Why Do I Feel Embarrassed by Other Christians?

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CatholicofAgora

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Does anyone ever feel embarrassed when they watch stuff like the Church Channel? I mean, I feel ashamed for being judgmental, but whenever I watch it, it makes me feel weird. I mean, I don’t know if it’s the gimmicky themes they incorporate into the programs, the old women loaded down with colorful hair and make up, or the guy with really long brown hair in a robe trying to look like Jesus, but I can’t seem to let this sort of thing register in a positive way in my mind. I notice I feel the same way when I hear fundamentalists talk, and overly-religious/enthusiastic grandmothers talk. Especially here in the South of the U.S… I grew up in the states of Florida, Alabama and Georgia. I don’t understand, I should be used to this by now. But here’s the thing, I NEVER felt that way about Catholics!! I mean, stations like EWTN have such a genuine, traditional theme to them, and their religious grandmas are humble, and as quiet as they are prayerful. Their pastors don’t preach you out of your comfort zone, and everything has always been simply and genuinely presented. Does anyone else feel the way I do? I don’t believe that anything I’ve expressed in this thread should be taken as anymore than how I personally feel. The only true generalizing statement is that there are no true generalizing statements. Let me know what you think, God bless…
 
CatholicofAgora said:
Does anyone ever feel embarrassed when they watch stuff like the Church Channel? I mean, I feel ashamed for being judgmental, but whenever I watch it, it makes me feel weird. I mean, I don’t know if it’s the gimmicky themes they incorporate into the programs, the old women loaded down with colorful hair and make up, or the guy with really long brown hair in a robe trying to look like Jesus, but I can’t seem to let this sort of thing register in a positive way in my mind. I notice I feel the same way when I hear fundamentalists talk, and overly-religious/enthusiastic grandmothers talk. Especially here in the South of the U.S… I grew up in the states of Florida, Alabama and Georgia. I don’t understand, I should be used to this by now. But here’s the thing, I NEVER felt that way about Catholics!! I mean, stations like EWTN have such a genuine, traditional theme to them, and their religious grandmas are humble, and as quiet as they are prayerful. Their pastors don’t preach you out of your comfort zone, and everything has always been simply and genuinely presented. Does anyone else feel the way I do? I don’t believe that anything I’ve expressed in this thread should be taken as anymore than how I personally feel. The only true generalizing statement is that there are no true generalizing statements. Let me know what you think, God bless…
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Why do you watch it then?
 
thistle said:
Why do you watch it then?
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I don’t, really. I’ll usually just be flipping channels and I’ll skim though the religious networks since I am a religious person. It’s also some of my fundamentalist friends and my southern Bible-thumping family roots…
 
They are behaving inappropriately.

As Catholics, we know, and as human beings we instinctively understand, that God is to be worshipped reverently. We are going before our Creator!

But these fundamentalists or whatever mock the worship of God by their antics and we all know most of it is a show to make money. The focus is not on God…
 
The shows you see are media presentations, with a certain design or goal in mind. Perhaps you are not their target audience. Like me and the WWF. I know it appeals to someone, because it is on TV, but I don’t have the background to recognize to whom it appeals and why.
 
Some of them are pretty funny if you catch them with the right frame of mind. 😃
Funniest shows on religious broadcasting:
Jack Van Impe. (a true classic)
Anything with Paul and Jan Croach (the pink hair and overdone makeup, Jan really needs to be in Vegas).
Any guest evangelist in “telethons”.
😃
 
JustaServant said:
Some of them are pretty funny if you catch them with the right frame of mind. 😃
Funniest shows on religious broadcasting:
Jack Van Impe. (a true classic)
Anything with Paul and Jan Croach (the pink hair and overdone makeup, Jan really needs to be in Vegas).
Any guest evangelist in “telethons”.
😃
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I feel the way you do. Sometimes I get such a kick out of that one who goes around screaming in the white suit. He reminds me of boss hogg on the dukes of hazzard.

