341 thoughts on “Friday Challenge: Ask A Fundy”

      1. This has to be at least your fifth first or so? I have no idea what the what the proper celebration for that is, I’m assuming someone will enlighten us?

        1. I would have to say the reward is a chocolate martini although given the early hour of getting first I think a mimosa is more in order. Drink up!

  2. Second!!!! or as my high school track coash would say, “First place loser!!!!”

  3. And my question would be: Why have you never preached against clergy sex abuse of children among churches that claim to follow the Bible?

    If he stumbles on that, the next question is, Why have you never preached against domestic abuse?

    2. It would be quite rare to get an unqualified and honest yes to that question.

  4. I would ask them, why do you always eat the last piece of fried chicken at the Homecoming Meal after the All Night Gospel Singing?

    Seriously, the question would be can we focus on preaching about real sins and quit worring about the minor things like music styles? (Even though I still can’t stand the majority of modern music of any type.) 😀

    1. I think the problem comes from the fact that so many preachers cherry-pick the passages they want to preach on and don’t tackle the difficult issues. Hard to skip over things when you are preaching the whole counsel of God.

    2. “can we focus on preaching about real sins”

      The real sin is us – our nature. That is what needs to be addressed, and then the solution (Christ) must be given.

      Men sin because they are sinners, they are not sinners because they sin.

      I say they should focus on preaching the gospel. If the congregation understands the gospel, the other issues will take care of themselves to some extent.

      1. I might agree as long as the “gospel” isn’t simply, “YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THE LORD NOW OR ELSE SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN AND YOU WILL SPEND THE REST OF ETERNITY IN HELL.”
        Rather the gospel is God seeking reconciliation with his creation. Church should be about discipleship of those who have already accepted this.

        1. You and I are on the same page.

          “YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THE LORD NOW OR ELSE SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN AND YOU WILL SPEND THE REST OF ETERNITY IN HELL.”

          That is nothing more than a fire insurance sales pitch. It is definitely not the gospel.

          The day that a fundamentalist understands the beauty of the gospel (as outlined in Scripture) is the day that he will cease to be a fundamentalist (the kind of fundamentalist lampooned on SFL).

          A true comprehension of the gospel will strip the fundy of his self righteousness. He will have to realize that the ground is indeed level at the cross. He now realizes that he is no better than those whom he ridicules.

          He will move from legalistic, man centered religion – to worship of an awe inspiring Savior who saved and elected him based on no merit of his own.

  5. I would ask, “If the greatest command is to love God and the second is to love my neighbor, why is there so much hatred, mockery and scorn spewed against fellow believers?”

    1. You stole my question, so to simply embellish the questions, “What part of love don’t you understand?” Of course, that was sang as twangy as I could possibly sing it! 😛

    2. That’s a good question. How come that question isn’t asked of some of the commenters on this site, especially the ones who are always spouting off about how we are to love others? Not directing this at you directly, just making a general observation?

      1. @ Jonathan: That’s a good question. How come that question isn’t asked of some of the commenters on this site, especially the ones who are always spouting off about how we are to love others? Not directing this at you directly, just making a general observation? yeah I hear you, but there are some differences that I would like to point out to you.
        First, this “question of the day” is addressed to PASTORS.
        Second, I know that we Christians are supposed to have love and show that same love, but some of the posters on here are not Christians. I have had conversations with some who are atheists, and some of them have arrived at that belief because of the actions of the IFBS.
        Last, some of the people here are truly grieving, and one of the stages of grief is anger. Since this grief has been the direct result of actions, teachings and dealings with IFBC, you see angry remarks and responses directed at “fundy stuff.”
        One day these men that caused this loss of faith or damage to faith will answer to God (the real God) for their teaching/ actions and it won’t go so well for them.

        1. @ Shoes – Last, some of the people here are truly grieving, and one of the stages of grief is anger. Since this grief has been the direct result of actions, teachings and dealings with IFBC, you see angry remarks and responses directed at “fundy stuff.” <—— This is 100% right on. As one who is coming out the fundy mindset, I am in therapy to undo all fundy "brainwashing!" This site is SO refreshing!

