“Worldly people know what Christians should act like better than Christians do. They know when you’re not living like a Christian!”
This is an oft-repeated bit of fundamentalist lore and like most fundy lore it contains a smidgen of truth…but only a smidgen. Surely most unsaved people would say that Christians shouldn’t shoot people in cold blood or steal from their employer but that’s not generally the point that the fundy is trying to make.
Indeed, many fundamentalists seem to think that deep down most unsaved people really think that women should only wear skirts, that the movie house is a wicked place, and that the J.C. Penny catalog is just as bad as pornography. Yet even though the unsaved know all these things are evil they just purposely ignore their own better judgment and do them anyway. It’s just like the days of Noah minus the fountain of youth water vapor.
Since the unsaved person has all these fundamentalist values emblazoned on their conscience, a Christian who breaks any of the legion of fundy rules might drive them away from Christ. After all the lost person KNOWS what the Christian should be doing and they’ll think they’re just a hypocrite and never listen to the gospel ever again! And all this because in a moment of weakness a Christian wanted to see the latest Disney film in surround sound.
The great thing about the Internet is that it brings a great diverse group of people together to collaborate, talk, and share information. Unless, of course, you’re a fundamentalist. They don’t generally like having to interact with diversity preferring rather to create their own enclaves of Christianity.
With the growing popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, it was only a matter of time until an enterprising fundy decided to provide a much cleaner, more wholesome alternative — and try to make a little cash in the process. By this shall all men know that ye are His disciples, that ye form your own exclusive clubs and keep the sinners at bay.
Newly on the scene to stand in this internet gap is Edify One Another an IFB social networking site which states “As Independent Baptists, God has burdened us to create a place online that was separated from the world, but utilize the cutting edge technological advances to promote spiritual growth thru the fellowship of the saints online.” Finally an answer to the question “What Would Hyles Download?”
The best part? You can access to all of this for only $9.97 per month!
“If you stick a frog in a boiling pan of water, he’ll try to jump out. But if you stick a frog in a pan of cold water and gradually heat it up, the frog will sit there until he boils to death.”
This charming bit of folks lore is used to show us that if we accept even a little wordiness into our lives that we’ll soon be boiled to death in a steaming pot of apathy. Whether or not that’s actually the case, there’s one small problem with the illustration…it’s completely bogus.
The legend is entirely incorrect! The ‘critical thermal maxima’ of many species of frogs have been determined by several investigators. In this procedure, the water in which a frog is submerged is heated gradually at about 2 degrees Fahrenheit per minute. As the temperature of the water is gradually increased, the frog will eventually become more and more active in attempts to escape the heated water. If the container size and opening allow the frog to jump out, it will do so.
Let the child realize that you are simply representing God in the execution of the punishment.
Sometimes spanking should leave stripes on the child.
During the formative years, yea, the infant years, the child should be spanked. As soon as his is old enough to walk away from his parents he should be spanked if he does not walk where they say he should walk. … Parents should not have to remove vases and delicate glass ornaments from living room tables. A house need not become disorderly and full of riots because a baby has come. Start early in disciplining the child.
The [spanking] ritual should be deliberate and last at least ten or fifteen minutes. It should be a ritual dreaded by the child. He should not only dread the pain but the time consumed in the ordeal.
The punishment should always be far in excess of the pleasure enjoyed by doing wrong.
Never give a child that for which he cries. The baby who cries for attention and gets it will become a child who cries for a toy and gets it
The spanking should be administered firmly. It should be painful and it should last until the child’s will is broken. It should last until the child is crying not tears of anger but tears of a broken will. As long as he is stiff, grits his teeth, holds on to his own will, the spanking should continue. ¦
After the spanking tell him why you did it. While he is still crying have him sit down.
Happy is the child who feels the security of such punishment.
” Jack Hyles How to Rear Children (1972)
A silly blog dedicated to Independent Fundamental Baptists, their standards, their beliefs, and their craziness.
“Worldly people know what Christians should act like better than Christians do. They know when you’re not living like a Christian!”
The great thing about the Internet is that it brings a great diverse group of people together to collaborate, talk, and share information. Unless, of course, you’re a fundamentalist. They don’t generally like having to interact with diversity preferring rather to create their own enclaves of Christianity.
