Is Enyart worshipped like Jesus

[Delmar]

MrsDelmar says she's God's spokesman too!

 

[PureX]

Yes I do believe Bob is God's spokesman! I also believe Lighthouse is God's spokesman! I'm God's spokesman too! Then there's Tubo, Clete, Poly, 1way, Crow, Sibbie,
philosophizer, cattyfan, Shimei, God_Is_Truth, DRBrumley , Jefferson, Knight, There are lots of others! Any one want to name some more?

But the difference is that while many Enyartians believe each other's interpretation of scripture might be wrong, Bob's interpretation of scripture is "beyond question". That's where the idolization comes in. In fact, everything about Bob is "beyond question" for many of the Enyartians. We saw this in the discussion about Bob's child abuse conviction. The very same people who would quickly and happily condemn anyone else that has been convicted of child abuse did a complete 180 when it was Bob who had been convicted. In their eyes, he had to have been wrongly convicted, because they couldn't conceive of Bob being wrong about anything, especially about something so heinous as violently abusing a child.

I think it was this automatic assumption of Bob's righteousness that caused whoever started this thread to use the word "worship". And it's why I would use the word "idolize".

 

[Delmar]

But the difference is that while many Enyartians believe each other's interpretation of scripture might be wrong, Bob's interpretation of scripture is "beyond question". That's where the idolization comes in. In fact, everything about Bob is "beyond question" for many of the Enyartians. We saw this in the discussion about Bob's child abuse conviction. The very same people who would quickly and happily condemn anyone else that has been convicted of child abuse did a complete 180 when it was Bob who had been convicted. In their eyes, he had to have been wrongly convicted, because they couldn't conceive of Bob being wrong about anything, especially about something so heinous as violently abusing a child.

I think it was this automatic assumption of Bob's righteousness that caused whoever started this thread to use the word "worship". And it's why I would use the word "idolize".

I'm sure that is what you think.

 

[Crow]

But the difference is that while many Enyartians believe each other's interpretation of scripture might be wrong, Bob's interpretation of scripture is "beyond question". That's where the idolization comes in. In fact, everything about Bob is "beyond question" for many of the Enyartians. We saw this in the discussion about Bob's child abuse conviction. The very same people who would quickly and happily condemn anyone else that has been convicted of child abuse did a complete 180 when it was Bob who had been convicted. In their eyes, he had to have been wrongly convicted, because they couldn't conceive of Bob being wrong about anything, especially about something so heinous as violently abusing a child.

I think it was this automatic assumption of Bob's righteousness that caused whoever started this thread to use the word "worship". And it's why I would use the word "idolize".

:think:

I disagree with Bob Enyart on some issues, theological and non-theological. And I've yet to meet the person on TOL who doesn't.

I don't see anything heinous or wrong about a parent taking a belt to a kid's behind if they are willfully disobedient, no matter who that parent is.

And if I know that anyone commits true child abuse--starving one's kids, burning them, breaking their bones, denying them medical care, or molesting them, then I don't care who the person is that does it--I will quickly condemn them.

You describe those of us who value Enyart's teachings in rather absolute terms. I guess that it's good that you are getting comfortable with the concept of absolutes--now only if you would see them where they actually exist.

 

[Mateo]

Yeah, I suspect that one of the reasons they like Bob's show so much is that they really admire his ability to insult and humiliate people who call in to his show and dare to disagree with him. Obviously, they don't possess that dubious skill, but would like to. There is a definite admiration of nastiness that runs through this whole Enyartian phenomena.

I've been trying to understand this phenomenon for some time and I can't say as I'm having a lot of luck. It's like Jerry Springer gets Jesus. After a year's hiatus I come back and see folks like Knight and Freak lamenting how so many threads devolve into spam (read here pointless name calling and jeering) and it's as if they still don't see that this is the inevitable end of unchecked invective.

But... The Bob does it so...the Gordian knot can never be undone.

 

[Poly]

Yes I do believe Bob is God's spokesman! I also believe Lighthouse is God's spokesman! I'm God's spokesman too! Then there's Tubo, Clete, Poly, 1way, Crow, Sibbie,
philosophizer, cattyfan, Shimei, God_Is_Truth, DRBrumley , Jefferson, Knight, There are lots of others! Any one want to name some more?