        2. This site is therapy of the humorous kind. I’m in fundy land right now but have pulled away (stopped going to church 2 months ago). My hubby goes only b/c our kids are in the school, or else they would get kicked out (yep…only 9 more days). I’m tired of crying and feeling guilty for being ‘blinded by Satan’ because I don’t agree with pretty much anything that’s being forced (not taught)on me.

          SFL and the posts from other wounded ‘escapees’ encourage me to know that I will survive (Gloria Gaynor’s song running in my head right now :mrgreen: )when we finally leave the compound.

        3. @ nokoolaid4me I recently told my therapist upon finding this site, “I’m NOT ALONE!”

        4. As the great Christian Dolly Parton says (as Truvy) “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”

        5. Hey NoKoolaidforme…do I know you???? 😯
          I am seriously guessing- but- if I know better our kids go to the same school…and you are being called in to fix whats wrong with ya… 😈
          If its not who I think it is..sorry..

        6. I’m sorry for ALL that are “called in” to be fixed!

          FIx? What does that mean? Fix….like you fix a dog so they can’t have puppies with all the neighborhood dogs? I guess fundies think it is better to “sterilize” the person than let them leave and spread “false doctrine” which would prevent fundies from brining people into fold.

          Sorry…the fix analogy just struck a raw nerve with me because they attempted to “fix” me, although they did not use that word. Nothing personal!

        8. @I am His Beloved…it’s me! Was I obvious?!?!

          @Priscilla since I’ve stopped going to church one of the MOG’s (who is nice but blinded) spent 2.5 hours trying to ‘fix’ my thinking in telling me how I was blind-sided by satan because of how I feel. And questioned what I was doing to ‘fix’ the problems I have. He has since called my house wanting to meet again. Apparently in the translation of the words “I’m not coming back again ever!” the meaning got corrupted by Satan. 😉

        9. @nokoolaid4me just keep telling them no! Even if they don’t speak English that eventually will sink in. Sometimes you have to simplify it and tell them your response starts with an “n”, ends with an “o”, has nothing in the middle and rhymes with NO. 🙂

    3. That’s my question, except that I’d expand it to ask, “Aren’t unbelievers your neighbors, too?”

    4. right, if the Samaritan considered his enemy his neighbor, why do we crucify our bothers and sisters with our words?

  6. If we are talking a truly honest straightforward answer, I would ask about the reason behind his stance on the KJV being the only bible English speakers can use.

    I get so tired of all the reasons that imply that the KJV itself (not the source documents) is actually inspired by God and not just a translation.

    The Mainstream fundies (an oxymoron I know) never claim the KJV is inspired in any clear language. They just imply that it is and that all of the doctrines of scriptural innerancy apply only to the KJV.

    1. They will take you back to the two lines of manuscripts, the one from Alexandria, and the one from Antioch, and prove inerrancy in the ones from Antioch, and show you all the errors from the Alexandrian manuscripts. The man I learned the Bible from, however, said you could use the newer translations to compare and contrast, and if somebody needed to be saved, and had anything but the King James, to use their Bible to show them Christ. 😆

      1. “…show you all the errors from the Alexandrian manuscripts…”

        The reason I heard the Alexandrian manuscripts are wrong from an IFB pastor is because “They came out of Egypt and nothing good has ever come out of Egypt”.

        1. Didn’t Jesus have to spend some time in Egypt to avoid being killed by Herod? I seem to remember a verse in the Gospels which is quoting one of the OT prophets: “Out of Egypt I have called my Son.”

          Yikes.

        2. Bingo. If nothing good has come out of Egypt, then Jesus, who spent part of his early childhood as a refugee in Egypt, can’t be good.
          Nor Moses, for that matter.

          That’s a road we don’t want to go down.

        3. Jenni and Big Gary – I never thought of it that way! Wow.
          I just chalked it up to him being lazy about researching the subject.

        4. @Scorpio- I heard that argument used at my ex-IFB church. It always confused me; I mean, just because something comes out of a supposedly bad country (in the fundy’s view) that doesn’t make IT bad.

