News: Church pianist fired for also playing in bar

[Miss Bobbie]

I might not have this in the right forum, but I wanted to offer it SOMEwhere.

In a Baptist church in south Wilmington, the piano player has been fired because she also plays piano in a local bar, where some of the patrons are homosexual. My supervisor at work this morning said he was told that the story will be going national. Here's the link to the Wilmington Star online article.

I'm interested in other opinions on this matter.

Miss Bobbie

[ October 30, 2002, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: The Squire ]

 

[eaglewings]

Life is life and there are certain things that you cannot change. One of the rules of life United States is the separation of church and state and the right for churches to fire and hire anybody at will irrespective of what would be deemed fair or just. That is the price you pay for religious freedom.

 

[Helen]

Hi Bobbie,

First of all, if you could go in and edit your post so that the long URL is embedded, that is going to help a lot of people. The easy directions are on the side of the boxes where we are typing under "UBB Code is enabled"

Now, Is the church so small they had to HIRE someone to play? No one even has a guitar? Their mistake was hiring a non-member in the first place.

Secondly, she says she is a Christian. What is she doing playing in any kind of a bar then? Let her offer music lessons to some of the people in that Baptist church!

They were right to fire her. Our witness to the world is so important.

 

[Miss Bobbie]

Helen, I'd love to "embed" that URL, but I'm not sophisticated enough to figure out how. Can you go in and do it?

 

[Helen]

No, I can't go in, but if you press the quote thingy (pardon the technical language there...) and then cut and paste what I did for you and replace it in your own post, it will work. Only you or the moderator or administrator can get to your post on this forum. I am not a moderator here.

Here are the basic directions, though.

First you open with the opening square bracket
[

then you type URL=

Then you paste in the whole long URL

Then you close with a closing bracket

]

Then you type in the words you want to point to the link (in your case I used the words "online article")

After you finish typing in the words, you close the whole thing with this

[/URL]

BUT, here is the whole thing for you -- your whole post, below.

Cut and paste the following, but not from the box where you read it. If you pretend you are going to answer and quote what I wrote here in the answer box, then the answer box will show all the formatting necessary. Then go into edit in your post and replace the whole thing with this:

In a Baptist church in south Wilmington, the piano player has been fired because she also plays piano in a local bar, where some of the patrons are homosexual. My supervisor at work this morning said he was told that the story will be going national. Here's the link to the Wilmington Star online article.

I'm interested in other opinions on this matter.

Miss Bobbie

[ October 16, 2002, 10:18 PM: Message edited by: Helen ]

 

[Scarlett O.]

I am the church pianist. I have been the church pianist since I was 15. That's been 26 years now.

And, yes, I get paid. Approximately $350 a month before taxes, et. al. I don't play for the extra income, but for the Lord's glory. And yes, I do believe in paying the pianist and organist. But that's another story.

I believe that Christians are called into God's service in all areas of the church. And you can't have your foot in the holy arena of God's will for your life and a foot in the devil's snare of "worldliness".

I know that sounds preachy, but it is just the plain old truth. The church pianist who is going to play in a bar should be asked to resign.

There is too much flesh and carnality inside of too many Christians as it is. And for the body of Christ to allow a spiritual and worship leader to take God by one hand and the devil by the other is foolishness.

Peace-

YSIC
Scarlett O.
<><

 

[post-it]

If it was a bar without a few homosexuals as patrons would it be just as bad? Or was it the homosexuals going to the bar that pushed it over the edge?

I always figured it was wrong for any minister to work at a bar period, homosexuals or not.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

The quick and easy way is the cut/copy and paste method </font>

1. Highlight the URL in your Browser's window</font>
2. Cut and/or copy the URL to the Clipboard</font>
3. Click on the URL button under Instant UBB Code</font>
4. Paste the cut/copied URL into the windo that appears. Click OK</font>
5. In the nexr window, type in the links title. See the way I edited your first post. Click OK</font>

Now click the Preview Post Button to see if everything works. And bingo, you're in like Flynn.

 

[Mrs KJV]

I believe that the church did the right thing, this is a standard of bible living.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I wouldn't think a Christian would feel comfortable in a bar. At least I don't.