It's about time you realized that I am to be worshipped.

 

[PureX]

I've been trying to understand this phenomenon for some time and I can't say as I'm having a lot of luck. It's like Jerry Springer gets Jesus. After a year's hiatus I come back and see folks like Knight and Freak lamenting how so many threads devolve into spam (read here pointless name calling and jeering) and it's as if they still don't see that this is the inevitable end of unchecked invective.

But... The Bob does it so...the Gordian knot can never be undone.

I've been puzzling over this for a long time, too. Part of it, I'm convinced, is that these very conservative/fundamentalist type Christians have been pretty much ignored and dismissed as silly and absurd by most of the rest of society for a long time, and I think they're really angry about it. When one of "their own" finds a way of expressing that anger in public toward those same "unbelievers" by insulting and humiliating them like Bob does on his show, and as he admonishes his followers to do, I think it becomes a kind of sweet justification/revenge for them that they respond to viscerally. I also think this ties into their fascination with "end time" fantasies about sitting at God's right hand and watching all those "unbelievers" finally get punished for their non-belief (i.e., for their dismissing the fundis' beliefs as silly and absurd, etc.).

And I think this phenomena is multiplied by conservative republicans (especially white men) who have been feeling the same way for a long time, as the liberal democrats have dominated politics until recently. I think they, too, have been feeling angry and ignored for a long time, and as a result they also really like seeing people like Limbaugh and O'Reilly insult and humiliate liberal democrats in public. I think it's a kind of sweet revenge for them, too. And as we all know, these two groups very much overlap. And that intensifies this lust for "violent" revenge against all those people who once ignored and dismissed them.

That's my theory, anyway. And there's even more to it - I think white men in general have been feeling angry since the 60s and the equal rights movements for blacks and women have diminished their imagined "natural dominance" of society, family, the work place, etc. and they, too, are feeling this lust for revenge.

It's been all these forms of overlapping resentment that the republican party, and some media outlets have picked up on and are pandering to for profit, for fame, for political power, etc. and in so doing, they are creating an environment of legitimacy for that anger and for the general nastiness that it inspires and promotes.

That's really why I think Bob Enyart is popular amongst his followers - he expresses and ligitimizes, simaltaneously, that anger and lust for vengeance that these disenfranchised fundis are feeling in their hearts, because society has ignored and dismissed them for so long.

 

[taoist]

That's really why I think Bob is popular - he expresses and ligitimizes, simaltaneously, that anger and lust for vengeance that these disenfranchised fundis are feeling in their hearts, because society has ignored and dismissed them.

Context is always key. In point of fact, Bob is not popular. He's considered something of a kook even amongst mainstream christians and rather below average even in the fundamentalist community. His show audience, those not of his religious persuasion, tune him in for amusement only. But this website belongs to a member of his congregation, so of course you'll see something of a skew toward his opinions.

***

And yes, in answer to another question, Billy Graham had a following of Grahamites that would dwarf any gathering of Enyartians. Much has been written about the camp followers who'd pack up all, moving from crusade to crusade behind their prophet. There's nothing especially exclusive to religion in this, you can find the same behavior amongst teenage groupies of the Beatles or the Grateful Dead in their heyday. One of the Beatles once observed, and was pilloried for mentioning it, that they were more popular than Jesus Christ. In comparison to Jesus' contemporary congregation, well, he was right.

But TOL is a gathering of more than just the Enyartian horde. An afternoon spent reading the sparring matches between, oh, Stratnerd and bob b, for example, makes it well worth wading through the missiles slung by and toward the DBCers.

As ever, in peace, Jesse

 

[The Edge]

But the difference is that while many Enyartians believe each other's interpretation of scripture might be wrong, Bob's interpretation of scripture is "beyond question". That's where the idolization comes in. In fact, everything about Bob is "beyond question" for many of the Enyartians. We saw this in the discussion about Bob's child abuse conviction. The very same people who would quickly and happily condemn anyone else that has been convicted of child abuse did a complete 180 when it was Bob who had been convicted. In their eyes, he had to have been wrongly convicted, because they couldn't conceive of Bob being wrong about anything, especially about something so heinous as violently abusing a child.

I think it was this automatic assumption of Bob's righteousness that caused whoever started this thread to use the word "worship". And it's why I would use the word "idolize".