While I disagree with pretty much most of their intrepation of the scriptures I do get a kick out of their zest.

My favorite is when they say can I get a AMEN. Louder, come on you can do better then that!:rotfl:

But I will listen to anyone who wants to take about God. I just pray they are there for the right reasons, and usually I get the feeling many are not. But only God knows a heart.

But they do make me laugh. But there are many good protestant preachers, who do have class, and you can tell are there not to ENTERTAIN, but truly spread the good news with the grace given to them.

But unfortunately boss hogg is out!😃
 
rinnie said:
I feel the way you do. Sometimes I get such a kick out of that one who goes around screaming in the white suit. He reminds me of boss hogg on the dukes of hazzard.

While I disagree with pretty much most of their intrepation of the scriptures I do get a kick out of their zest.

My favorite is when they say can I get a AMEN. Louder, come on you can do better then that!:rotfl:

But I will listen to anyone who wants to take about God. I just pray they are there for the right reasons, and usually I get the feeling many are not. But only God knows a heart.

But they do make me laugh. But there are many good protestant preachers, who do have class, and you can tell are there not to ENTERTAIN, but truly spread the good news with the grace given to them.

But unfortunately boss hogg is out!😃
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We got a local dude down here in WV. The guy literally screams his sermons.
He takes a deep breath each time and then yells as loud as he can. You can’t even understand what he is saying. And what he is doing MUST have health consequences.
When we were up in Pittsburgh this past week I was surprised to see Ernest Angley is still around. They might be reruns, the guy would have to be very old. He was on a Steubenville station when I a kid. He had a distintive voice. Eeeernest Aaaaaangley.😃
In fairness to him though, he never went the health and wealth road many of his fellow Pentecostals did.
 
When we come to believe that we are all parts of the body of Christ it helps put it in perspective. I am from a liturgical background church, had a cup of coffee at a contemporary mega church and now attend a high liturgical church. While at the contemporary, 1/3 of our congregation were former Catholics. What I realized is that church did a much better job than Main Line denominations at connecting people with God. After a year or so many asked “what else” is there to a relationship with God.

Secondly, churches use what they have. Those which have the Eucharist focus on it, those who have the Word focus on that. While I’m not big on being yelled at by the preacher, I understand that some feel more comfortable connecting to God through that format.

While in the Bible Church I often heard comments on how people were confused at the monotone readers and preachers at Catholic Churches. “How can you have the Glory of God present and sound so unexcited?” went the thoughts.

I guess I’m no more embarrassed by big hair and gold chairs than I am between Rocky Road and Vanilla Bean.

Pax
 
CatholicofAgora said:
Does anyone ever feel embarrassed when they watch stuff like the Church Channel? I mean, I feel ashamed for being judgmental, but whenever I watch it, it makes me feel weird. I mean, I don’t know if it’s the gimmicky themes they incorporate into the programs, the old women loaded down with colorful hair and make up, or the guy with really long brown hair in a robe trying to look like Jesus, but I can’t seem to let this sort of thing register in a positive way in my mind. I notice I feel the same way when I hear fundamentalists talk, and overly-religious/enthusiastic grandmothers talk. Especially here in the South of the U.S… I grew up in the states of Florida, Alabama and Georgia. I don’t understand, I should be used to this by now. But here’s the thing, I NEVER felt that way about Catholics!! I mean, stations like EWTN have such a genuine, traditional theme to them, and their religious grandmas are humble, and as quiet as they are prayerful…
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I wonder if your embarrassment is due to somehow identifying with those Southern Protestant television personalities? Perhaps you worry that the shows will reach not just their intended audience (who are able to put the IV personalities in context) Perhaps your concern is that outsiders will view these shows and get the impression that most Christians are similar? Or that most Southern Christians are similar?

