Yes, Full Gospel Episcopalians.
Back in the late 60's an Episcopalians Priest named Father Dennis
Bennett was pastor of a Flock in an upscale area in California.
Soewhere around 3,000 members strong, due in great part to his
speaking ability, his quick wit, his good looks and his lovely wife.
At some point, at the height of his carreer, Father Bennett was
touched by the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues and experienced Visions
in which God revealed Himself. Despite a resurgence in commitment by
his followers, the local district church leaders decided that Father
Bennett was no longer following the traditional Episcopalian Doctrine.
So they transferred him to a small struggling church in the Ballard
district of Seattle, Washington. This church was considering closing
their doors, and the district higher powers declared it to be a
Mission Field. Father Bennett and his lovely wife went to work,
sharing the Gospel as it was revealed to them. To the surprise of the
Episcopalian regional Bishops, the membership began to increase. Soon
that small, bankrupt church was bursting at the seams, with at least
three Sunday services and several meetings during the week. Father
Bennett led the High Mass on Sunday morning, with all of the
traditional Episcopalian pomp and ceremony. All other Services were
Full Gospel in nature. Members spoke in tongue while others
"translated" what was being said. The Holy Spirit touched people and
caused them to jump as if they'd been struck by electricity. Evening
Service was a "Healing Service", where God or the Holy Spirit healed a
wide range of ailments through the hands of Father Bennett.
My First Wife's uncle had 4 children, 3 of whom had a rare kidney
condition. At the time there was no survival past the age of 12 to
14. The uncle's wife was a devout Christian, and a friend told her
about Father Bennett. Despirit to find help, she drove to Ballard and
attended a Healing Service. She reported that she had hardly seated
herself when the Holy Spirit smacked her on the back of her head. Her
and her husband's conversion came at the same time as my decision to
explore whether Christianity had any actual substance, or not. We
attended several Prayer meetings in my wife's uncle's home. Some
interesting events occured, which I will not go into, but which caused
me to attend a "Healing" service at Saint Luke's church. Father
Bennett did the traditional laying on of hands, reminding me that it
was God's power, not his. At the time I could see from my right eye,
but had been blind from a detached retina since I was 17, in my left
eye. Some days later my left eye began picking up large shapes and
bright colors. I recall staring at my neighbor's red convertible. I
could actually tell that it was a large object, and bright red. I was
convinced that this Father Bennett had some real stuff.
Short lived, however. I won't go into the details, but what happened
was not unknown to the doctors. My new sight faded, and later on
Father Bennett's wife died of cancer, leaving Father Bennett very much
of a recluse. But as I said, interesting things did take place.
While I do not believe that they were God's doing, I still have no
explanation.
My wife's eldest cousin died of the desease at the age of 12. His
sister lived to be about 21, and after rejecting a kidney transplant,
died after losing her eyesight and her hearing. One younger brother
continues to live, now in his early 60's, having been a successful
recipient of his father's kidney.
I have no idea of what abecame of Dennis Bennett or Saint Luke's
Episcopalian church. But I came away from those experiences with the
belief that there is much going on in this universe that we have no
ability to explain. And, I believe, that there is much going on that
we are not aware of.
But Life After Death? No.
Carl Jarvis
On 4/30/19, Roger Loran Bailey <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Episcopalians? I thought it was the Pentecostals who speak in tongues.
There is a subset of them who handle rattlesnakes too.
---
Christopher Hitchens
??? What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without
evidence. ???
??? Christopher Hitchens,
On 4/30/2019 11:46 AM, Carl Jarvis wrote:
By the way, Mostafa, you made an erroneous assumption regarding my
Christian Experience.
Growing up as a nominal Christian, I married a very devout Christian
woman. We worked together in a drapery factory. I was around 23 or
24 at the time, and in reflecting back, I'd say that I had become
indifferent to any religion. But my fiancee made it clear that
Christianity was important to her...a large part of her life. Meeting
her "church family", I was impressed by the kind, friendly atmosphere
that existed within that Evangelical Church. I decided to drop any
defenses I had toward God, and "give myself over to Him, totally.
About the same time, I became acquainted with my wife's aunt and
uncle. They belonged to a Full Gospel group of Episcopalians,
baptized in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and experiencing
Visions. I decided that if it were possible to communicate with God,
this would be the road to take. I totally amerced myself, upsetting
my wife and her more traditional Christian Beliefs and practices. For
almost ten years I gave myself to God. Life was good, although after
five years of marriage I became totally blind. But finally I once
again began questioning the contradictions within Christianity...and
within All religions. But those years as a devout Christian were good
years. It was a positive time of experiencing and learning.