This is true and I was part of that child abuse discussion so I saw this firsthand. People cry foul when it's their Bob that was convicted.

 

[The Edge]

:think:

And if I know that anyone commits true child abuse--starving one's kids, burning them, breaking their bones, denying them medical care, or molesting them, then I don't care who the person is that does it--I will quickly condemn them.

So how far can one go? Breaking skin and drawing blood is ok? Just as long as we don't break bones, burn or starve them?

 

[Jefferson]

So how far can one go? Breaking skin and drawing blood is ok? Just as long as we don't break bones, burn or starve them?

The press had to blow the picture of the welt up something like 20 times in order for any blood to even be seen by the naked eye. Therefore, this is an absurd accusation. It was blown way out of proportion by the liberal Denver press because they hate everything Bob stands for. It had nothing at all to do with their concern for an "abused" child. The Denver press lied to you and you foolishly believed them.

 

[Crow]

So how far can one go? Breaking skin and drawing blood is ok? Just as long as we don't break bones, burn or starve them?

I'm not OK with what is medically termed as "gross blood." That means blood that is evident to the naked eye.

If you want to get technical, scratching a mosquito bite causes minute breaks in the skin and bleeding. Of course, you'd have to get out your magnifying glass to see it unless you had a ragged nail. Even then, it is hardly an injury I'd term abuse.

And again, I don't have a problem with a parent taking a belt to a willfully disobedient kid's behind.


*Crow fights off mental picture of the Edge as a kid, walking around with a notebook a la Dustin Hoffman in "Rainman" saying "He gave me a serious injury!"*

 

[Mateo]

I've been puzzling over this for a long time, too. Part of it, I'm convinced, is that these very conservative/fundamentalist type Christians have been pretty much ignored and dismissed as silly and absurd by most of the rest of society for a long time, and I think they're really angry about it. When one of "their own" finds a way of expressing that anger in public toward those same "unbelievers" by insulting and humiliating them like Bob does on his show, and as he admonishes his followers to do, I think it becomes a kind of sweet justification/revenge for them that they respond to viscerally. I also think this ties into their fascination with "end time" fantasies about sitting at God's right hand and watching all those "unbelievers" finally get punished for their non-belief (i.e., for their dismissing the fundis' beliefs as silly and absurd, etc.).

And I think this phenomena is multiplied by conservative republicans (especially white men) who have been feeling the same way for a long time, as the liberal democrats have dominated politics until recently. I think they, too, have been feeling angry and ignored for a long time, and as a result they also really like seeing people like Limbaugh and O'Reilly insult and humiliate liberal democrats in public. I think it's a kind of sweet revenge for them, too. And as we all know, these two groups very much overlap. And that intensifies this lust for "violent" revenge against all those people who once ignored and dismissed them.

That's my theory, anyway. And there's even more to it - I think white men in general have been feeling angry since the 60s and the equal rights movements for blacks and women have diminished their imagined "natural dominance" of society, family, the work place, etc. and they, too, are feeling this lust for revenge.

It's been all these forms of overlapping resentment that the republican party, and some media outlets have picked up on and are pandering to for profit, for fame, for political power, etc. and in so doing, they are creating an environment of legitimacy for that anger and for the general nastiness that it inspires and promotes.

That's really why I think Bob Enyart is popular amongst his followers - he expresses and ligitimizes, simaltaneously, that anger and lust for vengeance that these disenfranchised fundis are feeling in their hearts, because society has ignored and dismissed them for so long.

We'll I think you might have tagged homeplate with your little toe in your next to the last paragraph. Life is a process of learning to make good choices and when people are forced to do something they are not naturally inlcined to it does create a certain resentment that seeks an outlet that often resembles what you have described. I suppose I might be seen as having something of a conspiratorial bent in that I see this phenomenon as part of a deliberate process initiated and carried forth by some not so nice people for the purpose of manipulating the general population into movement in the direction they want.

Said another way, we are being deliberately pitted against one another across various lines be it black/white, male/female, republican/democrate etc. ad nausium by folks who have something other than our wellfare in mind and if we allow ourselves to be so manipulated we place ourselves in thier hands.

Yes, I've listened to the media tell me that as a white, american, male I am the source of all evil in the world but I have hopefully been able to see this attempt at engendering ill will in me as just that... and side step it.

