Shepherd's Chapel (SC) is a ministry located in Gravette, Ar. a small town in the Northwest corner of the state. You can Google the name as well as that of it's founder, Pastor Arnold Murry, and get quite a bit of info, form detractors and supporters alike. There is no question it is a controversial ministry, but the Internet is like the mainstream media when it come to the hyperbole and amplification of the controversial nature of the SC.
It is the dishonesty of the detractors, many whom call themselves Christians and publish websites broadcasting their own ministries while bashing the SC with vile, dishonest, and malicious gossip, not to mention downright lies. I find that most puzzling, since there are clearly differences between what the SC teaches and other Churches. After all, Christianity is fragmented into thousands of independent churches and many denominations, all separated by doctrinal differences, among other things. What possesses detractors and causes them to carry their war on the SC so much further from those differences and into the realm of propaganda is a study that will be taken up here, as I highlight some of the people and organizations involved.
I came to the Internet in the mid 90's and there was already a presence of SC students as they like to be called, and also critics. With the growth of the Internet, many more people are now involved on both sides. I will focus upon my personal experience in the battle between the two factions, mainly at FactNet, but I will also be highlighting other websites that are critical of the SC and focus on those personalities who run those sites.
My experience at FactNet over the six years I was participant was a great deal of fun. It had all the ingredients of an epic movie: drama, humor, scandal, for a few (that got caught) romance, and intrigue. Some of the funniest stuff I've ever read anywhere I read at FactNet's Shepherd's Chapel oriented threads. Sometimes I read archives that are years old and laugh just like I never saw them before. There's no question the practice of closing insane asylums and letting quite a few nut cases on the loose was not a good idea.
In future messages, I'll introduce some of them to you. I think that after a few examples, you'll be wondering where the ';reality" show is to cover these people, and yes, that includes myself!
Hey Smyrna, happy to see you here!
ReplyDeleteI agree, posting on Factnet and dealing with the SC detractors has been absolutely hilarious. LOL
It never bothered me that they didn't agree with us on doctrinal issues. Heck, that's why there are so many denominations within Christianity. None of them completely agree with each other.
What I didn't like with the detractors, was their lies and misrepresentation of what we believe. Even when we would post exactly what we believe, they would dismiss it and so no, you believe this way.
What's even funnier, is when they trip themselves up with their own words, or corner themselves with their own understanding.
They are such idiots! lol
Hi Ter,
ReplyDeleteI see at least one of the Dodge created threads has attrected only Turtle. I read it today it was a real yawner. They can't do anything but repeat themsevles, tey continue to be wrong, and I don't see them as any threat to the SC ministry due to their own failures, and nothing else. They are dishonest, they belong at FactNet with the dishonest, leftist moderators. Unilike Franklin, who tosses accusations at the SC regardless of any proof, I have the goods on the modertors there, it's insane to allow an atheist who harrassed the very same Christians he is now in charge of moderating. The final straw was Dodge deleting my announcemtn I was starting this blog. I woder what FactNet rule he's going to claim if any as a defense. After all, Franklin's signature is ther URL for his silly website, and no one has called him on it.
Wow, I didn't know Dodge deleting your post announcing about this blog! I'm not surprised though.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was reading all the threads Dodge has resurrected after you left and yes, only Turtle and Easletine are replying. I'm sure Dodge was hoping one of us, more specifically you, would respond. All Dodge is doing is trying to bait us. It's what he always does, meanwhile hopping from side to side of the debate.
And he's purposely misrepresenting what we believe. He's been there long enough. To try and play that he is ignorant of our beliefs is ridiculous. He's a fool. Hopefully he realizes we can see through the game he is playing.
Sadly, he thinks he's sooo much smarter than us and tries to use psychology lol... like we're as stupid as our detractors lol
Well, as I said in my first blog entry here, it's FactNet's staff that chooses to be so outrageous as to not only allow a guy who once harrassed the Christian memebrs of factNet with disgusting graphics of Jesus to be moderator of the Christians boards, but to then claim he was removed while just giving him a new identity. His colors showed eventually and his bias beacme evident, especially against myself and Franklin, who he dislikes equally. He admitted he is only there to argue, which bascially makes him a troll, as he has no vested interest in the topics at hand.
ReplyDeleteYeah I noticed that Dodge deleted that post and mine as well. The one where I said that I would love to check out your blog. I know that he is an athiest but he doesn't need to throw it in everyones face.
ReplyDeleteI know I follow a more paganistic path and common sense dictates that not everyone will agree with the path. I don't expect everyone to agree with it, and thats a problem that I have with alot of pagans. They like to swing that lack of tolerance stick, when they are being just as intollerant. Alot of athiests are just as hypocritical.
With Franklin. He is hopeless and not even worthy of the mere second of thought. Yet he has convinced himself that he is some sort of savior. So much that I am surprised that he doesn't have a statue of himself with a halo on top carrying a cross for everyones sins.
Hi Sammael, and thank you for adding your comments. It's good that you also noted the continuing decline of FactNet's moderator, in this case, Dodge/Josh. No longer does he delete a message and give a warning or reason for deleting it. If he now claims it's because no one is permitted to promote another webiste, then he is lying, as Franklin's signature on every post he make there has the URL of his website and it has been there for months. That kind of bias is precisely what I have been writig about here. And notice "Will" doesn't have anythig to say about it.