I would caution you, Mostafa, to not assume you know what goes on in
my mind, or what I have experienced. I make no such judgement
regarding you or your beliefs. Are you not able to understand that
our experiences have made it nearly impossible to accept one another's
life style? If Believing in Allah brings meaning to your life, so be
it. But God is not a factor in my life. And yet, I am active in my
community, I continue at the age of 84 to still work in serving blind
people, my life is full and my family brings joy to me.
Cordially,
Carl Jarvis
On 4/29/19, Mostafa <ebob824@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I prefer to initially proceed into my exposure of American democracy
than wheeling in a meaningless vicious cycle with some bunch of
unworthy mortals. I'd just roast and sternly inculpate them later.
I'll do this at the last of my series of comments. CNN writes, "After
a barrage of criticism, the New York Times said Sunday it was deeply
sorry about publishing an anti-Semitic cartoon depicting Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a dog on a leash held by a blind
featuring Trump." Hmm, if I drew this portrayal, I would have made the
scene perfectly inverted. I still like it though. Following Trump's
speech to NRA gathering in Indiana, a mass shooting has erupted at a
Californian Tabernacle. Trump has roiled the NRA to react after
accusing New York attorney general of illegally investigating them.
With its substantially financial abundance, the pro gun lobby bribes
even gaffers of oval office. This reverberates the greed ascendancy
over law enforcement. This tangible symbol signifies the scurrilous
disposal of America. The San Diego Synagogue shooting plainly
designates American's unprecedented infatuation with firearms.
Reportedly, one of the Synagogue's attendants had his weapon with him.
Why? This means that Americans in general do not feel safe, despite
where they are. If people are allowed to enter anywhere with their
firearms, and that's includes schools, Churches and Temples, that's of
completely incomparable dementia. According to headlines, he chased
the shooter to his vehicle and attempted to shoot him over. It somehow
seemes to me, that it had been a gun battle. This is concurrently odd
and insane. How has someone thought of entering a house of worship
armed and what for? American people are mentally deranged. As for
Roger, he ultimately admitted, that he doesn't know the specifics
concerning theological issues. I thought he read a book about the
Koran. Roger said and I quote, "I was only making an
assumption. That is the one about the authorship of the Koran." I
changed the spelling of the last term because it better fits how it's
pronounced in Arabic. Now, Roger seemingly lied about reading an
anonymous textbook about the Koran. He confessed, that he based what
he said on mere assumptions. This admission has coercively been
unveiled after I repeatedly, asked Roger the kidder to name the
unidentified textbook which he allegedly said he read. Just as the
Biology degree, the book doesn't exist. I then see Carl recalling his
not so favourable experience with the Christian faith. He thereupon
poses irreligious misconceptions based on that. Furthermore, Roger
mentioned a pastor who became Atheist. Nonetheless, he hid his actual
belief and continued preaching. This proves my theory, that faith in
the west is wholly inactive. Someone doesn't have to quit his
preaching. They mostly do this for living therein. Roger is environed
by some bunch of religiously irreverent folks. Their experience may
broadly vary but they are nesciently. They are stereotypically
skeptical. Roger bases his prejudiced notion about faith on
assumptions. This is an explicit expenditure of circular reasoning, a
logical method which he insistently considered to be fallacious in
terms of following proper premises. Each and every time Roger lies
about something, Allah exposes him. I knew he will rib about this too
and will again, shamelessly lie about not using circular reasoning,
but that's absolutely fine. If I to artistically depict the situation
here, Roger resembles a dog that has its spittle constantly dribbling,
he couldn't stop unless a massive pair of flip-flops is intemperately
thrown into his malodorous mouth. Carl will continue to endorse Roger
for obvious reasons, even he knew Roger is defeated. The latter will
continuingly claim to be victorious, even he knew he is miserably
lying. I' am amply confident with my unassailable temperament. Each
and everyone here knew what's the truth, even if he attempts to evade
its substantiation. These attempts are wholly futile. Lastly, if
someone here one day decided to grow up and be a brave man, and meet
me one to one on Skype, he is warmly welcome. I surely doubt that
someone will ever grow up though. But, just in case, my portal remains
open. I will continue to bombard each and every infidel here until
they flawlessly decease. We shall see then, who would laugh at the
end.
