ChristianCynic
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Speaking in generalities, what do Baptist preachers/pastors often do or say which is annoying, upsetting, or just a "turn-off?" This question is not about doctrine, but about mannerisms, cliches, emphases, and acting/reacting to people.
For example, years ago when I worked in factories, it annoyed me that when a pastor was making announcements or referring in a sermon to conduct or witnessing while on the job, he would almost always say "At the office;" or looking at the week ahead say, "Tomorrow morning when you go to the office..." Obviously not everyone works in an office, nor does everyone work daytime hours, and I have had lot of experience with different jobs and different schedules. My idea has always been he is speaking to the church members who 'count'-- the business and professional people with higher incomes and bigger offerings. Whether intentionally or not, he is deemphasizing the importance of those who do factory or field work or menial service jobs.
Somewhat related to the above paragraph is how they usually refer to unsaved people in the 3rd person tense. E.g., "Folks, there are thousands of lost people in our community..." Some of those lost people are very likely right there listening and hearing themselves being talked about, to spoken to. This may be one of my many pet peeves, but I think no person who is in the listening group should be talked about as if they are not there, and in churches of much size at all that is likely to the case in this instance.
The last one I will mention-- for now-- is that most preachers are not careful enough about using superlatives and hyperbole. I know there have been several times I have heard the question posed: "What is the greatest sin that Christians commit today?" That may be a significant question, but the answers the speaker follows with are nearly always different, depending on the particular subject-- 'the sin of not praying,' 'the sin of apathy,' 'the sin of not giving (time or resources),' 'the sin of not reading one's Bible'... If the question was "the greatest, there is not much consensus about the answer, even with the same preacher who asks this question more than once, weeks apart. And then when confronting false or questionable ideas, a preacher so often tries to take on the disposition of a sore-tailed bear and says "THAT IS A LIE STRAIGHT FROM THE PIT OF HELL!!" The pit of hell is not the origin of lies, but rather the destination of the Father of Lies and those who take after him. I think greater care should be taken about mixing cause and effect, means and end, with a 'buzz word' or 'shock effect,' just to strengthen a point.
For example, years ago when I worked in factories, it annoyed me that when a pastor was making announcements or referring in a sermon to conduct or witnessing while on the job, he would almost always say "At the office;" or looking at the week ahead say, "Tomorrow morning when you go to the office..." Obviously not everyone works in an office, nor does everyone work daytime hours, and I have had lot of experience with different jobs and different schedules. My idea has always been he is speaking to the church members who 'count'-- the business and professional people with higher incomes and bigger offerings. Whether intentionally or not, he is deemphasizing the importance of those who do factory or field work or menial service jobs.
Somewhat related to the above paragraph is how they usually refer to unsaved people in the 3rd person tense. E.g., "Folks, there are thousands of lost people in our community..." Some of those lost people are very likely right there listening and hearing themselves being talked about, to spoken to. This may be one of my many pet peeves, but I think no person who is in the listening group should be talked about as if they are not there, and in churches of much size at all that is likely to the case in this instance.
The last one I will mention-- for now-- is that most preachers are not careful enough about using superlatives and hyperbole. I know there have been several times I have heard the question posed: "What is the greatest sin that Christians commit today?" That may be a significant question, but the answers the speaker follows with are nearly always different, depending on the particular subject-- 'the sin of not praying,' 'the sin of apathy,' 'the sin of not giving (time or resources),' 'the sin of not reading one's Bible'... If the question was "the greatest, there is not much consensus about the answer, even with the same preacher who asks this question more than once, weeks apart. And then when confronting false or questionable ideas, a preacher so often tries to take on the disposition of a sore-tailed bear and says "THAT IS A LIE STRAIGHT FROM THE PIT OF HELL!!" The pit of hell is not the origin of lies, but rather the destination of the Father of Lies and those who take after him. I think greater care should be taken about mixing cause and effect, means and end, with a 'buzz word' or 'shock effect,' just to strengthen a point.
as ya'll so well know, but now I will be brief.{hehe, first time for everything!} This is my opinion:
