Religious pet peeves?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bro Blue
  • Start date Start date
jimmudcatgrant said:
Might as well add another:  Preachers that use tear jerker illustrations right at the end of the sermon to evoke a emotional response to the altar call.
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Tear jerker illustrations aren't necessarily bad. The more memorable the illustration, the better. Empathy and relevance are definitely legitimate means of involving the audience.


I would agree that illustrations purely designed to evoke an emotional response are inappropriate, but emotionally responsive illustrations aren't bad in-and-of themselves.
 
Surely pastors understand enough about psychology to know what they're doing. The voice gets low, the soft music comes in, appropiate lyrics, tender appeal and invitation. Obviously a tried and true method. They want visible responses and this is one of the tools in the bag to get them.
 
Gina B said:
Teachers and such using conviction from above or that God told them...insert whatever after that.
God told one pastor that I should teach a Sunday school class.
A youth worker came under conviction that my one daughter should spend more time with the youth group.

It really bugs me. First, if God is talking to you about me, why isn't He talking to me first? If you come to me and say God TOLD you something, it better be from the Bible unless you still have an afterglow about you.

As for conviction,  the convicted persons went to my underage daughter instead of me. Now why on earth would they be convicted and take it up with a minor instead of the parent...let alone the obvious question of why all these people around would be convicted about me and my family and what we should be doing and how we should be serving or not serving? At least have the guts to say it's what you want. I can't believe people would claim such a high power that they rightfully can't claim. That in itself tells me they have no respect for God, and that's scary, especially when it comes from teachers and pastors!
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There are convicted people in my church. We understand, we have a jailhouse ministry. None of our convicted people are escaped. They've all served their time or have been paroled.
 
Using corporate prayer as an opportunity to move people around on the platform/stage.

Seriously disrespectful.

Happily this has never happened in my current church.
 
When one of the elders in my local assembly opens the service in prayer and greeting and announcements, etc, then slips out and leaves the sanctuary, as though his job is done.  He does not treat it as a worship service but as a job.  It turns my stomache.
 
Public prayers that seem to be for the purpose of impressing the crowd rather than seriously addressing God.
Public prayers that seems to be more of a formality. :-\
 
Bro Blue said:
Public prayers that seem to be for the purpose of impressing the crowd rather than seriously addressing God.
Public prayers that seems to be more of a formality. :-\
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Especially the ones with old english, as though God can't understand American English.  ::)
 
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