Cross-examination, indeed! - Ben and Audri Botkin

[fundiefan]

What words or phrases are off-limits?

Shucks.

Oh, I totally missed the boat when answering this one until reading your answers.

Words and phrases that would be off limits?

Godly, purposed, laid upon my heart, desiring, headship, lord, authority, take it to the lord....you get the picture.

[ADoyle90815]

Would you be willing to die for Christ? If you're not dying daily, how can you be so sure you would then? No

What breaks your heart? What delights your innermost heart? Animals and children being abused and neglected

Who are your disciples? Don't have any, nor do I want them

Who are your closest friends? My boyfriend

What do you believe about Salvation? If I live a good life, I'm fine.

When did [fruit of the Spirit x] start appearing in your life?

What do you think about your family? Are you good friends? How is sibling ____ doing? I like my family, and my brother is doing fine

What is your attitude towards historically held positions? I like the Kama Sutra

How big is your vision for your disciple-making influence? Not important, disciples are creepy to me

What are your main messages? Treat others as you would like to be treated

Are you pursuing and involving yourself in fruitful projects that advance/build the kingdom? I pay my taxes and contribute to society?

What is your heart towards the lost soul and what do you believe your duty to God is regarding that soul? As long as people are good, they're not lost

What do you believe are non-negotiable elements of a Christ-honoring marriage? Abusing one's spouse, threatening divorce if someone doesn't want to go to church.

What do you believe are non-negotiable elements of a Christ-honoring family? Actually follow Christ's teachings, and not to hate others who don't have the same beliefs

What personality traits and/or strengths do you see in women/men you know that you would desire for your wife/husband to possess? Treat me as an equal, and not as a brood mare

What did you grow up reading/watching? What books have had the greatest impact in defining who you are--children's books, fiction, history, theology, anything. Which authors have you always most enjoyed and/or admired? What films have been influential? I love reading, and often read several books at once. My favorite book is George Orwell's 1984

Do you want children? No

Do you view children as a measure of God’s favor or an added blessing that He may or may not give? No

What would their education entail? (History, Science, Theology, Creation/Biology, Music/Arts) History, Science, Math, Comparative religion

What attitudes or personality traits are held up as off-limits? Using religion as an excuse to hate

What are the things you appreciate most about the way your parents raised you? To think for myself

What do you think are some of the main problems of the evangelical churches of today? Using religion to hate homosexuals and non-believers.

[Marian the Librarian]

Would you be willing to die for Christ? If you're not dying daily, how can you be so sure you would then?

- We're all dying, from the moment we're born. It's called biology.

What breaks your heart? What delights your innermost heart?

- Breaks: human suffering, followed closely by cruelty and stupidity. Delights: love, kindness, thoughtfulness.

Who are your disciples?

- This strikes me as a profoundly hubristic question.

Who are your closest friends?

- My husband, and female friends who have been in my life for decades.

When did you really start to seek the Lord?

- Religion is not a game of "Where's Waldo."

When did you start to obey the Word because it was the Word?

- Whose word are we talking about?

What do you believe about Salvation?

- The Lord helps those who help themselves.

When did [fruit of the Spirit x] start appearing in your life?

- I have no idea what this question means.

What is a besetting sin? What are yours?

- Chocolate. Chocolate.

What do you believe about sin? What do you believe about Rom 6 & 7?

- Belief: babies are not born inherently sinful. Bible verse: no idea.

What do you think about your family? Are you good friends? How is sibling ____ doing?

- My family life was complicated, as is most everyone's. My brother and sister are holding up just fine, thanks.

What does theology mean? Just lists of doctrines?

- The study of world religions.

How do you get doctrine? How do you determine right doctrine?

- I don't know, but I wouldn't presume to say what is "right" for anyone other than myself.

What is your attitude towards historically held positions?

- Everybody has 'em.

How big is your vision for your disciple-making influence?

- Another ridiculously hubristic question.

