Thursday, May 18, 2006

good and bad

This is good.

And this is bad.

My friend, and fellow blogger, Dustin, posted a segment from the Out of Ur article on his blog today. I really enjoyed reading it and thought you might, too.

And Pat Robertson...well, he's kinda like that drunk uncle that keeps showing up to your highschool football games. He's so obnoxious and embarrassing. We don't want to admit that we are related to the guy, but we can't help it...he is one of us. Like it or not. And I don't.

8 comments:

The Anonymous Human said...

I like that Pat Robertson says, "If I heard God right..."

Now when in all of the Bible were the people unclear of what God was saying to them. They may not have liked it. They may have even disobeyed or asked for a sign to accompany the voice. But never, ever did they go back and say, "I THINK God just said something to me...not sure though."

Can you imagine Moses going back to the Isrealites and going, "well, this was as close to what I could make out God wanted for our Top Ten. First, You shall have no other Ipods before me. Second, do not mark your grave with an image..."

Seriously...come on! Seriously.

Anonymous said...

So much negativity towards the "business world." I think we get a bad rap.

Jeff

Dustin said...

Jeff,

I don't think it's as much negative about the business world as it is the fact that business principles don't always carry over to the Church world but people try to force them to anyway. I don't think all business is bad, just like I don't think all churches are good. But could you imagine trying to run your business like a church? Probably wouldn't work out all that well, and vice versa.

bill said...

jeff...dust beat me to the punch. i agree completely with him. i have nothing against the business world. but the goals of businesses (more money, more power, ect.) are opposite of what the church's goals should be. but with the principle, we have also adopted the goals. and like i said, those goals are fine in the business world. but not in the church.

Anonymous said...

I would clarify and say that people are corrupt, not corporations. People want more money and power. Corporate principles are simply to maximaze shareholder value, and not necessarily at any cost either. Being in the thick of things in the business world, I have been delightfully surprised how ethical most people are. Just like anything else, there are usually only a few bad seeds.

Anonymous said...

Oops

Jeff

Anonymous said...

I only wish I had the time Betsy.

Jeff

bill said...

you do have the time. don't fool yourself. i'm kidding.

real good point, though. it is people that are corrupt, not corporations. but businesses are designed to keep their customers happy and thus, satisfy their desire for more money and power, correct? i think that is what you were saying anyway.

and the church's job is not to feed that desire, but to help lead people to the root of that desire and discover the are really hungry for the satisfaction found in Christ.

unlike businesses, we don't want to keep corrupt people (which is all of us, by the way) happy. cause happy people don't change. no reason to, they're happy. but the church is called to help its people constantly change for the better...more and more like Christ.

i am probably rambling. but my point is just that, no...neither the business world nor its principles are "bad". but the business world and its principles, like dustin said, just don't carry over well into the church.

and the problem is that about 15 years ago a bunch of churches that had adopted the business model began exploding and now every two-bit minister in the country thinks he has to emmulate their "success".