is that CNN is practicing “yellow journalism” to blur the lines of the true story, the sad incident perpetrated on this family by one of their own family members and the resulting effects on the children.
What are some of your impressions?
Are you going to watch Nancy Grace tonight?
Comments:
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Greg - Don and I had the same reaction - it may be time to change the name on the door. I hope not. It will be interesting to see what kind of fallout if any Nancy Grace's attack will have on folks visiting our churches.
Judy - I understand the anger. It's frustrating when you're not allowed to accurately portray yourself or an organization you belong to.
Judy - I understand the anger. It's frustrating when you're not allowed to accurately portray yourself or an organization you belong to.
I just realized something funny. I haven't been angry by this thing at all. What I've felt more than anything else is gratitude that I've had the opportunity to sit and eat with Mike Cope and Rubel Shelly. I so admire these men for who they are, how they carry themselves, and what they stand for.
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