Barely Adventist

[Gary K]

On 2/22/2017 at 8:07 PM, Aubrey said:

I greatly suspect the subsection for Barely Adventist in the Humor section will ever be removed. The current fake-news from the Barely Adventist website addresses the racism video at Andrews. The fake-news satire is in extremely poor taste. It's a wonder that more people do not leave the Adventist faith when this sort of thing (mockery of a deep-felt plea against racism) is allowed to continue.

 

Maybe you ought to ask yourself why it is not removed.

[Gary K]

26 minutes ago, debbym said:

when we laugh at ourselves and our fears.... it helps protect from the dangers of seriousness.  We are not in control to begin with.  and to laugh at exaggeration of control can be relief comic relief, and a poke at our ego.  seriousness can be a very serious condition, people have died of seriousness.

Are you saying that you would be comfortable sitting down next to Jesus and mocking His church and the men He has placed in leadership positions?  Do you really think He would find that funny?

[debbym]

1 minute ago, Gary K said:

Are you saying that you would be comfortable sitting down next to Jesus and mocking His church and the men He has placed in leadership positions?  Do you really think He would find that funny?

mockery?  to exaggerate our irritations and a cure for them... is not mockery in any sense of the word.  one pastor told a story how he got stuck in the mud... and this was irritating and a challenge, and he was far from town at a bird reserve, on Sabbath...  and there came some nice members of his church driving towards him, he waved. and just as he was pushing hard to get out of the mud he slipped in the mud, then as rising his pants ripped, really big something he could not conceal with his jacket and he was a large man.  now there was humor in this though at the time i do not suspect he was laughing... the each step in the exaggeration of his predicament the humor increased... was anyone mocking this dear academic pastor?

so there is place for laughing at ourselves and it is not disdaining the Lord of Heaven in any way... it is a release of tension, a healthy release.

In Scripture the lord says to his enemies, i have you in derision... i am laughing at you.  Elijah laughed at the priest of Baal on Mt. Carmel.  it is good to know it is ok to laugh at our seriousness when we ultimately know God is in charge and His pruposes are working out, and it is His will for us to be bale to laugh and reduce distress and feel good and live longer.

[Gary K]

1 hour ago, debbym said:

mockery?  to exaggerate our irritations and a cure for them... is not mockery in any sense of the word.  one pastor told a story how he got stuck in the mud... and this was irritating and a challenge, and he was far from town at a bird reserve, on Sabbath...  and there came some nice members of his church driving towards him, he waved. and just as he was pushing hard to get out of the mud he slipped in the mud, then as rising his pants ripped, really big something he could not conceal with his jacket and he was a large man.  now there was humor in this though at the time i do not suspect he was laughing... the each step in the exaggeration of his predicament the humor increased... was anyone mocking this dear academic pastor?

so there is place for laughing at ourselves and it is not disdaining the Lord of Heaven in any way... it is a release of tension, a healthy release.

In Scripture the lord says to his enemies, i have you in derision... i am laughing at you.  Elijah laughed at the priest of Baal on Mt. Carmel.  it is good to know it is ok to laugh at our seriousness when we ultimately know God is in charge and His pruposes are working out, and it is His will for us to be bale to laugh and reduce distress and feel good and live longer.

The pastor?  He was laughing at himself and what had happened to him so it is fine to laugh with him.  He saw the hujmor in it. 

Does God really see humor in mocking His people?  I see nowhere in the Bible that He does.  Was Elijah mocking God's servants?  No.  He was mocking the outright enemies of God. 

Look at what Balaam said about the children of Israel when Balaak asked him to curse them.  Balaam said that God saw nothing wrong with His people, and he said that under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  The only time God says anything negative is when His people are in outright rebellion against Him and ignoring His laws and His righteousness. 

That people disagree with a political agenda does not make them rebellious against God.  It says they disagree with a political agenda.  To tell the truth I see no evidence from the Bible at all that we are to look to current politics for our agendas and what the church is to be all about.  To me that is bringing the world into the church and we are supposed to be in the world but not of the world.  Meaning that while we are here the world is to have its own agenda and we are to have a different agenda that comes from God and God alone.  C.D. Brooks said it well.  He said he once got all upset about some racism he saw in church members and his professor called him into his office and read him a statement from the SOP on how the devil will always have some way of distracting us from what should be our real agenda.  C.D. said he never forgot that and as such he always presented the gospel and left racial politics alone as it has nothing to do with presenting the gospel.  I'm paraphrasing C.D. greatly but that is the gist of what he said in a couple of his sermons.  As C.D. grew up in the deep south during the time of blatant racism his words carry a lot of weight on the subject. 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

6 hours ago, Gary K said:

That, rudywoofs, is quite a "perception".  So Jesus taught with "fake news"?  In other words, are you saying that Jesus used deceit to teach?  The implications of what you said are large, and I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you didn't really mean that but the implications are there.

