Sweeping Generalities and Straw Men

Disagreeing with apologists? That’s fallacious talk! Make a comment about the end result of faith? Straw Man! Make an indisputable point? Sweeping generalities—the root of Christian faith—saving the whole world opens you up to such questions when nothing has been “saved” to-date (some have escaped, but none have been saved) It’s no wonder Apolologetics 101—the “Answer me a question loud and clear, I will answer with a question”, feels like your struck singing a round with the Bobby Van chorus and Burt Bacharach? Apologetics have run out of explanations, so now the good pastor and his echolalia have celebrated “the death of christiandom with a sweeping statement. Although meaning well struggling to make sense of complete ridiculosity, he is once again separating the wheat and tares within his own faith, dividing christiandom from Christianity because the outcome has been disastrous is like separating crude oil from a well. The unintended outcome is never desired in the faith, the goal post is moved to adjust once again, what he believes in.

Mel Wild is revolutionizing a new brand of Christianity, outside of Christianity.

Somebody else might have some fun with this. Here’s my last comment but it’s fun to watch all the deflections. “I don’t get angry mel. Your projecting. When you feel every argument is fallacious, it goes full circle to the fact this is the type of argument religion generates from its core. Fallacy? Funny thing Mel, if you look up the fallacies website, virtually every category has religious examples. It’s so easy to see unless you employ faith. The key to the mysteries is unbelief.

Installing fixtures and base today. Move in this weekend.

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Author: jimoeba

Alternatives to big box religions and dogmas

71 thoughts on “Sweeping Generalities and Straw Men”

      1. Mel reveals his true nature when Branyan comes on board. A monstrous fraud who gives the impression he is hanging on with the skin of his teeth.
        I suspect he suppresses a lot of his pre-conversion self , but as Terry Pratchett often wrote:
        ”A leopard can’t change his shorts”

        Liked by 3 people

      2. I just read your dialogue after quoting that verse from Luke!
        You just knew he was going to do that, didn’t you?
        And notice how long-winded his ”explanation” was?

        Quote him Matt 19:21 and see what he has to say about that one!

        Then ask him if Noah was a genuine historical character and ask for an explanation of the Flood … in context, of course!

        He is nothing but a disngenious twat.
        Imagine being part of his congregation?
        I think I would feel inclined to spit in his offering plate.

        Liked by 3 people

          1. Oh Jim! Haven’t you figured out by now that Christians (and especially pastors!) are forced to “rework” scriptures to ensure they aren’t taken “literally.” Even the denominations that DO take them literally have to make certain exceptions. It’s simply the nature of the beast.

            I mean, “God” forbid that believers would actually hate their family or cut off their hand or give away all their worldly goods! But of course, it’s OK to hate gays, condemn abortion, fly around in expensive jets, live in mansions, and write posts to explain why all of this is acceptable.

            Liked by 2 people

        1. Matt 19:21 is a favorite of mine. I often wonder how the “prosperity gospel” preachers explain that one.

          Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t the early followers of Christianity almost communistic when it came to possessions anyway? I seem to recall that what little they did own was owned in common by the group.

          Liked by 2 people

          1. He’s truly just the donkey who never budges … — Yes! Even when he semi-“agrees,” he has to add a jab that essentially says, I’m right … you’re wrong. Such humility! Such openness!

            Liked by 2 people

            1. Eh, you might be a little too kind with that assessment Nan. Uh, openness to his neurosis! 😉 LOL

              I have always found that he is only attempting to engage opponents in order to eventually bullhorn his own propaganda and circus act. And as Jim correctly pointed out to him today or yesterday, not only does he not thoroughly listen to or digest what is being stated/written by opponents, he never has any intention of asking any further relevant questions IN ORDER TO maybe understand and digest — hence, he either misunderstands or ignores (stonewalls) what is significant (damning?) and goes way off on his childish rabbit-trails and mockery. It honestly feels like you are engaging a naive, cocky, disrespectful 5-yr old. LOL 😒

              Liked by 2 people

            2. All of us have very legitimate approaches/arguments while they have one, unproven, unverifiable old line from a snapshot 2000 years ago from unknown authors.