    2. The source documents of the KJV are six (out almost 6,000 extant) minuscule mss., dating from around the tenth century (the original mss. were uncials, not minuscules). There are almost 2,000 variations between the TR and the majority Byzantine text, and there is significant evidence that the Byzantine text is inadequate (e.g. was modified by the Roman Church in a few spots to support certain doctrines). The bologna told in fundy circles about the “original text” behind the KJV is not a perspective, or persuasion, or belief. In the words of Sherlock Holmes, “It is a lie, Watson. A great, fat, thumping, obtusive lie.”

      1. I understand the importance of the preservation of Scripture, and I grew up with the KJB. But I get so tired of this issue. The King James Version originally contained the Apocrypha, was copied in large portions from the Geneva Bible, and includes verses directly from the Latin Vulgate. I read somewhere that Erasmus completed his work in 6 months. Tell me how that was even physically possible if he wasn’t just copying from other works? The “translation” in my mind is questionable. If KJVO-ers would open their eyes to these facts, I think their heads would explode. 🙄

        1. My favorite is when the KJVOers reject church tradition, but use arguments from tradition to prove other points (i.e. KJV only).

  7. The first reference to tithing, and many subsequent references in the Bible instruct us to either eat 10% of the food we grow (and share it with priests) or use 10% of the money from our earnings to buy food and wine and eat it in celebration of the Lord’s provisions. What are the steps the Church followed that allowed us to arrive at a taxation model of tithing where we’ve ceased to eat and drink in celebration of the Lord’s provision?

  8. I would ask, “In light of Jesus’ message of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25, how are you as a church feeding the hungry, refreshing the thirsty, housing the stranger, providing clothes for the needy, looking after the sick, and visiting those in prison?”

    If he tried to put me off by saying that when you start doing such things, it’s a slippery slope into the “social gospel” and away from winning souls, so THEN I’d ask, “What do you think Jesus meant when He said we are to go into all the world making disciples and ‘teaching them to observe ALL things that I have commanded you’?” [emphasis mine]

  9. Why do you teach your members that other churches, even other IFB churches, are not as correct as yours? Why do you burden their consciences like that of a cult leader – preventing them from leaving your congregation with inner peace? Why do you make them think that leaving YOUR IFB church is equal to leaving Christ Himself?

    1. Oh man, that is so true. I remember my parents used to talk about how if we moved away, we would probably never find another church like the one we attended.
      (I’m certainly not looking for one now.)

    1. You stole my question! Okay…so then choice B would be more a fill in the blank.

      “John 13:35 says that ‘all men will know us by our _______’ what?”

      Even the good ol’ KJV says the same thing! :mrgreen:

  11. As Christians, why do you call your services “worship services” when the worship of Christ is blatantly missing?

    Since it is obviously not Christ, then who is everyone worshiping? You?

    On a related note, why are you (pastor) the hero of every illustration that you tell?

    Did you atone for the sins of your sheep?

    If not, why not give glory to him that did?

    Why not get over yourself?

    Who are you to steal glory from Christ?

    Lastly, why is your theology so man-centric?

    I am sensing a theme here pastor. Is it safe to say that you have pride issues?

  12. It would have to be (assuming the pastor is married),”What are the practical ways that you love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it”?

  13. All the questions I would ask would start with somethi like “how dare you…?”

    Honestly most of the legit questions you could ask would be answered by the limitations of what is possible. If you’re a pastor of a fundy church in the deep south, odds are you have a congregation that will fire you for saying drums are ok, and you prob have no ability to find employment in another denom, or non denom, and many have no vocational skill to fall back on. Any other reason you get would be from the guys who have bought in, doubled down, and will not change ever, no matter what.

    1. “how dare you…?”

      Oh man, that made me laugh. So true Rob. Great question!

      Perhaps we could add a “sir” at the end and ask it while channeling our inner Keith Olberman:

      “How Dare You Sir?!?!?”

  14. I would ask if he was ever sincere in his calling to minister or was is always just about power, control, and ego.

  15. I’d ask, “Can you swear to me as God is your witness that your son did not do what is accused of him and that you did not cover it up?”

    I’m a little anxious to hear the results of that question just now.