Did Jesus use "fake" stories in his teaching?  Please be reminded of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  Look at the controversy on the nature of hell that's come about because of that parable.  But Jesus obviously had a reason to use such a colorful story...

"Fake news" and "fake stories" aren't necessarily deceit if one's intent is to *make a point* with the story, rather than have the story be taken as fact.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

 

   this is one of the silliest threads ever, imho... to debate the merits of humor...   I can't believe I'm posting here.   

 

[CoAspen]

You are not alone...I have the same problem...can't resist.....

[Green Cochoa]

"Barely Adventist" might be better labeled as "Pseudo-Adventist."

God led the Seventh-day Adventist Church from its very beginning, and gave direct instruction to her through the instrumentality of Mrs. White.  Mrs. White's writings anticipated much that we see in the church today.  The following paragraph applies to the exact sort of "humor" to be found here in this forum.

Quote

Nothing can more effectually prevent or banish serious impressions and good desires than association with vain, careless, and corrupt-minded persons. Whatever attractions such persons may possess by their wit, sarcasm, and fun, the fact that they treat religion with levity and indifference is sufficient reason why they should not be associated with. The more engaging they are in other respects, the more should their influence be dreaded as companions because they throw around an irreligious life so many dangerous attractions.  {AH 461.2} 

 

[Gary K]

7 hours ago, rudywoofs (Pam) said:

Did Jesus use "fake" stories in his teaching?  Please be reminded of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  Look at the controversy on the nature of hell that's come about because of that parable.  But Jesus obviously had a reason to use such a colorful story...

"Fake news" and "fake stories" aren't necessarily deceit if one's intent is to *make a point* with the story, rather than have the story be taken as fact.

The parable of Lazarus was an illustration of the belief in an immortal soul that was commonly held by the Jews of that time.  Christ used it as a mirror so the people could see themselves and He could get His teaching across to them.  He didn't use it as a way to mock people and the church, as Barely Adventist does.  

Quote

The doctrine of an intermediate existence was held by those who were listening to this parable. Just before Christ began to speak the parable, some of the Jews had been talking earnestly together, objecting to some of the points in Christ’s previous lesson and asserting that after death the departed spirits would converse with each other. {Ms6-1899.6}

Christ knew of the confused ideas held by the people, and he gave them a most wonderful lesson. Meeting them on their own ground, He framed His parable so as to inculcate important truths through their preconceived opinions. “It came to pass,” He said, “that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” {Ms6-1899.7}

Christ held up before the Jews a moral looking glass, wherein they might see themselves in their true relation to God. He used the prevailing opinion to convey the idea he wished to make prominent to all—that no man is valued for his possessions, for all he has belongs to him only as lent by the Lord. A misuse of these gifts will place him below the poorest and most afflicted man who loves God and trusts in Him. {Ms6-1899.8}

   So was Jesus using "fake news"?  No He was not.  He was using an illustration of a popular belief to show how wrong it was.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

1 minute ago, Gary K said:

He was using an illustration of a popular belief to show how wrong it was

BINGO!

[CoAspen]

[Gary K]

3 hours ago, rudywoofs (Pam) said:

BINGO!

If I understand this one word post correctly, you have just admitted that the entire Barely Adventist forum is an attack upon the church, its doctrines and its leadership for the purpose of it, Barely Adventist, is show how wrong all of those things are.   Ironic isn't it how God led so strongly in the establishment of all of those doctrines and in the establishment of the church too, now they are all wrong.  Truth established by God is always truth.  Its stability is the proof of its divine origin.  But divine truth has always been pretty unpopular from Adam's day until now and will continue to be so until the second coming. 

[CoAspen]

Quote

If I understand this one word post correctly, you have just admitted that the entire Barely Adventist forum is an attack upon the church, its doctrines and its leadership for the purpose of it, Barely Adventist, is show how wrong all of those things are.  

Alternative facts!!! Cool twist on Pam's meaning but still wrong!! This thread needs a good dose of humor!!!!

[debbym]

it's a disaster!! SAD.

lol

[Gail]

Years ago we had a colleague who was teased mercilessly by another. They both laughed and outwardly all seemed to be good-natured. The thought that went through my head, though, was, "What if he (the object of the teasing) cries into his pillow at night? 