              Liked by 2 people

  1. I have to give you lots of credit on to big jobs, one is building a house from scratch and the other is trying to have a discussion with Mel when you disagree with him. One of those things are possible, the other is like a mythical Herculean effort. I asked Mel the first time we talked how he could claim to be a follower of Jesus at the same time saying he was not a christian. His twisted convoluted answer basically boiled down to I did about the either the faith in god, and about Jesus to question him on it. Our communications went down hill from there. So how do you feel over time your comment and reply sessions with him have gone? Hugs

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Sorry should be a ” not know ” in the line “I did …not know about…” and pretend the the is missing also. Thanks. Hgus

      Liked by 2 people

        1. 😃😉 I am having a real bad time handling distractions. Ron and I were talking about how Jesus would have been an observant Jew, and he believed in the old testament things like Moses and the flood. So to deny what he believed in would be to deny him, as far as we can see. Hugs

          Liked by 3 people

          1. Well, Ark has Pastor Robertson on the ropes right now with that very thing. God, influenced by myth, preached about people that never existed. Oops!

            Liked by 3 people

      1. Ron and I have been talking about how the biblical description of Jesus believed int the old testament, was an messianic observant Jew, and believed in Moses and the flood. To deny those things is to deny the Christ they want to follow as far as I can see. Hugs

        Liked by 2 people

      2. And Mel posts about what(?)… every other day? So in one week your discussion/debate — if it can be called that — is also buried. It is something to keep in mind when spending TOO MUCH time on his merry-go-wrong. 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Insane, and possibly evil Uncle Mel doesn’t concern me as much as his followers do. That point aside, I love your line “some have escaped, but none have been saved.” Thanks and peace.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. I’m just going to skip over the apologist stuff for now. I need a break after dealing with my own issues on my blog. I’ll just comment on your house pics.

    It looks great and I’m sure your daughter is getting excited as it gets closer to move in day. I like the kitchen. Looks like a good old country kitchen. Makes me want pie for some reason…and I don’t even really like pie.

    Liked by 5 people

  4. His excuses grow mighty tiresome. At least he’s stopped *promising* posts to address the things he refuses to address on any particular post. I’ve been waiting for well over a year for a promised post addressing Paley’s observation:

    “Contrivance proves design, and the predominant tendency of the contrivance indicates the disposition of the designer.”

    The question: What is the predominant tendency of the contrivance?

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I remember. Still waiting as he and JB would say to their deflection question. At least now he has a theory to bow out of Christiandom—the results of Christian doctrine.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. On his Hitler post he really, really, really didn’t want to answer this question: Is Jerry Falwell Jr a Christian?

        Seems that whole “Christian” label is becoming hard to wear.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. That must be the Christendom he’s not liking. I just posted a new thread on his spot. Christendom —The results of Christian teachings. The very thing he wants to abandon

          Liked by 2 people

            1. It is. I sometimes will just sit and watch. Nice take to see how many of us have different, reasonable lines I haven’t though of myself, while they just keep doing the same redundant circles.

              Liked by 3 people

        2. …hard to wear” indeed! They want (to no avail) to be ‘set apart’… even from their own kind! LOL But then of course that goes contradictory to most of what is in their canonical New Testament. Que to preschool song! “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and…

          OH SHIT… 💥 CRASH!!! 💀

          Liked by 2 people

  5. As you know, I’ve contributed my little bits for you. I truly hope Mel and his side-kick ignore them… as they were intended for the rational and intelligent, or you Sir. 😉

    Like

      1. LOL… yes! And as I understand Mel’s personal background, he apparently had a very traumatic life-experience that pushed him to the mental-emotional edge where — guess what? — “relief” was warmly ready and accepting of the unstable and down-trodden… that’s right, that “Good Ole Down Home Religion“!!! 😄 So deeply pathological codependency is firmly embedded into his neurology and cognition… no matter WHAT the facts or reality say otherwise. And he has been doing this repeatedly he tells me for some 20-40 years like the Muslims who rock back-n-forth repeating their Quranic chants over and over and over daily and weekly. He never ventures out into the real world. He strictly stays within his own (closed off) herd/sheep. 😛

        Liked by 1 person

        1. There but by the grace of Thor go I also. I was Christian 34yrs, 25 of those is various ministry roles. That was me too… blinded and “brain washed” in the blood of Jesus and the kjv

          Liked by 2 people

          1. I saw it 100s and 100s of times KIA in my years of work in Psych/A&D rehab, a pretty well proven and established treatment programs (not invisible hocus-pocus!) inpatient and outpatient, but way too many of the general public (employers included!) still have this FALSE stigmatizations about REAL tangible Psych/A&D treatments! HAH, especially the Evangy-Fundies — that’s the Debal’s workplace! LOL 🙄🤭