  17. What are these “Hay-men” that keep you in such fear? Why do you scream their name every so often? Can you see them? Are they invisible to the rest of us? Is one behind me RIGHT NOW?!?!?! 😯 😯

  18. What do you hope is in heaven that the Bible doesn’t specifically say is there? (Has to be honest because it is an opinion, not doctrine)

    1. I like this one. Only I would aim it at my still fundy parents who were “full time Christian workers” (though not pastor) my entire life.

  20. If you truly believe in the “priesthood of believers” and that we are different from Catholics because we don’t need to go to a priest to confess our sins and don’t have a Pope whom we must obey unquestioningly, why do you intrude into people’s personal lives by checking on their tithing, personal music choices, etc.?

      2. Haha. If he could play the role of the church lady, I’m sure he could play the role of a fundy preacher.

  22. I’d just ask “Do you REALLY believe all this stuff?” even though I know I’d never get an honest answer. I had a huge amount of cognitive dissonance as a fundy, and I suspect I wasn’t alone.

  23. Why did you not report abuse by one of your employees to the police and later (after the 20/20 show) blog about how important it is for IFBs to report abuse and not cover up for it?

  24. Some possible questions:

    1. Prove it(whatever) rationally.
    2. Why are you so afraid?
    3. What does Baptism do?
    4. Where does the Table of Contents for Scripture come from, ie, who decided what’s in and what’s out?
    5. Why are you a Trinitarian Christian?
    6. How can you prove that it is God that leads you, not your own imagination?

  26. I would ask:
    Since you maintain that every word of the Bible should be interpreted literally and followed to the letter, why do you not preach against, for example, wearing garments with blended fibers, or planting two kinds of seeds in the same plot? Are you in favor of slavery and polygamy, since they were practiced by the Biblical patriarchs?
    Or, from the New Testament, why do you not tell your followers, for example, to sell all their possessions and give the money to the poor?

  27. Why do you totally disregard mandatory reporting laws, which REQUIRE you to report ANY suspicion or allegation of abuse? And why are you so willing to blame the victim, as long as the victim is a woman or child? Do you REALLY think that any woman or child intentionally provokes an abuser to hurt them (either by dressing immodestly, disobeying, or just expressing a different opinion), and therefore deserves it??? Do you think that’s how Jesus Christ would have handled a situation like that??

    Yes, I’ve got some things I’m angry about.

  28. Mine would be:

    Why do we have to have so many friggin services, and why do I have to be here for all of them when I just want to be alone with my husband when we have time off together, which isn’t common given our schedules?

    Why do you always say, “The women of the church have prepared a meal.”? Why can’t the men prepare food for a church meal (and don’t give me that crap about men not being able to cook… my husband and Father are and were great cooks)?

    Why can’t I wear my feminine pants to church, when no man would be caught dead in them?

    Why do you give me a condemning look when I talk to you as much and as directly as my husband?

    And, why do you like my husband better than me? I know he’s cute, but aren’t you married?

    1. Wait, I think I was supposed to only ask one question. Oh well, I’ve never been a fan of rules.

      2. Natalie, perhaps you should focus your question on what kind of butt cushions are the most holy. :mrgreen:

        1. Lily, I am the SOLE dictator on the holiest of butt cushions. I do NOT accept opinions and/or on the matter as I am all-knowing and all-deciding.

          (If I were a guy, I’d make a GREAT fundy preacher!) 😉

        2. GEORGE!!!! I’m trying to be all-knowing and all and you’re messing with me!!!

          I MEANT “… opinions and/or feedback”.

          George wants to be Butt Cushion Dictator, and so he’s trying to mess up my proclamations.

    2. At my parents’ church, the men and the women alternate cooking duties. Both groups have a lot of good cooks.

  29. Another smart a question from me would be, since you clearly have no grasp of modern English or grammar, why should I think you can understand 17th century English or ancient Greek?

    1. YES!!! And I say this as a high school English teacher who was once told by a boy that he didn’t have to bother doing his English homework because he was going to be a pastor and “all that stuff” wouldn’t matter. 😡

  30. Just when I am about fed up with SFL along comes a thread like this and completely restores my faith in my (sometimes) friends from SFL. Let me say GREAT JOB everyone! Uh-oh I shouted, sorry.