There is much we don't see.

Although I understand the idea of satire, I don't like it. I "get" the concept of roasts and SNL. But I refuse to take part in such because they just seem to take away from a person's dignity. Even if a person was self-depreciative I would not do it to him.

I watched once a video of a church member receiving bacon at a restaurant or something, and another church member running into him just at that moment. I can't remember the exact details... Anyway, my thought is that if our eyes zoom in on what we perceive as the sinfulness of others rather than the person himself then we might deserve to be laughed at, more than the person who is just living.

I once had a colleague who would mock drunk people. I am sure she never took a sip of alcohol in her life. She also feigned drunkenness if she suspected that a dessert had liquor in it. As someone who comes from an environment where alcoholism affected others I could not relate.

I suppose it is healthy to be able to laugh at oneself. I know from experience that it might not always be funny to everyone.

[Gary K]

Thank you, Gail, for pointing out the inherent cruelty in satire.

Barely Adventist is not even skillful satire.  It is just rude, crude, and obvious hatred.  A skillful satirist can cut your heart out, leave it lying on the ground beside you and you with a puzzled look on your face wondering just exactly what he meant, and walk away laughing at your stupidity for not understanding what he just did to you.  I know.  That used to be me.   I thank God for showing me just how evil it really is, and how much the devil rejoices to see people hurt by it.  Those of you who rejoice in satire do not know what it is you are rejoicing in.  It is being judgmental in the worst way possible.

[Gregory Matthews]

Well, there is much in what Gary K stated that I suspect many would disagree with.

[Outta Here]

Well, there is much in what Gary K stated that I know at least one agrees with.

[Green Cochoa]

3 hours ago, Aubrey said:

Well, there is much in what Gary K stated that I know at least one agrees with.

Make that two.

[bonnie]

Up until this topic was posted I read Barely Adventist twice.   It was hard to distinguish between what some thought was funny on Barely Adventist and the conversations taking place. There was the same snarky,sarcastic mockery used by some posters when a belief or opinion that they disagreed with was shared. The one on Walla Walla mirrors the snarky comments that have been made in the past as "go to an adventist college to find a spouse". My boys went to an adventist college to get an education and Yes, Probaby would find their spouse. I am glad they all followed the same path with their families. Dont choose an adventist college their will be no parental help. Funny or a reason to mock. Fail to see it. The Gc sending cleaning inspectors sounds a lot like the mockery and contempt in the Dress Code topic. Many times mocking contempt is explained away as humor when in reality it is far more judgemental than those they accuse of that and mock

[CoAspen]

Quote

 The one on Walla Walla mirrors the snarky comments that have been made in the past as "go to an adventist college to find a spouse". 

Nothing snarky about that statement. It has been phrase used around our colleges for as long as I can remember, I have lived in several college towns. I have never known anyone get upset by it, but a lot of laughter!

I have seen posts about people getting too 'thin  skinned' or 'politicly correct' or too 'thin skinned'.....I guess maybe we feel that way about other subjects but not about us!!!!!

[bonnie]

Personally I think the statement more ignorant than funny or being upset. I seriously doubt most parents spend thousands so their child can find a spouse. It is where I wanted mine to go so if they did choose their mate in college they were more likely to meet someone that shared their values and beliefs. So called humor at the expense of others or mockery disguised as humor is something other than funny . Many are hurt by it.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

The Walla Walla College/University reputation for years and years and years was that it was the place to find a spouse.  It's been a running joke for eons in the NPUC.

I know of quite a number of parents who sent their daughters to Walla Walla, primarily to get a husband.  I've not known anyone who's been particularly offended by it...

[bonnie]

It has been running joke for a long time,not just there.Maybe there are parents that would spend that kind of money in search of a husband for their daughters.Most that do want their children in an adventist college first and foremost want them to receive a education. We did not pay for college for our sons but if we had that would most certainly have been a important consideration. Their education was important but not anymore so than who they would spend the rest of their lives with. I have heard several parents that were offended by it over the years. I would be curious as to the personal beliefs of those that write the satire. The personal belief is evident here by those that use the same type of mockery to mock the opinions they disagree with. Are those that write all this "humorous satire" personally so dismissive and mocking of those that dont hold their same religious viewpoint?

[bonnie]

I know several families that sent their children there. I can only imagine how offended the parents of some of these way above average girls would be if I wished them sucess on catching a husband.