What we have here is a failure to communicate
Check out this minister’s blog entry in which he details some reasons for wanting to get a bit healthier. The last reason especially:
I want to be able to kick the crap out of other pastors….if I felt the need too.
– Before giving my life to Christ, I liked to drink AND fight. With my mouth, I was somehow in a lot of situations that required me fighting. It has been a while, but I think I could throw down if I had too but I need to have the energy in case the dude is ripped up like Steven or Perry. That probably seems like a crazy reason but it motivates me.
Now, do you get the idea that this was written in either anger or seriousness? I don’t get that idea at all. You know what tipped me off at first? THE TWO FRICKIN’ SMILEY FACES!!!! Of course there’s also the rest of the post in which he jokes about his wife being buffer than he is, his desire to get tatted up, a (out of context) verse about taking care of our bodies, and having energy to play with his kids. Does any of that sound angry? Absolutely not.
So, here’s a question for you. If you have the inability to understand what someone is communicating when that someone lives in the same time as you, lives in the same country as you and speaks the same native tongue as you, what makes us think they can possibly interpret the scriptures which were written by men living thousands of years ago, in a totally alien culture speaking completely different languages?
It may be we’ve been approaching this from the wrong angle. Instead of pointing out the deficiencies of their arguments we should be urging them to go to some sort of socialization therapy that will train them to pick up on clues as to the mindset of the speaker or writer. Perhaps, this isn’t a problem of intellectual differences, but one of social skills.
![Image of The Prodigal God (An Unabridged Production)[2-CD Set]; Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Jl6fhDLxL._SL75_.jpg "The Prodigal God (An Unabridged Production)[2-CD Set]; Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith")
8 Comments(+Add)
Dare I say…………strawman?
let’s toss put the scriptures folks, the great and powerful oz has spoken.
Chris P,
Thanks for making my point for me.
I did not make your point.
Based on all of your posts here I believe that you mean exactly what you wrote, which is:
“So, here’s a question for you. If you have the inability to understand what someone is communicating when that someone lives in the same time as you, lives in the same country as you and speaks the same native tongue as you, what makes us think they can possibly interpret the scriptures which were written by men living thousands of years ago, in a totally alien culture speaking completely different languages?”
Isn’t socialization therapy what the post-modern church promotes?
Once again, I understand perfectly.
Is it just me, or is Mr. Lamb basically maintaining a personal blog and not a ‘teaching blog’ or one with ‘official’ purposes fot his church?
Just glancing through a number of his entries, it seems he just uses it to tell funny stories, make observations about things he sees in his life, share info about his family – you know, basically what most personal blogs are…
I’m not sure why Lamb was singled out, other than, possibly, that his church meets in a movie theater on Sunday mornings.
Why is this even an issue? I mean, really?
Yeah you did make my point. You somehow believe I created a strawman, when Ingrid her post with with “It never ceases to amaze me how angry some of the New Pastors get”.
Which means you either believe I communicated something other than Ingrid believes this person is angry, or you believe that person is angry. Either way you didn’t understand what was the intent of the author to communicate.
And socialization therapy is what feral children undergo because they were never socialized and so can’t communicate at all. While feral children never recover from their lack of human contact, the watch poodles have a very specific socialization deficiency and so a prognosis for recovery is much greater.
But if they went to any lengths to understand the jokes on that blog post and the nature of the meanings, they wouldn’t have anything to sound the alarm on, I think purposeful misinterpretation is just another utility belt item for watchdoggers because otherwise they could only write when something was actually a matter for concern!
It’s just another shrill denunciation based on their own preconceptions. Remember, tabloid journalism — including SOL’s hysterical paranoia — SELLS. And nothing sells better than outrage and self-righteous indignation.
Of course, telling the truth is the first thing that goes down the drain, closely followed by critical thinking skills.
Ah. Pastor Lamb.
I know why he was singled out; he was a favorite on the old SOL blog.
I have had an “interaction” with him of my own, a blog post I file under “I often wish I could delete but since deleting implies dishonesty I can’t but oh how I wish.”
It’s also a great way to illustrate the topic of communication and how humor and/or sarcasm don’t always play well in the written word versus in real conversation. I started getting email from people agreeing about the “emerging guru” thing, and I realized I had totally messed up in communication of what I was trying to say… I read it now, and I don’t even know. My point being: communication with writing takes a lot of skill and certain bits of humor and such do not play well at all.
I am gradually mellowing from those days. I think.
But regarding the difference between personal/church blog, the main thing here is that both, no matter what the take, are public and that means that it does have a connection to not only the personal but the occupation and reputation of the person. Just as I’ve made art sales through my blog, I’ve no doubt lost them by people turned off by something I’ve written. I understand that. This can apply to anyone: pastor, teacher, banker…