    My question to the MOG – Do you believe that the Roman soldiers hung the dead body of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary as your KJV says at Acts 5:30?

  31. I think I’d ask how much of what they preach/consentrate on will actually have any effect on the lives of people for eternity.

    Our former pastor’s soap box was smoking. I made an X in the top corner of every page of my sermon notes where he mentioned it, and as I flip through my notebook there are way too many X’s. Tell me how haranguing people about an addiction is going to affect eternity? 😐 He probably made them so anxious, they got in their cars and lit up. 😕

    1. Excellent question, Tammy. I think Titus 3:9 was being violated in far too high a percentage of the sermons I heard from fundy pulpits: “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”

  32. Why do you kick people because of the sins of their kids and tell them how they could have avoided disaster while your kids are hell on wheels?

    Also, did God really speak to you and change your mind on your sermon just as you were sitting there listening to Betty singing the special?

    I call B.S. on that last one EVERY time!

  35. Why do you company with abusive criminals like the Thompsons and Ron Williams and Chuck Phelps, and with hatemonger street “preachers”, yet reject all non-fundy Christians as inferior and suspect?

  37. OK, one more question: Why do you give more weight to the words of Paul than those of Jesus?

    1. Why would god chose a mass murderer of Christians to write most of the New Testament?

      1. Good point. I have also wondered about this. Also, the fact that God chose Moses (who murdered someone) to lead His children out of Egypt, and that David (who also ordered someone killed) was “a man after God’s own heart”.

      2. And Why would God call David (a murderer and adulterer) a man after His own heart

    4. At my current church he doesn’t mention Paul at all, except for a few choice verses he uses all the time….

  38. Dr. Kidd, When Peter writes in his 2 Epistle about the dumb ass who spoke with a man’s voice, do you feel convicted? (2Peter 2:16 …the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice…)

  39. Are you conscious of the fact that the louder you scream against something you perceive to be a sin (i.e. homosexuality), the more likely you are to be guilty of the same? That it’s a typical technique used to divert attention away from oneself so no one can see how screwed up you really are, probably more so than the ones you condemn? And are you aware that there are people who have the wisdom and critically analytical skills to see through that same shtick? If so, what are you going to do about it in your own life?

    2. Because if the first two chapters are a lie how can you count on the rest? Besides, It is the best answer to the holes in Evolutionism.

  41. Loooong time lurker here, first post. So many questions, so little time.

    Why do you, oh 400-pound Man-O-Gawd, never preach against the sin of gluttony?

  42. Don’t you think $30,000 of the church’s money would be better suited to support the global expansion of the gospel, rather than being spent on a car for you to drive around in?

    1. If a church can spend $30,000 on a car, then they probably have the number of members and the resources to buy the car and still provide generously to missions. I see no difference in providing a car to the pastor and providing a parsonage for him to live in.

      1. I have no problem with a church providing a modest car or modest house for their pastor, Chad. But, when a pastor is rollin’ around in a church provided Lexus, I find that to be indulgent and a tragic misuse of God’s money. That’s just my opinion though.

        1. Yeah, let’s give the pastor a crappy car and a dumpy house to live in. How dare he think he can have nice things? And while we’re at it, let’s dock his salary so his kids have to wear hand-me-down clothes. That money can be better used elsewhere.

        5. @Jeff, I admit a Lexus is stretching it a bit, unless it is used. They don’t hold thier value as well as other forgien luxury cars. What would you call a modest car? In area of Virgina, the typical “pastor’s car” would be along the lines of a mid-range Buick or Ford, they are not too expensive and do hold up well over time.

          As far as housing, I would rather provide a nicer home for the pastor and forgo the car. I believe a home is much better benifit for all involved. That’s my two cents worth of thought. :mrgreen:

        6. How about giving him a decent salary and let him decide what kind of car he’ll drive?

        7. I’m guess Jonathan doesn’t like anything that is said ever on this site. Am I right?

          Troll. :mrgreen: Bless his heart.

        8. I know a guy who preaches for free because his church can’t pay him. He works a low salary job to support his family.

          I just wonder how many “preachers” would do that.

