Comments on: Don’t Spar with the Sponge http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/ Frustrate. Educate. Motivate. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:56:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joann http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-493 Joann Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:19:26 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-493 I've been a Christian for almost 6 years now (since April 21, 2002), and despite everything that I am taught in church to believe, the one thing I will NEVER give up for ANY reason are my favorite cartoon characters/TV shows, activities, and secular entertainment just because another Christian decided to come along and tell me that I should part from these because they are "worldly," a bad influence on my spiritual growth, and not of God. Come on! Just because I'm a Christian and need to stay focused on God, it doesn't mean that I should have to give up on everything I like to do and live a rigid, unhappy, miserable life of self-sacrifice and denial. Life is too short for that, plus none of us are perfect, anyway. We are all sinners, and we all fall short of God's glory. Why would God love us just the way we are and not let us become something we're not, then turn around and punish us for "not being like everybody else?" And why would He delight in our pleasures, then turn around and punish us for trying to enjoy ourselves? I mean, am I going to lose my faith because I enjoy listening to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks? No! Am I going to become negatively influenced by Harry Potter because of the magic and witchcraft that are portrayed in these fictional stories? No! Am I going to Hell because I enjoy fictional cartoon characters and other forms of secular entertainment? No! So, why take these and other so-called "worldly" things away from me just because people like Dr. James Dobson doesn't like it and believes that, because some individuals abuse what they enjoy or whatever, we must forbid everyone from enjoying ALL secular activities and entertainment? Have any of these Christian leaders ever heard of the term "having a discerning heart and mind?" How can we discern for ourselves what is right and wrong if we are not allowed to make that judgment call on our own? Why let someone else do the thinking for us? I mean, what happened to the true concept of having a free will? I’ve been a Christian for almost 6 years now (since April 21, 2002), and despite everything that I am taught in church to believe, the one thing I will NEVER give up for ANY reason are my favorite cartoon characters/TV shows, activities, and secular entertainment just because another Christian decided to come along and tell me that I should part from these because they are “worldly,” a bad influence on my spiritual growth, and not of God. Come on! Just because I’m a Christian and need to stay focused on God, it doesn’t mean that I should have to give up on everything I like to do and live a rigid, unhappy, miserable life of self-sacrifice and denial. Life is too short for that, plus none of us are perfect, anyway. We are all sinners, and we all fall short of God’s glory. Why would God love us just the way we are and not let us become something we’re not, then turn around and punish us for “not being like everybody else?” And why would He delight in our pleasures, then turn around and punish us for trying to enjoy ourselves? I mean, am I going to lose my faith because I enjoy listening to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks? No! Am I going to become negatively influenced by Harry Potter because of the magic and witchcraft that are portrayed in these fictional stories? No! Am I going to Hell because I enjoy fictional cartoon characters and other forms of secular entertainment? No! So, why take these and other so-called “worldly” things away from me just because people like Dr. James Dobson doesn’t like it and believes that, because some individuals abuse what they enjoy or whatever, we must forbid everyone from enjoying ALL secular activities and entertainment? Have any of these Christian leaders ever heard of the term “having a discerning heart and mind?” How can we discern for ourselves what is right and wrong if we are not allowed to make that judgment call on our own? Why let someone else do the thinking for us? I mean, what happened to the true concept of having a free will?

]]> By: Cowboy http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-492 Cowboy Wed, 08 Feb 2006 12:32:05 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-492 So I guess that means ol' Jimbo won't be appearing on "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" any time soon. So I guess that means ol’ Jimbo won’t
be appearing on “Queer Eye For The
Straight Guy” any time soon.

]]> By: Agape - Muncie Indiana http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-498 Agape - Muncie Indiana Wed, 09 Feb 2005 05:54:37 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-498 <strong>The Spongebob Uproar</strong> Today's interesting read is on the Spongebob gay thing. Saint Kansas: Much Sponge and Fury, Signifying Nothing Church Marketing: Don't Spar with the Sponge Dawn Eden: Pick to Click ... The Spongebob Uproar

Today’s interesting read is on the Spongebob gay thing.
Saint Kansas: Much Sponge and Fury, Signifying Nothing
Church Marketing: Don’t Spar with the Sponge
Dawn Eden: Pick to Click
…

]]> By: ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-497 ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society Wed, 02 Feb 2005 05:57:30 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-497 <strong>SpongeBob SquarePants Fuels Ideological Debate</strong> by Colleen Berry, Editor-at-Large Regardless of your opinion about the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon, chances are you probably have an opinion about either the current controversy involving the character, his music video debut, or Dr. James Dobson. How... SpongeBob SquarePants Fuels Ideological Debate

by Colleen Berry, Editor-at-Large Regardless of your opinion about the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon, chances are you probably have an opinion about either the current controversy involving the character, his music video debut, or Dr. James Dobson. How…

]]> By: DashHouse.com http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-496 DashHouse.com Mon, 24 Jan 2005 18:34:09 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-496 <strong>Before Spongebog, there was Bugs</strong> Last week, there was a lot in the news about Jim Dobson's commnets on Spongebob Squarepants. I had to laugh... Before Spongebog, there was Bugs

Last week, there was a lot in the news about Jim Dobson’s commnets on Spongebob Squarepants. I had to laugh…

]]> By: Bene Diction Blogs On http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-495 Bene Diction Blogs On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 16:47:21 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-495 <strong>No, not Bob the Builder too!</strong> An agenda of fear - code words - conspiracy. Tolerance - diversity - They are the words in a war. The American Family Foundation says that the following characters are being used. The nation No, not Bob the Builder too!

An agenda of fear – code words – conspiracy. Tolerance – diversity – They are the words in a war. The American Family Foundation says that the following characters are being used. The nation

]]> By: b2blog http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-491 b2blog Fri, 21 Jan 2005 10:35:37 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-491 Here's a good shouting match on the subject of this video with 477 comments posted. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1316670/posts Seems people can't agree with what 'respect people regardless of ...sexual orientation' means. Scary stuff that wants me to be #478 to comment, if I thought they would listen. Interesting, too is that the 'report' that leads this discussion has a comment that they had linked to the wrong 'We are Family' site (apparently the pro-gay one), yet all these people continue to look for issues with a lot tamer group. Here’s a good shouting match on the subject of this video with 477 comments posted.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1316670/posts
Seems people can’t agree with what ‘respect people regardless of …sexual orientation’ means. Scary stuff that wants me to be #478 to comment, if I thought they would listen.
Interesting, too is that the ‘report’ that leads this discussion has a comment that they had linked to the wrong ‘We are Family’ site (apparently the pro-gay one), yet all these people continue to look for issues with a lot tamer group.

]]> By: radioreb http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-490 radioreb Thu, 20 Jan 2005 13:43:49 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-490 After Quayle v Brown, who would ever go after the Sponge? After Quayle v Brown, who would ever go after the Sponge?

]]> By: willzhead http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2005/01/dont-spar-with-the-sponge/comment-page-1/#comment-494 willzhead Thu, 20 Jan 2005 12:52:40 +0000 http://cms.bigbadcollab.com/?p=140#comment-494 <strong>Dobson vs. Spongebob</strong> In case you have missed the SpongeBob / Dobson controversy, Church Marketing Sucks does a great overview on why it was such a bad idea for this particular political activist to pick on a cartoon character. See: Don't Spar with Dobson vs. Spongebob

In case you have missed the SpongeBob / Dobson controversy, Church Marketing Sucks does a great overview on why it was such a bad idea for this particular political activist to pick on a cartoon character. See: Don’t Spar with

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