Abigail and Bethany Baptized

[ILoveJellybeans]

So, who does the father confess his sins to? Who gives him communion? No one?

Sins? Steve does not have sins. He is God after all. :roll:

[kpmom]

We've probably discussed this before, but any thought on whether the Lori who commented on the baptism, and called the girls "girlies" ewwww, is Never Learning Lori?

[VodouDoll]

Steve confesses to God directly. He's said that before. As for communion, I don't know. Maybe he just gives it to himself.

[EmiGirl]

So, who does the father confess his sins to? Who gives him communion? No one?

Protestants don't have a need for a confessor as we confess directly to God.

[MamaJunebug]

So, who does the father confess his sins to? Who gives him communion? No one?

He probably communes himself, or conveys temporary authority on a nearby elder. That's how it's done in Lutheran churches traditionally where there's only one ordained pastor.

I'm not sure about confessing ones sins individually. We Lutgerans have a corporate confession we read aloud in unison and there's time for silent reflection, and we also have a liturgy for private confession. In the conservative strain of L'ism I grew up in, there are "circuit counselors" - pastors who function as appointed, available mediators and theological supervisors if needed. I suppose a pastor could make private confession to such a one, or to another pastor.

[anniebgood]

Our Pastor self communed until we got an assistant pastor and they give it to each other. I've never been to a church where a designated family member gave the elements to their family. What about single women or don't they deserve it?

[MamaJunebug]

Our Pastor self communed until we got an assistant pastor and they give it to each other. I've never been to a church where a designated family member gave the elements to their family. What about single women or don't they deserve it?

it's been explained to me that a designated male elder takes the Commumion to single women without sons. Otherwise young boys can carry it to their mother, sisters and younger brothers. Talk about infantilizing, on steroids!

[gustava]

I find that I, a single woman of a certain age, am able to commune without assistance. Feel free to join me.

:martini: :martini:

[LadyPriss]

I grew up identifying as Anglican, as that was what my mom and grandmother were. I enrolled in Confirmation classes in grade six cause everyone else in my class was doing it. I dropped out after the third week cause I was bored senseless. My grandmother was heartbroken cause she liked that kinda thing. Every single grandkid in my family had a cake made by her for that occasion.

Turns out I had never been baptized Anglican...a discovery only known to me a couple of years ago (over 20 years since my failed confirmation attempt). Considering I needed to be baptized in order to confirm it at confirmation, I had to ask mom what would have happened had that been discovered Im not baptized...her response?

I was hoping and praying you would quit confirmation classes!

[kaschmit]

I remember once reading an old wayback machicne page of a christian forum talking about the Maxwells- back when Teri was still homeschooling and they mostly pushed their homemaker books. The general consensus among the christians on the forum was exactly this- that Steve has no accountability. It was interesting to see even those who believe in the bible is the same very literal sense even saw these issues with the way Steve operates.

[SoybeanQueen]

There are many protestants who do not believe in confessing through or to another person. I've been to a whole lot of churches in my lifetime, and never once have I been told I need to do confession as a formal thing. It's done privately and personally.

I didn't realize I wasn't mainstream, I guess. lol. Communion and baptism are symbols, not sacraments, to me. The intent is the important thing, not who performs them.

[SoybeanQueen]

I find that I, a single woman of a certain age, am able to commune without assistance. Feel free to join me.

:martini: :martini:

Will there also be frolicking? Cavorting? Romping?

If so, I'm in.

[Jecca]

Will there also be frolicking? Cavorting? Romping?

If so, I'm in.

Let me grab another bottle of debauchery and I'll join you!

[Arete]

There are many protestants who do not believe in confessing through or to another person. I've been to a whole lot of churches in my lifetime, and never once have I been told I need to do confession as a formal thing. It's done privately and personally.

I didn't realize I wasn't mainstream, I guess. lol. Communion and baptism are symbols, not sacraments, to me. The intent is the important thing, not who performs them.

Steve wrote about weekly "heart talks" with his kids to ascertain "where they were spiritually and what we had to work on". Sounds an awful lot like the role of a confessor to me. In Steve's theology, who performs the baptisms and weddings and gives the weekly sermon is of UPMOST importance. He insists those roles belong to the father of the family and no else. No pastor, no elder, no one. There is nowhere else in mainstream Christianity where the biological father is the SOLE source of a child's religious education and interaction except in this daddy worshipping fringe of American Christianity.

[PrairieGirl]

Steve wrote about weekly "heart talks" with his kids to ascertain "where they were spiritually and what we had to work on". Sounds an awful lot like the role of a confessor to me. In Steve's theology, who performs the baptisms and weddings and gives the weekly sermon is of UPMOST importance. He insists those roles belong to the father of the family and no else. No pastor, no elder, no one. There is nowhere else in mainstream Christianity where the biological father is the SOLE source of a child's religious education and interaction except in this daddy worshipping fringe of American Christianity.

