The Pastor Who Forgot To Read The Bible

Had he taken the time to consult Scripture, he might well have known that his action against the church is both inappropriate and evidence of a bit of self centeredness.

The Rev. Tenolian Bell has sued St. Paul’s Baptist Church and two of its leaders over the congregation’s vote to dismiss him as pastor. Bell questions whether the church followed proper procedure to discharge him as pastor of the Leah Street church, according to court documents obtained by the Observer-Dispatch. Bell also contends he should have been afforded a hearing before any vote to dismiss him was cast, the documents state. The congregation Feb. 29 voted 83-41 to fire Bell and gave him 60 days to leave. The church maintains that proper rules were followed, and the will of St. Paul’s membership was reflected in the vote, according to court documents.

Perhaps, then, it would be appropriate to point out to him what Paul says to the Corinthians on just this sort of thing:

τολμα τις υμων πραγμα εχων προς τον ετερον κρινεσθαι επι των αδικων και ουχι επι των αγιων. η ουκ οιδατε οτι οι αγιοι τον κοσμον κρινουσιν και ει εν υμιν κρινεται ο κοσμος αναξιοι εστε κριτηριων ελαχιστων. ουκ οιδατε οτι αγγελους κρινουμεν μητιγε βιωτικα. βιωτικα μεν ουν κριτηρια εαν εχητε τους εξουθενημενους εν τη εκκλησια τουτους καθιζετε. προς εντροπην υμιν λεγω ουτως ουκ ενι εν υμιν ουδεις σοφος ος δυνησεται διακριναι ανα μεσον του αδελφου αυτου. αλλα αδελφος μετα αδελφου κρινεται και τουτο επι απιστων. ηδη μεν ολως ηττημα υμιν εστιν οτι κριματα εχετε μεθ εαυτων διατι ουχι μαλλον αδικεισθε διατι ουχι μαλλον αποστερεισθε. αλλα υμεις αδικειτε και αποστερειτε και τουτο αδελφους (1 Cor 6:1-8).

Christians suing Christians: no matter how you slice it, it only makes a satan’s sandwich.

Nothing Like Scroll Fragments Being Used For Obviously Political Purposes

Like exhibiting Psalm 133 for President Bush (who can barely manage English- one can scarcely imagine him peering at the text and saying ‘why what a unique way to form a lamed…’). Naturally in the context of the meeting ‘brothers dwelling in unity’ means ’seeing things our way’. With thanks to Antonio Lombatti for first spotting the story.

Yes, But Were Duane and Drew and James There?

At the meeting held in Greeneville, TN of the ‘Creation Seminar‘ when famed chemist Alan White spoke? He has a PhD in chemistry from Harvard (you know, one of those big famous schools were only the most intelligent graduate).

A research fellow at Eastman Chemical Company for 27 years, White holds 39 U.S. patents and is an author of 18 scientific publications. In his talk, White made his case for a created universe — rather than one that somehow evolved naturally without creator or design — by using examples relating to the complexity of a single cell, or amoeba. “Complexity does not happen by chance over a long period of time,” he said. “Greater complexity is only seen when energy and intelligence are combined.” White went on to say that all steps in evolution theories are “highly unlikely” over a long period of time.

So he has to be right. He went to Harvard and has published in ‘peer reviewed’ journals.

Maybe It Is Time To Bid Amazon Farewell…

I’ve purchased a great number of books (too many, really) from Amazon (though truth be told, I’d rather get them directly from the publisher- but some publishers don’t care much about individual orders it seems and are awfully wretched about responding to enquiries). But I didn’t know they (Amazon) were exerting the sort of pressure on publishers that they evidently are (according to the goodly Ken Schenck). Ken writes

I had a couple great ideas yesterday. Amazon.com is really killing not only publishers but it’s killing the royalties book writers make. They are very demanding on publishers, not least of which is that they demand a 55% discounted price. That destroys royalties for authors.  It’s great for buyers, but devastating to those who do the work producing these things. Why even write books any more? I made about $180 dollars last year off of two of my books that sell on Amazon. IWU doesn’t put any emphasis on publication at all so why even bother? If I have a “grey thumb,” I can write all I want for free here.

That’s not very much, Ken! I made more than that on stuff I’ve written. But you need not despair. Skip the middle man and publish stuff yourself (like Luther and Zwingli and Calvin and Bucer and Kierkegaard all did and like all scholars did until the hijacking of academic publishing by large publishing houses in cahoots with academic devilry). And don’t let your reticence on the subject or Amazon’s attempt to control it deter you. Skip Amazon too, let your friends in biblioblogging know what you’ve written and we can mention it. Heck, more people read biblioblogs than catalogs anyway. (I can’t imagine 1500 people a day each and every day reading book catalogs but that’s the number who normally stop by here to absorb the truthiness of my wisdom). Multiply that by the 15 or so excellent biblioblogs out there and lo an behold, 15,000 people a day minimum are hearing about your work. It’s not a lot in terms of the whole population; but it is quite well targeted for the very group most likely to buy and read. Take heart Ken, and don’t worry about the ballyhooers who will decry and denounce. They’ve already been left behind in terms of the way publishing will look in future. They just aren’t clever enough to know it.

Some Neat Looking Stuff in the Latest RBL

Martin Beck and Ulrike Schorn, eds.
Auf dem Weg zur Endgestalt von Genesis bis II Regum: Festschrift Hans-Christoph Schmitt zum 65. Geburtstag, Reviewed by Klaas Spronk

Adriane B. Leveen
Memory and Tradition in the Book of Numbers, Reviewed by Thomas B. Dozeman

Christoph Nihan
From Priestly Torah to Pentateuch: A Study in the Composition of the Book of Leviticus, Reviewed by Eckart Otto

William M. Schniedewind and Joel H. Hunt
A Primer on Ugaritic Language, Culture, and Literature, Reviewed by Robert D. Holmstedt

Terrorist Cats On the Prowl Beneath the Ground

Bud the cat is just the first of a wave of cat terrorists planning to spring up from the ground in the cats ongoing efforts to take over the world. Their plan is brilliant: slink into drain pipes, meow pathetically, and then, when some poor sucker reaches down to help them out- the attack begins. Thousands of people could have lost their fingers or even their whole hands if the cats plan hadn’t been exposed. Beware the cat. It is evil incarnate and always seeking ways to devour and destroy. And there’s biblical proof of this: ‘the devil is a roaring lion seeking those to consume’ (and in case you don’t know it, lions are cats).

School Bomb Plotter Wanted to Die So He Could Kill Jesus

Imagining, evidently, that if he blew up his school and himself he would immediately be transferred to Heaven where he could then – what- choke Jesus to death with his bare hands?   CNN reports

A teen accused of plotting to blow up his high school told police that he wanted to die, go to heaven and kill Jesus, federal authorities said Tuesday.   Prosecutors argued in a federal courtroom that the statements are an indication that 18-year-old Ryan Schallenberger needs a psychological evaluation.  The straight-A Chesterfield High School senior was arrested April 19 and faces several state and federal charges, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. That charge carries a possible life sentence if he is convicted.

Mentally unstable?  Really?  Or perhaps he really is just that foolish.  Sometimes a banana really is just a banana.  And his parents ought to be awarded a prize for turning him in before he carried out his terrorist attack.