LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY 1400scale)

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/gods.warriors/

Militant fundies of all stripes are definately getting antsy for their supernatural revenge fantasy, aren't they?

IMHO, they're going to be sorely diasappointed when things don't play out they way they expect.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY gloucester)

I found this quote in dogemperor's piece on cell churches:

"A particularly damning psychological study mentioned in "The Discipling Dilemma" has noted that longterm involvement in churches that use "cell churches" as a method of control actually causes longterm personality changes. Among other things, two particular groups known to have used coercive "discipling and shepherding" (the Boston Church of Christ and Maranatha) were shown to have members with personality types that changed over time on all scales of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to ENFJ (including a number of complete reversals from ISTP to ENFJ, which does not generally happen without some coercion..."

Of particular interest to me is the revelation that the members become ENFJ. For those of you not familiar, that's:

Extrovert: preferring to "recharge" (rest, gather energy, regroup) alone with group activities, drawing personal energy from shared groups like parties--its spectrum opposite is introvert, which prefers to recharge and rest alone and with solitary activities. Some sources also list this axis as being significant to what NLP practicioners call "internal check" vs. "external check:" Do you build your model based on feedback from others (as the extrovert does), or do you rely on your own perceptions and processing?
Ntuiter: preferring to form beliefs based on abstract models rather than concrete observations. An intuiter prefers "values" to "results."
Feeler: One who processes information by "gut check," unconsciously/emotionally, rather than having all the reasoning be conscious, as, for example, math or accademic research would have to be.
Judger: This one is best described in terms of flexibility. If there is a discrepancy witht he world, Does the data invalidate the model, or the model invalidate the data? A judger prefers the latter.

You will easily see how the above MBTI type makes for good followers for a cause that requires unquestioning faith in authority.
But it is not a good model for authority. I guarantee that the sheep-herders like Dobson, Wildmon, Coulter, O'Reilly, and Perkins are not ENFJ (I didn't include Robertson because I think he may be just dumb enough to believe his own shinola). So what are they, and is that information even useful in the fight against dominionism? I ask that second part because there's only so far you can go in knowing your enemy--it's not like they don't stand out, and we know who they are. It might concievably give us more insight into how they think, but would that even help us at all? The thing we know for sure is that the followers are honest but the leaders are not. The leaders are clearly able to see and deal with a greater level of complexity than the followers, and are able to incorporate and master more complex tools of the trade than the followers, such as politically saavy speech, which they then teach to the followers as "talking points."

I will later attempt my best "guess" as to the types exhibited by the five leaders I've listed above, but not if no one thinks there's any value to it.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY ladyaelfwynn)

Hey all!

I was reading a friend's LJ and came across this article on Athens, Ala. trying to repeal its laws allowing sale of alcohol.

I did some poking a checked out Isom's Chapel UMC and after reading the section on their beliefs started wondering if perhaps this church had been steeple jacked.

My mother was brought up in the Methodist Church and I attended services sporadically (whenever I visited my grandparents) growing up. I never got the idea from either my grandparents who were very active in their churches or the services that they believed, "We believe the Holy Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God. (Psalm 119; John 10:35; II Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrews 4:12)". (From the Isom Chapel webpage)

I double checked the Wikipedia entry on UMC and they mention the Bible as being inspired but not the rest. The rest of that language struck me as a warning sign that they might have been taken over by Dominionists.

Any ideas? Thanks!

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY gloucester)

In light of the feedback I'm getting on my last post, I think I need to adjust a bit. The MBTI thing was interesting, but not the most helpful way to analyze the situation. I'm afraid I didn't help that with my rusty knowledge of it (my claim that I can fool the test may be a couple of years out of date now. :) )
At any rate, the discussion did bring to light the "question behind the question" that I think may be more helpful:

What are the key, most relevant, most important differences between your average dominionist foot-soldier, your average evangelical or conservative, and the "mouthpiece" leaders like James Dobson, Donald Wildmon, etc?

Since I approach from the direction of NLP training, my first thought is to look at personality metrics like the MBTI, and "meta-programs." Others will look to their methods, the complexity of their vision, etc. But the utility is, what is the least change you have to make to a normal Christian leader to make him a dominionist leader?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY crazyjane13)

In this afternoon's edition of The Age (Melbourne's most centrist paper, which isn't saying a lot), this little gem : a teacher apparently threatened with suspension for protesting an AoG-sponsored concert at a local State school.

The AoG have been flouting the separation of State schools and religion for some time, by sponsoring extra-curricular activities such as free barbecues, kung fu lessons (for boys) and makeup classes (for girls). There's no official proselytising there, though the invites to weekend "youth retreats" flow thick and fast - and I'm sure there's a good deal of unofficial evangelism goes on.

What got the teacher into trouble was his protest over a free concert given by the Nubian Gents, an AoG-sponsored step-dancing hiphop group described by Charisma Magazine as getting kids to "dance for God" and turn away from the "wrong path". He suggested - quite rightly, IMNSHO - that the concert should be clearly marked as a religious event, and that an equivalent alternative event should also be provided. Note : he didn't try to get it booted, although he would have been correct to do so. Under Victorian law, you don't get to proselytise by stealth in State schools.

The school's refusal led to a heated exchange, at which point the teacher claims he was threatened with suspension. The school's denying it, but even if they didn't, the teacher's point was valid. Just the few lyrics that are available make it clear that the group's whole schtick is evangelical, right up to the judgment-day-is-coming motif. The group's website describes them as "warriors of praise", infallible word of God, etc.

Anybody else have info on these guys?

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY nebris)

A camouflaged holy bible is seen at Camp Virginia in the desert outside Kuwait City, in this March 9, 2003 file photo.

Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:29AM EDT
By Ed Stoddard

DALLAS (Reuters) - An on-line outdoor retailer in the United States is selling camouflaged Bibles, a curious product which says a lot about American culture.

"Our NIV (New International Version) Bible in Realtree camo is our best selling item, followed closely by our camo Bible cover," said David Lingner, the president of Arkansas-based Christian Outdoorsman, which sells Christian-themed hunting and angling products online.

The cover of this Bible is graced by leaves and tree bark. This enables the devout who also hunt to take their Bible into the woods with them while concealing it from their prey.

The C in Christian on the shop's Web site is shaped like a fish hook while the O in Outdoorsman has a cross-shaped rifle scope site inside of it.

Also on offer is a camo waterproof Bible. "Water, ice or condensation will not damage this durable word of God," proclaims the on-line sales pitch.

( Such products are classically American and highlight cultural traits which are especially pronounced in the South. )