I almost added Kenneth Copeland to my list of charlatan evangelical preachers.

First, a short followup to “The Power of Christ Compels You”

I learned recently that some evangelical and charismatic Protestants DO believe in the real presence, but if I might offer on observation, folks in that camp are not saying “We have what the Catholics have”; they are saying rather, “Catholics have nothing more than we do.”

(Those are two different things. And FWIW, denominations that insist on real presence are not just Catholics, but Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans and some others, which are, not surprisingly, closest to the Reformation, and so retain a lot of early church DNA. )

Something I haven’t seen expressed but I’m sure is somewhere by someone: You can tell who truly believes in real presence by how they treat the bread and wine during the service. If it’s broken matzah and grape juice that gets prepared like a snack and discarded like leftovers, chances are the congregation doesn’t believe in real presence in a transsubstantial or consubstantial way.[1]

A question to ask: When the bread and wine set up before the service, how does everyone behave? Talking, laughing, kids running around, reading the bulletin?

In churches that believe Jesus is physically present, the sanctuary is a place of preparation, not socialization.

I’m not saying that’s good or bad, just is, and to be honest, a comfortable, conversational prelude to church appeals to me; it’s all I’ve ever known. But when you think Jesus is literally, physically there, you behave differently.

[8/29/13]

 

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I almost added Kenneth Copeland to my list of charlatan evangelical preachers

 

Because of this story covered in many places:

Story: Measles outbreak tied to Texas megachurch sickens 21 >

"The ill people were all linked to the church that is a division of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. That group advocates faith-healing and advises people to 'first seek the Wisdom of God' and then appropriate medical attention in matters of health, according to an online statement."

Copeland is not among those that preach against vaccination, but he’s connected vaccination with autism.

That kind of bad science fuels angry atheist apologists like Richard Dawkins:

There's a Measles Outbreak at Vaccine-Denying Pastor Kenneth Copeland's Fort Worth Church >

And Dawkins is right to criticize Copland.

Why didn’t I add Copeland to my list?

Copeland's daughter, Pastor Terri Copeland Pearsons, announced during a recent sermon that their Eagle Mountain International Church in Fort Worth will be hosting a couple free vaccination clinics.

Good for her.

By the way, if anyone can prove that faith healing works, I'll eat any hat you choose to serve me (preferably a red fez with plum sauce).

And my list of charlatan preachers is just a metaphor. If I was really keeping a list, I’d never have time for anything else.

But just for fun...

 

[2013-08-28]

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[1]
Lutheran’s don’t like the term “consubstantiation” and don't use it to describe themselves; it’s often used derogatorily by others outside the Lutheran church.

 

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