[CS-FSLUG] Alpha course---OFFENDED!

[Aaron Patrick Lehmann]

If a polite disagreement like this is offensive to you, you might need to
reconsider your personal stake in your opinions.  After all, at the end of the
day, this Alpha course (to which I have not been) seems to merely be an
evengelical tool, either a good one or a bad one.  If you believe it is lacking
in something, and is as dangerous as this, then possibley you should seek to
correct its shorcomings.  Possibley a course titled "Aleph"? 

Aaron Lehmann

On Thu, Dec 02, 2004 at 09:58:07PM -0500, Christopher Rose wrote:
> Should I feel offended by this? Probably. I still REJECT the Alpha program. I know many who have gone to check it out and find themselves feeling WORSE for going (including myself, I became suicidal for a number of months because I felt like I had an "insufficient quantity" of the Holy Spirit). I will stay with my position. The rest of you are free to believe as you will, but this is where I MUST disagree.
> 
> Pax,
> 
> Christopher
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Timothy R . Butler" <tbutler at uninetsolutions.com>
> To: "A Christian virtual Free Software and Linux Users Group." <Christiansource at ofb.biz>
> Subject: Re: [CS-FSLUG] Alpha course
> Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2004 20:38:02 -0600
> 
> > 
> > That's good to hear, Kathy. Alas, I wasn't able to attend the Alpha 
> > course at my church (which, ironically, I suggested we have), but I 
> > have read a portion of Nicky Gumbel's excellent companion book -- 
> > Questions of Life.
> > 
> > At any rate, to respond to the original post concerning an article 
> > critiquing Alpha, I think the anti-Alpha article is so far off its 
> > hard to even begin to critique. They seem to mostly go after what 
> > they see missing in the program, but they overlook the fact that it 
> > is a "Christianity 101" type course -- it should be the BEGINNING 
> > of the journey, not the end. Therefore, it is important to 
> > emphasize the basics on issues like sin, not go into the 
> > theological minutia that is just going to confuse new Christians 
> > and seekers. Don't get me wrong, it should be truthful and not 
> > misleading, but it needn't get into everything right off the bat.
> > 
> > Moreover, it criticizes the idea that being filled with the Spirit 
> > has external results. If it does not, then faith is dead (James 
> > 2:20). This isn't a question of salvation but the fruits of the 
> > Spirit.
> > 
> > Frankly, this sounds sort of like a critique I saw from a Lutheran 
> > magazine on the Left Behind series a few years back. It was so 
> > worried about details -- non-important ones -- that it missed the 
> > mark. Rather than lauding the fact that millions of non-believers 
> > were reading the Gospel that is presented over, and over and over 
> > in the series, it went on a tirade on why it was wrong and people 
> > should not read it.
> > 
> > Alpha seems to be bringing a lot of people into the Body of Christ. 
> > If we can tell a tree by its fruit, and this tree's fruit is 
> > bringing people to Christ, it seems to me it would be better to 
> > write an article on how to supplement Alpha rather than merely 
> > criticize it.
> > 
> > As an aside, what's the quick jab at CCM all about at the end? 
> > Don't tell me they think Christians shouldn't listen to Christian 
> > music either...
> > 
> > 	-Tim
> > 
> > 
> > On Aug 24, 2004, at 10:18 PM, K Montgomery wrote:
> > 
> > > Christopher Rose wrote:
> > >
> > >> Works now. Oh, and goto http://www.luthercomment.org for an 
> > >> interesting article on the alpha program. I do not recommend 
> > >> that program to anyone.
> > >>
> > >> In Christ,
> > >>
> > >> Christopher
> > >>
> > > Lest the opposite point of view be neglected, I'll testify that 
> > > I've experienced the Alpha program and think it's fantastic.  The 
> > > presenter on the videos has a great sense of humor and explains 
> > > the various facets of Christianity in a straightforward, 
> > > non-threatening way.  I know people who came to the Lord as a 
> > > result of this course.
> > >
> > > Of course, I'd recommend anyone to watch the videos and judge for 
> > > themselves before implementing Alpha in their organization.
> > >
> > > - Kathy
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > ChristianSource FSLUG mailing list
> > > Christiansource at ofb.biz
> > > http://cs.uninetsolutions.com
> > >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> > Timothy R. Butler       Universal Networks      www.uninet.info
> > ==================== <tbutler at uninet.info> ====================
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> > 
> > 
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> 
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