        10. I’m a pastor in one of the poorest cities in the UK. I live in a house that would be normal for a lower middle-class family, and drive a somewhat battered car of the type generally classified as ‘Supermini’, the sort of car a woking man would drive. The house and car are ordinary – and that’s rather the point. A pastor in a wealthy suburban Church should reasonably be expected to have a nicer house than mine and a nicer car (the house belongs to the Church, by the way, and the car was bought for me by the Church). But no pastor should have a high-end car bought for him -it’s just not a wise use of money. An ordinary house and an ordinary car – because we aren’t more important than you, you know!

        11. W.E.O. I want to go to YOUR church. Got room for a retired (aka out of business) carpenter and a Nurse with a masters? 🙂

        13. When I decided I wanted to teach the Scriptures for the rest of my life, I knew right then I would always be poor. My girl is on board with that; her father was a pastor and she’s never had a lot of money. Of course she’s a nursing student so who knows what will happen.

          What I’m trying to say is, I knew what I would be getting when I signed up for this job. Even if I had extra money I would intentionally buy a cheap (but reliable) car.

  43. “Where did ’Doctor’ Cyrus I. Schofield earn his doctorate of divinity?”

    He is does not know; tell him Schofield never attended college.

    “How does God feel about someone lying on his resume and putting that lie in the Bible?”

    “Are reference Bibles a sin?”

    Revelation 22:18-9 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.”

  44. I’d have to ask:

    Why is disagreement seen as heresy? A lot this discontent in Fundy land comes down to they must be right. And since they must be right anyone who disagrees with them *must* be wrong. And that is sort of my issue. It is ok for two people to disagree. It may even be possible that both are right or neither are right. Fundamentalism allows no room for disagreement. A lot of their other issues cascade from this one.

  45. Do any of these types of people attend your church?
    Medical doctors
    Astronomers (including astrophysicists)
    Biologists (including botanists, entomologists, geneticists, herpetologists, ichthyologists, lepidopterists, microbiologists, neuroscientists, ornithologists, pharmacologists, virologists, and zoologists)
    Chemists (including biochemists, Analytical Chemist , Environmental Chemist, Laboratory Scientist , Research Chemist, Electrochemist , Polymer chemists, and nanotechnologists)
    Ecologists (including hydrologists, limnologists, soil scientists, life scientists, atmospheric scientists, and toxicologists)
    Social scientists (including anthropologists, demographers, economists, political economists, political scientists, psychologists, and sociologists)
    Geologists (including mineralogists, seismologists, gemologists, and volcanologists)
    Physicists
    Archaeologists (including Egyptologists, Industrial Archaeologists, Ethnoarchaeologists, Paleolithic Archaeologist, Classical Archaeologist, Historic Archaeologist)

    1. What is the importance of having doctors and scientists attending a church? Unless your church is next to a major university, there is not going to be that many people from that list attending. Sounds like you just want people with posistion of influence and big paychecks to come to your church.

      1. Every town has scientists and medical doctors but few if any attend fundamentalist churches. Why? Because most of the scientific community rejects the Genesis account of creation and other Bible stories as a myth. There is also a long history of censorship and anti-intellectualism in Christian fundamentalism.
        When my family moved to Maryland in 1970, my parents had to choose a doctor and a church. The doctor was a Presbyterian, the church IFB. As a child, I often wonder why my parents did not choose my doctor’s church. Who would not want their children to attend a church that attracted someone as smart as a doctor?
        The IFB church my parents choose was in a blue collar neighborhood that my parents did not want to live it. My IFB church did not have any medical doctors or anyone who was a scientist. There were few college graduates (but that was true of most Americans in the 1970s). The bulk of the people at my IFB church lacked any intellectually curiosity. Many were racists and were happy that their church was 100% white. The few college graduates my church had been to BJU.
        I was always curious about the world. But this was view with suspicion at my church. My Sunday teacher once implied I was gay because I had told him was watching PBS on Friday night and not the “Dukes of Hazard”. “What’s wrong with you, you don’t pretty girls and cars” he said.
        My mother was church secretary for a Lutheran Church. We were invited to attend a Christmas concert at the church. What a pleasant surprise! I actually met Christians who were educated and cultured. Two professors from the Naval Academy attended the church. One member of the church just sailed his yacht around the world. The church organist played Bach. I had been transported from “The Dukes of Hazard” to “The Paper Chase”. This is the type of church I would have loved to attend.
        Yes there were some nice people at my old IFB church and a few who value education, but that people I met at mainline Protestant Churches as well as Catholics, Jews and Unitarians were just a better class of people. To them faith in God was more important than believing everything in the Bible is true.
        In general people who make good money and have influence have worked hard to achieve those things. Yes, a blue collar person can hard, but it also takes a lot of hard work to earn a master’s degree and a PhD from an accredited college.
        Francis Schaffer was quiet aware the Christian fundamentalism did not attractive the best and bright minds. He spent most of his life trying to change that.
        If your church cannot attractive the best and brightest minds in your community, then there is a problem with your church.

