The previous blog touched on some topics that were considered taboo to discuss in the Pentecostal churches, especially United Pentecostal Church and similar groups. There were other areas where one could say we gagged at a gnat and swallowed a camel.
Television: Psalms tells us not to set wicked things before our eyes. The UPCI was especially hardcore in preaching against the “idiot box” and even required its ministers to sign a statement verifying they didn’t own a television. I do remember a conversation with one UPCI pastor where we touched on television. He admitted to me many of the pastors lied about owning televisions but the district and general board usually did nothing about it.
The conversation with that pastor revealed a double standard that cuts a swath across denominational and doctrinal lines. The leadership will preach hard and fast that certain activities are sinful, like watching television. They expect parishioners to obey the teachings without question. However, the message to the masses wasn’t practiced by those who delivered it. The pastor, in his conversation with me, unwittingly exposed the man behind the curtain.
In the wake of streaming video and other services, the very discussion concerning television is a moot point now. Yet, the double standard is clear and most church members never ask about it.
Gossip: Almost every pastor I listened to preached vehemently against gossip, in particular when questions arose about possible misconduct by an elder or leader. Scriptures such as “evil communication corrupts good manners” and Philippians 4:8 (the go-to passage to silence any questioning or “negative communication”) were used to discourage “gossip” or asking questions.
Just like with television, gossip had its double standard. In one church I attended and even held license, I sat next to the pastor’s wife and daughters. In less than five minutes I was able to learn the dirt on almost everyone! The pastor should have told his own family to stifle their own tongues, but to my knowledge never did. Again, the man behind the curtain was exposed.
There are so many “sacred cows” nobody wanted to touch. but in this forum it’s a golden opportunity to openly and freely have a discussion. The more we discuss these, the more we discover aren’t even scriptural.
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