Fallout

Thoughts of the snowy looking stuff we've all seen falling from the sky after a nuclear blast on some cheesy old movie form the 50's. It's the cleanup after a major weather event gone wrong, such as a tsunami, hurricane, tornado, flooding, or massive fire somewhere on the west coast that causes erosion of the hillsides. It can come from a shoving match on a playground between 4th graders, or from a battle in a far away desert. (the former earned me a trip to the principal's office, after the other kid wound up with a bloody nose. Hey, he started it, I finished it!) The firing of a head coach after 3 straight losses in a college football season. The loss of a political office after years of voting the wrong way on the issues. This is my friends, is what we call fallout.

So I'm watching a TV show that was recorded on the DVR and when it ended, I clicked 'save' so my wife could watch the ending later as she had left the house to get her evening exercise. As the DVR switched back the the channel that it was on before we watched the recorded show, I realized it was on one of the religious shows. I think it was the 700 Club. On screen were 3 women talking about how one of them had gotten saved through some program at a women's shelter, or something along that line. I don't know the whole story, because I changed the channel quickly. I couldn't stand to watch it because that feeling of disbelief came rising up pretty fast. I find I cannot watch that stuff anymore because I don't believe it's real. I look at Pat Robertson and can't help but wonder if he's a fake and a liar. I think he is, but I'm not 100% sure. I've read some stuff about him that said he is as fake as they come. I have nothing personal against Mr Robertson, I don't even know the man, never spent time with him. But it really doesn't mater if it's Pat Robertson, or someone else. I can't watch any TV preachers, televangelists, or the like. In fact, I'm considering blocking ANY and ALL religious channels on all TV's in my house. Is that sad or what??

Then I see one of my Facebook friends posting a video about TD Jakes and claiming how great it is. "Wooo Preach THAT Bishop Jakes" she says about the video. I have to pry myself away from it, because I used to like TD Jakes' messages on TV. I've bought & read one of his books. Yet again, I'm drawn back to what I've read about him, and how he twists scripture. And what's with the whole 'Bishop' thing? So many black preachers use that title. Bishop of what, exactly? He's not MY Bishop. I don't use the term 'Doctor' for someone who isn't MY Doctor! My daughter's Orthodontist is a friend of mine. I don't call him Doctor, I use his first name. It's not disrespect, he just doesn't need the praise of men for his validation.

Where's this bus going...I'm realizing this is the fallout of my experience with the church. Before I continue, let me set the record straight. My faith has never been stronger. I love Jesus with everything I have and everything I am. However I've never been more spiritually beat up than I have been in the past 2 and a half years. I've learned that sometimes, doing the right thing can get you the kind of fallout you don't want.

For example, if a corporation has an employee who knowingly gets involved in something unethical and illegal, then goes against what their head or authority tells them not to do in order to distance and protect the employee and the corporation from the situation, it's the corporation's responsibility to deal with that employee, no matter the position of that employee, whether president, CEO, janitor, cube warrior, or middle manager. That employee needs to be scripturally approached, disciplined, and if the behavior continues, fired.

Such is the case of the Lorenz's, who were involved in bringing Rifqa Bary down to Florida form Ohio. After being confronted, then fired for continuing in their activities that were certainly illegal, their response was to blow up and yell, instead of accepting responsibility, admitting fault, then repenting. The corporation reluctantly dealt with them in the only way it could have, given the circumstances, by 'relieving them of their responsibilities'.

The worst part was not having a pastor yell at us and say 'you're the most evil people we've ever known....you're demonic....idiots...you have no idea what you're doing..etc'. Although that's not fun. The fallout from this experience, the spiritual abuse, is this. I'm now repulsed by what I hear from the pulpits of the TV preachers, etc, when comparing it to what I'm learning from reading and studying scripture on my own. I know we're supposed to weigh things against scripture to see if they're from God or not, but this feeling of disbelief is somewhat uncomfortable, and I now have absolutely no trust in anyone using the title of Pastor.

I guess using the words 'absolutely no trust in anyone using the title of Pastor' may be a bit extreme. I have met one Pastor who has been a great friend and God has used him in leading me toward the first steps of healing from these experiences. And God has now brought my family & I to the next phase of the healing process, through another church...another pastor....who seems genuine. I can't judge him until I see the fruits of his life. For that, I must give him time and prayer.....that I would be courageous to do the right thing again, regardless of the fallout.