        1. There is also a long history of highly intellectual people also being strong believers in the inerrancy of the Bible.

          As for churches today, my IFB church has quite a few members who are scientists working with AstraZeneca, DuPont, and Ciba-Geigy. One of the women in my adult SS class is a medical doctor. We have plenty of CPA’s and a handful of high level banking executives. Don’t tell me that religion is just for the uneducated.

        2. Mark, I remember as a youngster being interested in astronamy and otherte scienc. Loved to read National Geographic etc. I remenber my pastor and my mom talking about my interest and wondering if I was too interested in planets and space. Left me confused about what is wrong with these things. Were they sinful in some manner?

        3. “Because most of the scientific community rejects the Genesis account of creation and other Bible stories as a myth.” This is because of, not only indoctrination, but the fact of academic prejudice. It is almost impossible to obtain most degrees without parroting the “consensus” view, be it psychologically, medically… really any scientific discipline. Not that there is no debate, but certain lines of debate are restricted or outright banned.

    2. My church has a few of the above listed people that attend, but by no means one of each, or even one from each category you have listed. What does that mean? I’m not sure where this question is headed or what it has to do with?

      I think that what you are trying to imply is that these are smart/ educated people and they don’t attend church. Is this what you are saying? Just trying to understand your question.

      What social gatherings (other than a college graduation) would have such an eclectic, diverse group of professionals? Other than a college campus or graduation, have you ever attended an event where one person from ½ of the categories you have listed was present, and if so, where?

    3. I believe the question is why aren’t there any well-educated people in your church? the answer of course is, “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? … For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called”

      1. I’ve actually struggled with God over this (although my interest is in literary areas of learning not scientific or mathematic). I’ve often wished there were more college-educated people in our church and people who shared more of my interests, but since there’s not, I pray that God helps make me content with where He’s put me.

        1. I belonged to a reading group several years ago. Everyone was a Christian, except me, and everyone had at least 1 degree. Several were doctoral students.

          Universities that have affiliated Christian institutions can be extraordinary places to find educated people of faith.

      2. Looks to me as though the question relates to “Are there scientifically-literate people attending your church, or are you preaching some kind of young-earth, anti-evolution, inerrant-Bible doctrine that requires people to check their brains at the door?”

  48. I think Saturday’s (or maybe Sunday’s, if you’re feeling brave) challenge should be a two parter: the answer you would LIKE to get, and the answer you would EXPECT to get (or did get, if you’re brave).

    1. Jenn, that is a superb question, given that the crux of their sermons are often how miserable, base, perverted and just flat awful life is outside the fundie bubble.

    2. Jenn,
      I asked myself that question a few years back. The answer scared me. Long story short, I answered that question honestly and I am no longer a fundy mog. Best decision EVER! 😎

      1. Kudos to you. That kind of change could not have been easy, especially, since you had invested time, energy and emotion into that career.

  50. “How did you arrive at your beliefs that is any different than the way that a typical Presbyterian, Mormon, Muslim, or other person has arrived at his or her beliefs?” One unacceptable answer is “The Bible tells me so”. That no different than “The Koran tells me so” or “The Avesta and Vedas tell me so”. Another unacceptable answer is “Because of Jesus life and death”; that is simply one of the beliefs I am asking about.

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