Do you know of any pastor who has ever lost his credentials because of sins of gluttony or gambling?
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Are those even considered to be sinful today? If so, I can’t believe they would rank high enough on the CoG “sin scale” to warrant the penalties you referenced. Short of divorce/remarriage or sexual abuse I can’t think of too many things a credentialed CoG minister could do to lose his paperwork________________“Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”
These offenses are listed in our Practical Commitments. Please note the words, must refrain.Therefore, a Christian must totally abstain from all alcoholic beverages and other habit-forming and mood-altering chemical substances and refrain from the use of tobacco in any form, marijuana and all other addictive substances, and further, must refrain from any activity (such as gambling or gluttony) which defiles the body as the temple of God or which dominates and enslaves the spirit that has been made free in Christ (Proverbs 20:1; 23:20-35; Isaiah 28:7; 1 Corinthians 3:17; 5:11; 6:10; 2 Corinthians 7:1; James 1:21).
My impression, after over 25 years as a CoG minister, with 33 years in the CoG total, is that the practical commitments have by and large been considered impractical to preach or teach on. That said, my sense is that smoking marijuana or tobacco, using hard drugs, and drinking to excess might get a CoG minister in trouble. Gluttony though? Not a chance that would ever be enforced. How could they, anyway? Have people testify that they saw a CoG minister eating too much? How would they determine the limit? Obesity alone is not a good way to determine gluttony. Someone can drink two or three sugary sodas or sweet teas daily in addition to a regular diet and become obese over time.
When I was a student in Mrs. Slay’s fifth grade class at George R. Stuart School (in the Holy City), the school had a cake walk as a fund raiser. I remember being told it was a sin because it was gambling. This was followed by a dance contest (the twist), after which fire and brimstone fell on the city.
I’m not talking about a cake walk. I have been *expected* by the state youth director to participate (by selling tickets) in raffling off things like entertainment centers worth thousands of dollars, and have been laughed at and mocked when I objected that the CoG is against gambling. The government defines raffles as gambling.
I was not making light of you stand – and I agree, that we let the nose of the camel under the tent with such practices. I stand against the state lottery(s) as wrong for Christians, as I would against play Blackjack or other games in a casino.
Some very good underlying points in this thread. Going strictly by the book, with human formed guidelines and teachings, is VERY HARD. BTW I do not believe OTCP was ever convicted nor changed, just my opinion. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Years ago, I had a member donate a beautiful Henry .22 rifle to the church, for us to raffle off, to raise money for a mission project. One of our deacons had a fit, saying that we were gambling, etc. I never could understand what the problem was. The rifle was freely donated. There was no get rich quick or unfair gain, at the expense of others. All of the proceeds went to the mission project. We haven’t done it again, not because I think it was wrong….But rather, to keep from offending our brother. I still don’t understand it. The same guy has no problem with silent auctions, and hosts them all the time. What is the difference between buying a ticket and putting in a bid________________
Are those even considered to be sinful today? If so, I can’t believe they would rank high enough on the CoG “sin scale” to warrant the penalties you referenced. Short of divorce/remarriage or sexual abuse I can’t think of too many things a credentialed CoG minister could do to lose his paperwork________________“Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”
These offenses are listed in our Practical Commitments. Please note the words, must refrain.Therefore, a Christian must totally abstain from all alcoholic beverages and other habit-forming and mood-altering chemical substances and refrain from the use of tobacco in any form, marijuana and all other addictive substances, and further, must refrain from any activity (such as gambling or gluttony) which defiles the body as the temple of God or which dominates and enslaves the spirit that has been made free in Christ (Proverbs 20:1; 23:20-35; Isaiah 28:7; 1 Corinthians 3:17; 5:11; 6:10; 2 Corinthians 7:1; James 1:21).
My impression, after over 25 years as a CoG minister, with 33 years in the CoG total, is that the practical commitments have by and large been considered impractical to preach or teach on. That said, my sense is that smoking marijuana or tobacco, using hard drugs, and drinking to excess might get a CoG minister in trouble. Gluttony though? Not a chance that would ever be enforced. How could they, anyway? Have people testify that they saw a CoG minister eating too much? How would they determine the limit? Obesity alone is not a good way to determine gluttony. Someone can drink two or three sugary sodas or sweet teas daily in addition to a regular diet and become obese over time.
Great thought
cake walk?
When I was a student in Mrs. Slay’s fifth grade class at George R. Stuart School (in the Holy City), the school had a cake walk as a fund raiser. I remember being told it was a sin because it was gambling. This was followed by a dance contest (the twist), after which fire and brimstone fell on the city.
I’m not talking about a cake walk. I have been *expected* by the state youth director to participate (by selling tickets) in raffling off things like entertainment centers worth thousands of dollars, and have been laughed at and mocked when I objected that the CoG is against gambling. The government defines raffles as gambling.
I was not making light of you stand – and I agree, that we let the nose of the camel under the tent with such practices. I stand against the state lottery(s) as wrong for Christians, as I would against play Blackjack or other games in a casino.
Some very good underlying points in this thread. Going strictly by the book, with human formed guidelines and teachings, is VERY HARD. BTW I do not believe OTCP was ever convicted nor changed, just my opinion. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Years ago, I had a member donate a beautiful Henry .22 rifle to the church, for us to raffle off, to raise money for a mission project. One of our deacons had a fit, saying that we were gambling, etc. I never could understand what the problem was. The rifle was freely donated. There was no get rich quick or unfair gain, at the expense of others. All of the proceeds went to the mission project. We haven’t done it again, not because I think it was wrong….But rather, to keep from offending our brother. I still don’t understand it. The same guy has no problem with silent auctions, and hosts them all the time. What is the difference between buying a ticket and putting in a bid________________
What is the difference between buying a ticket and putting in a bid?