I have a question...Pentecostals seem to say that if one only asks and has enough faith, God will "deliver" them from whatever they feel they need
deliverance from. I've heard this said about everything from anger, to homosexuality, to sexual addiction to video games. It sounds easy, ask and ye shall
recieve, right? Thus ends the theory.
Now, let us begin the facts. I'm still at least somewhat angry about what happened to me, all of the people who are gay (that I've ever heard of) who ever said that still are. My ex-wife is still a $lut and that weird guy at work who made the video game comment awhile back asked me last night if I'd gotten the new expansion to World of Warcraft yet, because it's cool. He of course has it...on his laptop so he can play on breaks at work!
If God is so almighty and powerful, and deliverance from this and that such a cornerstone of Pentecostal belief...why is it that the vast majority of people who I've ever heard use the term still are doing or "struggling with" whatever their supposed problem is. Not to say there aren't real problems that this is said about...I'm sure there are...but most of the things Pentes I know claim to be "delivered" from aren't much of a problem as far as the rest of the world is concerned. I'm sure it does happen but I don't think I've ever personally heard a Pente say they were delivered from Alcoholism for example.
Logic dictates that in the end, Pentecostalism like any other religion may help someone to deal with a real problem in their life, I suppose. But they make it sound so final and automatic, yet all the "deliverence"-minded Pentes that I've ever known seem to have to keep asking for deliverance over and over and over again. I suppose they believe that he is powerful...but (to paraphrase something a wise person said to me the other day) the Pente god just ends up looking so weak and barbaric. He seems to make a lot of demands, yet doles out precious little of his favor in return.
Doesn't this bother the Pentes? Did it cause issues for anybody here before they left?
Now, let us begin the facts. I'm still at least somewhat angry about what happened to me, all of the people who are gay (that I've ever heard of) who ever said that still are. My ex-wife is still a $lut and that weird guy at work who made the video game comment awhile back asked me last night if I'd gotten the new expansion to World of Warcraft yet, because it's cool. He of course has it...on his laptop so he can play on breaks at work!
If God is so almighty and powerful, and deliverance from this and that such a cornerstone of Pentecostal belief...why is it that the vast majority of people who I've ever heard use the term still are doing or "struggling with" whatever their supposed problem is. Not to say there aren't real problems that this is said about...I'm sure there are...but most of the things Pentes I know claim to be "delivered" from aren't much of a problem as far as the rest of the world is concerned. I'm sure it does happen but I don't think I've ever personally heard a Pente say they were delivered from Alcoholism for example.
Logic dictates that in the end, Pentecostalism like any other religion may help someone to deal with a real problem in their life, I suppose. But they make it sound so final and automatic, yet all the "deliverence"-minded Pentes that I've ever known seem to have to keep asking for deliverance over and over and over again. I suppose they believe that he is powerful...but (to paraphrase something a wise person said to me the other day) the Pente god just ends up looking so weak and barbaric. He seems to make a lot of demands, yet doles out precious little of his favor in return.
Doesn't this bother the Pentes? Did it cause issues for anybody here before they left?
