Thanks for that input, Chris.  An existing church?  That’s interesting.  Man, that’s got to be exhausting on so many levels.  Two that come to the top of my head: 

1.  It’s got to be extremely draining.  It sounds like fun for a couple weeks… you know… hoping on the plane, doing a service in Southern CA, hopping back.  But I bet that’d get old (at least with me) REAL quick.

2.  It’s got to be extremely expensive.  I would assume that they’d have to charter a plane (unless they own their own).  Either way (or if they just fly commercial), it’s got to be hard on the pocketbook.

Seacoast could probably open a new satellite a week at that rate. 

Todd

Sorry, Doug.  Fru Fru was all I could come up with that early in the morning.

Todd

And, this is so last weeks news.

it is not only funny to you, it is totally silly to me.
When they made contact about this segments they said their would be four people, two pastors, a hindu who works for common connection and a yoga instructor.
Then two hours before they told me it was just me and John.

And the strangest part is that it was done on September 11, like there was not other news to cover that day.
But everyone has to make a living including the people who have to produce a tv show everyday.

I think the issue of YOGA could be controversial, but most of us don’t really care. I though the debate was typical when fundies and emergent-types square off.  Johnny Mac never really addressed Doug’s comment on “the Jesus agenda” i.e. physical holiness. Of course we believe that spiritual wholeness is found through Jesus, but we can be spiritually renewed and still be in horrible physical condition. It think this was Doug’s point and it (of course) was missed my JM.

In terms of using (redeeming?) ideas from other religions, it is good to note that the reformed faith has had a long standing tradition of “all truth is God’s truth.” I don’t see any problem there. Augustine rightly said that we have to plunder the Egyptians for their gold. Of course he said that in relation to assuming platonic thought into Christian theology, but it could be extended to yoga as well.

But back to my original comment, does anybody really care…

Derek

Great thoughts from Perry.  Cool rebuttal.  The multi-site thing is puzzling, the yoga this is silly, and the lawsuit is sad.  But, hey, at least the goofy senator got it right that if you’re going to sue God you can do it anywhere because God IS everywhere.

Hey Doug if you’re still paying attention, I know people struggle today with attention issues, but let me ask you this simple question, where do you have the authority or ability to claim that no one who does Yoga has ever been harmed by it? That is absurd in the highest order. You cannot know that because it would take omniscience and last time I checked there was One who is omniscient and His name is not Doug Pagitt. I heard John share the gospel, what did you do other than confuse the masses? And Todd, for a guy whose posters jump in and say they are respectful and not rude it seems you’re really quick to call John names.

MG,

When did Todd call JM names? (I forgot, you don’t seem to answer questions, you just seem to practice “hit and run” criticism...)

I still want to know, also, why you are here.

MG,

On the issue of “name calling”, MG. Do these words mean anything. “Hello kettle, this is the pot calling...”

Todd starts that statement with the VERY important caveat “I think...” He always chooses his words carefully, and I think in this case I would not call that name-calling… Name calling is saying something like “You viper’s brood” or “You whitewashed tombs” or “Your mama wears combat boots"…

This is unlike certain people who have commented on this blog using words like these… “The ugliness with which you guys have portrayed him to be is more revealing of the filth that is consuming your hearts than it is of the reality of why John does what he does.”

I’m kinda still waiting for an apology for that second one. Maybe that’s too much to ask.