Can you provide a link to this or did this come in an email? I am curious as to what, if any, scripture Steve provided to back up his claims.

Why doesn't he just come up with a new Bible, title it "The Book of Steve" and be done with it? We all know it is the only book he allows his family to follow anyway. And can anyone confirm if the Maxwell family applied for that one-way trip to Mars? Seems the perfect isolated place for the Stevehovah cult to dwell.

[Dru]

Thank you!

ETA: No mention nor photos on either of the sisters' pages. However there's a photo of a couple whom I presume to be Dr. & Mrs. M with the other sister at her capping ceremony, and they all three look like very happy, in-the-world-not-of-the-world people!

As opposed to their in-laws' situation: "In-the-world-but-only-because-we-have-to-be-to-visit-Costco-and-shill-our-merchandise! And more certainly not OF-the-world oh nononononononono!"

There's also a photo of a young man who I'm betting is a brother, the resemblance is pretty strong.

Seeing the sisters and their apparent love for life, I'm hoping against hope that Melanie has more than one foot in the real world.

OH, also -- Steve's "short version" explanation of immersion vs. sprinkling baptism made me chuckle. Apparently it's a matter of the number of times a term is used in Scripture that determines right teaching and practice. For someone who grew up with traditional Christian belief in re: baptism, the whole "dunk vs. sprinkle" debate is at best amusing and at worst tragically annoying.

The 2/13 picture of Anna and Audry on Anna's page was taken on the day of the baptism, though it's not mentioned. I spotted Anna in two pics on the blog but not Audry.

[salex]

Let me grab another bottle of debauchery and I'll join you!

Here you go

[Arete]

Can you provide a link to this or did this come in an email? I am curious as to what, if any, scripture Steve provided to back up his claims.

Why doesn't he just come up with a new Bible, title it "The Book of Steve" and be done with it? We all know it is the only book he allows his family to follow anyway. And can anyone confirm if the Maxwell family applied for that one-way trip to Mars? Seems the perfect isolated place for the Stevehovah cult to dwell.

The "heart talks" and "direction" come up in both blog entries written by Steve and examples in his Dad's Corners. Give me some time to go through them to get you the specifics. One thing I can say right off the bat is Steve has never been able to provide Scriptural backup for the primacy of the biological father in the religious life of the children. Oh, he will continually quote the passage from Leviticus that says to the effect that you will teach the commandments to your offspring, even when you are walking by the road, lying down, or getting up, but those are instructions to ALL the children of Israel, not just to fathers. Other than those specific verses, he gives no other Biblical justification, which is why I always call him out on it.

His main justification seems to be that a pastor or church can be corrupted by the world, so therefore the answer is to isolate your family and seek guidance via your own reading.

[PrairieGirl]

The "heart talks" and "direction" come up in both blog entries written by Steve and examples in his Dad's Corners. Give me some time to go through them to get you the specifics. One thing I can say right off the bat is Steve has never been able to provide Scriptural backup for the primacy of the biological father in the religious life of the children. Oh, he will continually quote the passage from Leviticus that says to the effect that you will teach the commandments to your offspring, even when you are walking by the road, lying down, or getting up, but those are instructions to ALL the children of Israel, not just to fathers. Other than those specific verses, he gives no other Biblical justification, which is why I always call him out on it.

His main justification seems to be that a pastor or church can be corrupted by the world, so therefore the answer is to isolate your family and seek guidance via your own reading.

I should have known that he has no Scriptural basis. Most of these yahoos don't. And how does being a father magically prevent him from corruption of the world? And yes, I do realize that Steve is holier than everyone else since he had that close call one time when something with a vagina offered to buy him lunch.

[nokidsmom]

He probably communes himself, or conveys temporary authority on a nearby elder. That's how it's done in Lutheran churches traditionally where there's only one ordained pastor.

I'm not sure about confessing ones sins individually. We Lutgerans have a corporate confession we read aloud in unison and there's time for silent reflection, and we also have a liturgy for private confession. In the conservative strain of L'ism I grew up in, there are "circuit counselors" - pastors who function as appointed, available mediators and theological supervisors if needed. I suppose a pastor could make private confession to such a one, or to another pastor.

Formerly active ELCA Lutheran chiming in. There was the corporate confession and silent reflection at the service and liturgy for private confession, for those who aske for it. No circuit counselors though. I always assumed our pastor could make private confession to our assistant and vice versa, or if no assistant, another fellow pastor at another church in the synod.

I attended my nephew's confirmation at another ELCA church in May and IIRC one of the elders gave the communion to the pastor.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Except that they're not actually Free Will Baptist at all, they're Church of Stevehovah and their god,Steve, looks awfully similar the capricious and narcissistic god of the hyper Calvinists.

That would be the "Steve's Will Baptists..."

[VodouDoll]

Ha! Nice.

[Jana814]

That would be the "Steve's Will Baptists..."

Love this!!