But entertaining people is a vocation, a way to earn income. I play in coffee houses, fairs, private house parties, I've even been given a truck bed in a parade. I see no biblical reason why Christians can't be entertainers, why we shouldn't be allowed to earn extra money with a talent we have worked hard to perfect.

But not in a bar. Nothing good ever happens in bars. I support the decision.

 

[Rev. Joshua]

Again we're probably talking about different crowds of Christians, but I've never felt any more or less comofrtable in a bar than anywhere else. It's not uncommon for me to meet fellow churchmembers for a quick sandwich at a local sports bar. I certainly wouldn't fire a pianist for playing in such a place.

I've learned here that there are still some baptists who take the Prohibition-era stance on alcohol, but that is certainly not universal among baptist churches.

Where do people who avoid bars go to shoot pool?

Joshua

 

[Bro. Curtis]

We have a lot of non-alchoholic pool halls up here in Mass.

I'm not talking about drinking, I enjoy the occasional brew. I'm talking about bars, the way I understand them, after playing rock & roll for 20 years.

I wasn't at the bar where this piano player was, so I don't know what kind of place it is. But I have seen horrible things happen at even the "classiest" of bars.

I'm also willing to bet that this piano player probably agreed to a certain set of rules before taking the church pianist job.

Also, I am in complete agreement with Post-it. The gay thing shouldn't come into it. Bars are bars. Dens of iniquity.

[ October 17, 2002, 02:23 AM: Message edited by: Bro. Curtis ]

 

[Ps104_33]

15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
I John 2:15-16

14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.


18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

II Cor 6:14-18

 

[Mike McK]

"Know thyself".

I've played in bars as a Christian and hopefully may be playing in them again soon as I'm looking to start another band.

It's not for everyone. If you feel it would tempt you to stumble or you have a conviction against it, then don't.

Mike

 

[post-it]

But smoke_eater, what about the appearance of evil, and it the problem is causing other weak Christians to stumble, it's not yourself stumbling. I also think we can agree, that this is not a pool shooting type bar, but rather a "I'm here to get drunk, dance, and pick up women" type of bar.

 

[Gina B]

If a Christian is willing to only play Christ honoring songs in a bar, then I say go for it.
I somehow think that they won't have their job for long though. LOL
Gina

 

[Jimmy]

The fact that it is even being debated speaks to how far down the road of compromisewe have come.

 

[Bible Student]

Post-it,
You might as well leave it alone there are those on here who believe it is there God given right to do anything they want without reguard to principles concerning issues.

They will tell you it might be evil for you but not them. They are so spiritual they can purposely rub next to sinful activities (and yes if it is a gray area it is sin!) and come out smelling like a rose.

God's warning (again a principle) I Cor. 10:12 "Wherefor let him tht thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

 

[Mike McK]

Originally posted by post-it:
But smoke_eater, what about the appearance of evil, and it the problem is causing other weak Christians to stumble,

In what way is it causing a weak Christian to stumble?

I also think we can agree, that this is not a pool shooting type bar, but rather a "I'm here to get drunk, dance, and pick up women" type of bar.

As I understood it, it's a gay bar. I don't think they pick up many women there.

I think that every bar is a "get drunk, dance, and pick up women" type of bar only to the extent of their clientelle and what they're there to do (I hope that made more sense to you than it does to me).

Mike

 

[Marsha Marks]

YOU GUYS...JESUS was called a drunkard and a glutton. A DRUNKARD and A GLUTTON. Why was he called that? Because he was eating and drinking with SINNERS. WHO CALLED JESUS A DRUNKARD AND GLUTTON? The Religious Elite. WHY? Because Christ himself liked to be known as a FRIEND OF SINNERS. A friend...of Sinners.

All of you who are quoting the verse, LOVE NOT THE WORLD, neither the things that are in the world...reread the verse, it says THINGS IN THE WORLD.
John 3:16 says
For GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD...(the people and the sinners)...that HE GAVE. And went, and spent so much time with them, it really ticked off the RESPECTED Religious ones who tried to keep themselves "unstained by the world".

How do we know the motives of this Church Organist. And how do we know that her playing at this club might have been the inroad to some people who would never otherwise consider a church.

I'm embarrassed to read some of your judgemental comments. Are we a church known for our love of the people in the world, or for our hate of the THINGS in the world. (or both)

Sad in Savannah,
Marsha Marks