By Jim on
Anything Else
Satire
Babylon Bee

Recent Shortage Of Heaven-And-Back Trips Puts Family Christian Stores Out Of Business

Discussion

Sun, 02/26/17

I fail to see the humor in the closing of 200+ bookstores and the layoffs of thousands of people, and that’s before we include the damage from millions of dollars in debts that will be discharged via bankruptcy court.

"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells

Mon, 02/27/17

I don’t really want to get into a back and forth on this, but:

Isn’t the point of the BB article that Family Christian has sold and continues to sell that balderdash?

Well, so do CBD and Lifeway bookstores. Your point is…?

It’s extremely rude and condescending to attack a bookstore that is going out of business, laying off people, and will be unable to meet their financial obligations. Doesn’t the Bible say something about those who mock at the calamities of their enemies? How much more so the calamities of other believers?

"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells

Mon, 02/27/17

@Jay who said: “so do CBD and Lifeway bookstores. Your point is…? “

Response: OK got your point. Thanks

As for me, I haven’t been in a Christian bookstore in 10-15 years (with two exceptions):

  • Our church used to have a fine bookstore that I regularly visited
  • Once going away for the weekend to preach, my wife (probably wrong to blame her!) forgot to pack my Bible. Yikes. Stopped into a bookstore and bought a basic NKJV

Not sure how many watch Squawk on the street. Over the last several months much on the rotation away from brick and mortar retail: Sears, Macys, JC Penny, et cetera. Amazon is just eating their lunch! Also even banks are closing branches and going virtual

I personally am not offended by this BB piece.

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Jim's Doctrinal Statement

Mon, 02/27/17

No argument with Jay’s point that this is hurting a tremendous number of people. That said, let’s remember that probably the most famous satirist, Jonathan Swift, wrote his most famous satire, “A Modest Proposal”, in the aftermath of English policies that were literally starving the Irish poor. It is a dagger that we ought not wield recklessly, but not only Swift, but also Tertullian, Defoe, and others wielded to great effect.

In this case, it can serve as an excellent reminder that when “Christian” bookstores carry poorly sourced nonsense, that does influence whether or not people will go there—something that even CBD needs to consider vis-a-vis their sections of books by Joel Osteen and T.D. Jakes. I have stopped looking through CBD catalogs simply because the trash to treasure ratio is so high.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.

Mon, 02/27/17
[TOvermiller]

This is an excellent sermon about the “to heaven and back again” chicanery.

Just listened to this excellent message. Thanks for sharing!

Mon, 02/27/17

[pvawter]

​Just listened to this excellent message. Thanks for sharing!

My pleasure. Bro. Burkett is generally thorough and careful, as in this case. Very helpful.

Thomas Overmiller
Pastor | StudyGodsWord.com
Blog | ShepherdThoughts.com