What are your main messages?

- Play nicely with others, pick up after yourself, think, and read.

Are you pursuing and involving yourself in fruitful projects that advance/build the kingdom?

- The kingdom of intellectual freedom? Absolutely!

Are you interested in/focused on continual spiritual growth - in yourself, your wife, and your family?

- I don't have a wife, I have a husband.

What is your heart towards the lost soul and what do you believe your duty to God is regarding that soul?

- Who you calling lost?

What do you believe are non-negotiable elements of a Christ-honoring marriage?

- No patriarchy, no fear-mongering, no rigid gender roles.

What do you believe are non-negotiable elements of a Christ-honoring family?

- Ditto.

What are things you see as God's blessings? Do you desire and cherish these things?

- The whole bloomin' world.

What are the primary events or situations in your life that have defined who you are today--the most formulating experiences and periods of your life?

- Every minute has been a learning experience.

What have been the hardest things you have ever had to work through? The hardest things you have ever done?

- Psychoanalysis.

Who have been the main disciplers in your life and the people who have impacted and colored your life the most? As a child, adult--whenever.

- When the student is ready, the teacher arrives.

Who were your role models and heroes? For what reasons?

- Parents, siblings, friends, teachers, husband. For all the obvious reasons.

You are the result of the influence of which people?

- See above.

Which women/men do you admire the most and want to be like? Why? In which ways?

- The ones who treat one another with love, respect, and equality.

Which qualities and personality traits do you see in other women/men that you desire to have yourself?

- See above.

What personality traits and/or strengths do you see in women/men you know that you would desire for your wife/husband to possess?

- See above above.

What did you grow up reading/watching? What books have had the greatest impact in defining who you are--children's books, fiction, history, theology, anything. Which authors have you always most enjoyed and/or admired? What films have been influential?

- Way too numerous to list. Libraries rocked my world.

What is the purpose of the family/what will be the purpose of your family?

- To keep on keeping on.

How important is the upbringing of children in the grand scheme of things?

- Very.

How significant is it to be entrusted with the guardianship of their souls?

- Very.

Do you want children?

- That ship has sailed.

Do you view children as a measure of God’s favor or an added blessing that He may or may not give?

- No.

How do you discipline children?

- NOT by hitting them.

What are the duties of children?

- To be children and enjoy their childhoods.

What standard of excellence are they held to?

Where would we set expectations for them?

- Oh for crying out loud - ease up.

What would their education entail? (History, Science, Theology, Creation/Biology, Music/Arts)

- As little religious bias as possible.

How do you treat an unsaved child spiritually and practically in the context of a Christian family?

- Another hubris alert here.

When does corporal discipline begin?

- Never.

How do you begin to train infants?

- You don't. They're human beings, not puppies.

What does play look like for children? Free time?

- Joyful.

What attitudes or personality traits are held up as off-limits?

- Cultish thinking and enormous egos.

What words or phrases are off-limits?

- "Daddy knows best."

What are the things you appreciate most about the way your parents raised you?

- The value they placed on education.

What would you do differently from your parents?

- I got married much later than they did.

Who do you want your children to grow up to be?

- Themselves.

How would we model ourselves to our children? Our lifestyles, traits, personalities, things we laugh at (or don’t laugh at), what we approve of, etc.

- By not acting as though we know it all.

What is your vision for the Church?

- I don't have one.

What do you think are some of the main problems of the evangelical churches of today?

- Patriarchal cults and brainwashed women.

What do you think a Biblical Church looks like? How is it structured?

- No idea.

What is your view on the church and baptism, the church and communion, the church and evangelism?

- Ditto.

What is the role of music in worship and the Church?

- The more the merrier.

[Chrystal-J]

Wow, I am way too lazy to READ all these questions, let alone answer them. Guess I'd never get married if I were a Botkin.

Me too. I got a headache just looking at the list. I'd go with the alternating multiple choice answers: A, A, B, C, D, C, B.