Now, admittedly, the desire for the bad guys to get thier comeupance is something approaching universal. Where I fail miserably is in trying to suggest to some of those who post here that, to one extent or another, we're all bad guys (that is, sinners) and that the God of the Bible is nowhere said to be more tolerant of one sin than the other. So when this site's merry band of would be Homo killers gathers together to do God's work for Him to pillory the next to stumble into thier midst it doesn't seem they recall that this same Bible says that they will be judged in like manner for a much larger laundry list of don'ts...





... one of my personal favorites is hypocracy.

 

[Freak]

:think:

I disagree with Bob Enyart on some issues, theological and non-theological..

I'm curious to know these "issues" you disagree with him on. Would you debate him on TOL on any of these issues if they were brought up? Or no? If no then why?

Though I like much of what Bob stands for, I do believe, that "some" go too far in supporting nearly everything (i.e. 1Way) the man believes/posts/supports. It's evident by believers and by non-believers alike.

It's healthy to point out errors in even those you might love and support. I know my parents, my wife, close friends, and even those on TOL have showed me where I have erred and I have made adjustments (when the truth has spoken).

 

[Freak]

It was blown way out of proportion by the liberal Denver press because they hate everything Bob stands for. It had nothing at all to do with their concern for an "abused" child. .

Yep. Can't trust the pagans that hate Jesus.

 

[The Edge]

*Crow fights off mental picture of the Edge as a kid, walking around with a notebook a la Dustin Hoffman in "Rainman" saying "He gave me a serious injury!"*

 

[PureX]

I suppose I might be seen as having something of a conspiratorial bent in that I see this phenomenon as part of a deliberate process initiated and carried forth by some not so nice people for the purpose of manipulating the general population into movement in the direction they want.

I agree with this completely, but I don't think these people initiated these resentments, I think they simply recognized them and did what they could to exascerbate and exploit them. And the reason I say this is that I think we need to recognize our part in this process.

Liberals and democrats should not have ignored the beliefs and feelings of conservative Christians for so many years. But conservative Christians need to learn how to check their resentments, because expressing them as they have been, lately, is not doing them or anyone else any good.

Said another way, we are being deliberately pitted against one another across various lines be it black/white, male/female, republican/democrate etc. ad nausium by folks who have something other than our wellfare in mind and if we allow ourselves to be so manipulated we place ourselves in thier hands.

Again I agree completely. And I hope that we'll soon awaken from our being drunk on these foolish and divisive resentments, before it's too late. Our own nation is being stolen our from underneath us by people who are neither Christians nor liberals, but are thieves and would-be despots.

Yes, I've listened to the media tell me that as a white, american, male I am the source of all evil in the world but I have hopefully been able to see this attempt at engendering ill will in me as just that... and side step it.

Now, admittedly, the desire for the bad guys to get thier comeupance is something approaching universal. Where I fail miserably is in trying to suggest to some of those who post here that, to one extent or another, we're all bad guys (that is, sinners) and that the God of the Bible is nowhere said to be more tolerant of one sin than the other. So when this site's merry band of would be Homo killers gathers together to do God's work for Him to pillory the next to stumble into thier midst it doesn't seem they recall that this same Bible says that they will be judged in like manner for a much larger laundry list of don'ts...

... one of my personal favorites is hypocracy.

Well, I admire and thank you for your continued efforts.

 

[Mateo]

Quote:
*Crow fights off mental picture of the Edge as a kid, walking around with a notebook a la Dustin Hoffman in "Rainman" saying "He gave me a serious injury!"*

She's belittling you because she disagrees with you. It's her duty. See Chapter 3, subparagraph 5, section 2 of the Enyartian code of conduct...

 

[Flipper]

Yep. Can't trust the pagans that hate Jesus.

When are you going to cast the demons out of Bob's phone line? Where were you when he needed you?

 

[The Edge]

Quote:
*Crow fights off mental picture of the Edge as a kid, walking around with a notebook a la Dustin Hoffman in "Rainman" saying "He gave me a serious injury!"*





She's belittling you because she disagress with you. It's her duty. See Chapter 3, subparagraph 5, section 2 of the Enyartian code of conduct...

LOL..... I see what your're saying