            Liked by 2 people

  6. I have enormous admiration for anyone who can build a house and try to have a discussion with Mel at the same time 🙂

    The problem with apologetics in general is that they invariably fall back on either highly questionable “evidence” from the Bible, personal “revelations”, or basically the argument that “hey, some other people believe this too so you have to”. So they end up going through the convoluted mental gymnastics that Mel indulges in when he tries to prove the unprovable. And as for his claims that Christianity has changed, well, all one needs to do is look at how the religion is being used as an excuse for people’s personal prejudices and even violence to see that isn’t true. If you go to places that keep an eye on such things like Right Wing Watch and see how some of these so called ministers of god are demonizing LGBT people, the followers of Islam, even other Christian sects, it’s obvious that it hasn’t changed at all.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you. I never look at those things but will take a peek. It really hasn’t changed except less religiosity and good economies tend favor the decline of religion. Here’s hopin…

      Liked by 1 person

    2. And thanks for the compliment. It was a bit draining but fun in a way since I already know the outcome. But some other reader may think a moment on it.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I see Branyon keeps insisting on you providing evidence that following JC causes misery and oppression.
    How about Luke 14:26?
    That should have them scrambling over each other yelling hermeneutics for a few minutes!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Arkenaten – I think they really,really hope no one reads that one.

      I always thought the whole biblical branch of hermeneutics was devoted more to trying to twist the meaning of the bible in ways to support the person’s own personal beliefs and prejudices than in trying to wring some actual “truth” out of it. Or to try to explain away some very inconvenient things.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Ark, when I try to quote Scripture verbatim to Mel, he dismisses everything the/my quote says since it came from my head, my laptop, my IP address, and onto his blog-comments. BUT if a “True Christian ™ ” writes the quote, THAT’S totally divine truth straight from YAHWEH’s mouth! 😄

      Liked by 3 people

  8. Here’s a statement I’d love to hear, but never will, from an apologist: “I apologize for taking up your time with all my wheel-spinning and question-dodging over my religion. I realize there is no empirical evidence for my beliefs, and they are just that, personal beliefs based solely on faith. Again, I do humbly apologize and must admit that I truly have no more definitive answers about the great “meaning” of things than you do. Your guess is as good as mine, and I choose mine simply because I’m comfortable with them. Have a nice day, and thanks sincerely for making me think about my beliefs more logically and constructively. ‘Bye now.”

    Liked by 4 people

    1. I’m resting. He needs one more comment from me but I’ve been a little busy. He ended with some sweeping generalities about me. He IS the expert.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Hahahaha!!! WAIT A MINUTE! BrainYawn (and with Mel’s passive endorsement too), I was considered “The Expert”!!! How dare them toss around experty-ness so liberally!!! 😲😄

        Don’t blame you one bit for saving your sanity with them. 😉

        Liked by 2 people

  9. Shame I was away during this exchange. In response to his “You cannot find any teaching of Christ (or the New Testament) that would condone any form of bondage or torture. Quite the opposite.” I would have cited two passages:

    “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! . . . Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:51-53

    “But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them–bring them here and kill them in front of me.” Luke 19:27

    Liked by 1 person

    1. God is love… The only reason you get that from scripture is because we’re told that. Great comment Ron. You have definitely been missed. Spot me an email in case you disappear again. At least that way I’ll know your not dead.
      Unless of course you’re a secret agent or something.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. God is love . . . except for when he’s smiting everyone and everything in sight for acting in accordance to the way he programmed it. And I giggled when he pulled out his “Message” translation to smooth things over:

        “If you’re not welcomed, leave town. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on.”

        LOL

        Talk about massaging the text to fit your narrative. Compare that to the KJV (or choose any other English) translation of the Textus Receptus found here: https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/luk/9/1/t_conc_982005

        “No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.” – George Bernard Shaw

        As to my extended absences: No covert missions here. It’s just that I spend practically every waking moment engaged in work or outdoor leisure activities between mid April and late October. So I’ll probably disappear again come spring. But I’ll try to pop in once in a while on rainy days to let you know I’m still alive. 🙂

        I’ve got your email address. Thanks. You’d probably best delete it to avoid spam.

        Liked by 1 person

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