I know I have had similar feelings of embarrassment when someone speaks as a member of a group to which I belong, but are badly presenting themselves. And yes, sometimes those embarrassing persons are Catholics if they are making erroneous statements in a non-Catholic forum about the Church or Church teaching. Or it might be my fellow Americans who spout nonsense in an international forum without bothering to correct their misunderstandings. At times such as those, I feel like they are damaging the reputation of the rest of us.
 
JustaServant said:
I was surprised to see Ernest Angley is still around.
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Wow! Thought he had disappeared forever. When I was in college, he used to be broadcast around midnight on Saturday on an independent TV station outside of Philadelphia. My roommates would watch him for fun (usually after a night of partying).
 
Yes…it is kind of like watching a train wreck. Hard to take your eyes off of, although you know you should not watch! The first time I saw Benny Hinn (like 15 years ago…) I could not stop watching and trying to figure out the hair…what is up with the hair? The pink hair lady?? C’mon…She looks like Paula Deen’s wierd aunt.
 
You might feel less “embarrassed” by other Christians if you were able to get to know some real-life Christians in your area that are supportive of the various TV evangelists and their organizations.

Yes, some of these real-life Christians are kind of over-the-top, too, and there are some who are extremely separatist–these people are not going to respond positively to a Catholic who wishes to befriend them.

But many are kind, loving people who are deeply in love with Jesus and truly desire to serve Him as Lord. You would enjoy knowing them, and they would help you to not be quite so embarrassed when you see their shows on TV.
 
ByzCathCantor said:
Wow! Thought he had disappeared forever. When I was in college, he used to be broadcast around midnight on Saturday on an independent TV station outside of Philadelphia. My roommates would watch him for fun (usually after a night of partying).
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Did a quick Google search. Yep, he’s still around. Born in 1921, so he is 91 years old. :eek:
Must be TVs oldest evangelist.
 
Lol… the prayer channel on 256 on Dish Network has aired paid programming for the Brazilian Butt-Lift exercise program. I couldn’t help but laugh.😃
 
SteveLy said:
When weWhile in the Bible Church I often heard comments on how people were confused at the monotone readers and preachers at Catholic Churches. “How can you have the Glory of God present and sound so unexcited?” went the thoughts.

Pax
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Do you ever hear “Scripture readings” in evangelical or Baptist churches? They’re not much better. That depends on several things, the reading ability of the speaker, the translation (when I lectored I occasionally fell into the KJV:eek:) the length of the reading, and sound system of the church.
We all can;t have a voice like James Earl Jones. 😃
 
It could be worse, imagine if people were singing praises to God while they chopped off the head of a prisoner of war or a reporter. But we don’t have to imagine it. Even if they are not Christians the Dawkins of the world will hit us with them
 
JustaServant said:
Some of them are pretty funny if you catch them with the right frame of mind. 😃
Funniest shows on religious broadcasting:
Jack Van Impe. (a true classic)
Anything with Paul and Jan Croach (the pink hair and overdone makeup, Jan really needs to be in Vegas).
Any guest evangelist in “telethons”.
😃
Click to expand...
Jack Van Impe is beyond words . . . . & so is his wife (the blonde sidekick is his wife?).One time he made an eyebrow raising bedroom related comment about/to her & I was howling out loud. One of those moments when you wish someone else was w/ you to share the hilarious moment. I can watch about 5 min. max. He has said something like " & the Roman Catholic Church agrees with me".
 
MJE said:
Jack Van Impe is beyond words . . . . & so is his wife (the blonde sidekick is his wife?).One time he made an eyebrow raising bedroom related comment about/to her & I was howling out loud. One of those moments when you wish someone else was w/ you to share the hilarious moment. I can watch about 5 min. max. He has said something like " & the Roman Catholic Church agrees with me".
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He says that all the time because of the little old ladies who happen to be Catholic who watch his show and give him money :D.

As for the bedroom remark…thats just a mental picture I would not rather play with.:eek:
 
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