DeleteSorry it took me so long getting here. Was tying to post under my wordpress account. But it didn't work. So I created a blogger profile just for here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for leaving FACTnet forum, Smyrna and Sammael. You two were so damned annoying. I can understand that you two would be unable to post there since Josh took over as moderator, actually enforcing forum rules that have always been there but neglected for so long. Your natures are to insult and annoy, and I know that you can’t help yourselves; cannot or will not.
ReplyDeleteAll you were doing, Smyrna, was repeating the same crap over and over for years, with the same “detractors” doing the same thing. One could go into the archives and read posts from five years ago, and it would be hard to distinguish them from what was written just a couple of weeks ago. It was like watching a reality show that was stuck in an endless loop.
Anyway, FACTnet forum is a better place without you two; so have fun antagonizing and insulting everyone over there from here; but the rocks you’re throwing will fall short. Nobody cares.
Will.
For those readers who may be following along, "Will" here is the person who I have referred to as the atheist and partially reformed board troll (I say partially, since he has ceased posting graphics of Jesus in drag, yet still insults Christians by calling the Bible all myth)the FactNet staff appointed as a moderator over the same boards he shows his disdain towards Christians upon. Him and this "Josh" he refers to are one and the same, for reason I gave in my first article of this blog.
ReplyDeleteI'll offer these words to you in response Dodge: I'd say we annoy you because we don't fall for your games. I'd say we annoy you because we aren't your run-of-the mill Christians, who are just going to sit back and allow you to berate and insult us, and certainly not act as the moderator. However you are correct in that I am repeating what I have written in some cases many times while at FactNet. I will have new readers here,(and probably do, since my stats say nearly five hundred page views in less than a week)so what you many have seen many times others ahve not seen ever before. I think they, and not you, will make up their minds as to whether they care this stuff goes on or not, or what the SC actually teaches and what is simply rumor mongering among SC critics.
I will also note that as readers can see, I neither edit,or remove negative comments, everyone is free to voice their opinions, unlike the current state of FactNet, which allows people like Josh/Dodge/Will not only moderate the Christian boards,but to also treat those he dislikes with uneven application of the rules. Any challeneg to that claim and I will offer proof along with screen shots of examples of this bias of which I speak.
Alot of irony I see. You call us annoying, yet the way you respond to people is the same. The only difference being the delivery of it. You like to keep yours subtle and sarcastic. Where I prefer the more direct and in your face approach. You yourself have been called out on this, but for some reason no action has been taken. So please don't insult us by thinking we would ever think that you are just trying to keep the peace. If that were the case you would be able to add your opinion without the use of such a phrase as "Your God" or "Your Bible" with the same attitude that can only be described as having their nose up their own ass.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at facnet and it looks like it is the same people posting on the same boring threads. So you call that progress? Especially considering when your still antagonizing on the Christian thread? I also noticed that people have not yet taken the bait on your Evolution thread in the agnostic/athiest threads. Why am I not surprised. So it looks like your own stones are lying neutralized. Its only a matter of time before you and Easiltine, and Franklin try baiting us back.
Hi Sammael -- I call you guys annoying because neither of you are able to carry on an exchange of ideas without insulting others and creating flame wars. The reason that you don’t like Josh is because he’s resurrected the original forum rules that had been ignored for some time.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lawrence Wollersheim set up FACTnet forum, he established a set of rules to abide by; which says that flames, insults, and personal attacks will not be tolerated, and that he was serious about the forum rules. If any member violated these rules, they would be barred from posting. If a member disrupted discussion, repeatedly posted off-topic comments, harassed other members, or posted offensive images or text, that member would be warned and/or have their posting privileges suspended…or have their posts deleted.
Josh is the new sheriff. It appears that you two have left Dodge voluntarily, because you can‘t control yourselves. Fine. That was your choice. Both of you are still members and can post anytime you want; as long as you maintain forum etiquette and abide by the rules.
FACTnet forum is pretty dead nowadays; but I’m still there. As a liberal atheist, I have things I want to express. If there’s nobody there to respond, I really don’t care. It will be my private venue for all intents and purposes; but anyone is welcome to come in and refute or debate anytime they want as long as they behave themselves.
I might mention that yes, I exhibited troll-like behavior in the past, posted offensive graphics; and if I did anything like that since Josh took over as moderator I would expect to be banned. I, unlike you, am adult enough to be able to control myself and act responsibly.
That you admit, Dodge, that FactNet staff has ignored enforcing rules long in place helps explain the situation. Failure to enforce the rules can be demonstrated with relative ease, over a period of not months but years, greatly contributed to the the atmosphere of the forum. Had Lawarence Wollersheim paid any attention to his discussion boards, he'd have seen hundreds of examples of flames, insults, and personal attacks well before mysefl or Sammael even came to FactNet. So once again, the respinsibility lays on the staff, who failed to enforce their own rules.
ReplyDeleteI didn't come to FactNet on a blazing saddle gunslinging with insults, flames and personal attacks. But after seeing the malicious attacks by SC detractors, one memmorable thread title which existed before I came to FactNet was 'Arnold Murray Worse Than The KKK" and "SC/AM racist Stooges Identified", the gloves came off.
One poster by the name "King David" accused me of performing oral sex on Arnold Murray, a post which wasn't deleted even after both camps complained, and the poster freely went on his way posting again and again, with no penalty. SC students have been called racists, Nazis, cult members, heretics etc. without impunity, so maybe you should tell the whole story Dodge, instead of demonizing just SC students and those who are friendly with them.
To close, knock off the separation between you and Josh, all "Josh" is, is an alias given to you when all the particpants protested a board troll/atheist's appointment to moderate the Christian boards.