DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Aug. 22, 2008
Praising The Lord ... In A Ford
CBS Evening News: Florida Drive-In Church Mixes Salvation With Convenience
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Drive In ... And Pray
It's not unusual for church-goers to drive to Sunday service. But one congregation in Florida never gets out of their cars at all. Steve Hartman explains.
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It's just like any other church - but outdoor. (CBS)
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"Good Morning and welcome to the drive-in Christian Church," says Pastor Larry G. Deich.
That's right, a drive-in church, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports. Give Pastor Deich a halleluiah.
About 50 years ago, the church took over the old Neptune Drive-in in Daytona Beach, Florida, and ever since it's been offering a double feature of salvation … and convenience.
"It's the message of God," Deich said. "We just deliver it a different way."
"And it works for us," said Mary Hoss. She and her husband, Bill, used to go to a conventional church. "Since I've been retired, I've decided to take the easy way and sit in the car."
Folks here like being able to dress however they want and bring whoever they want.
Hartman observed: There's more dogs there than people, practically.
But the main reason people give for coming here instead of a church building is that it isn't a church building.
"The great outdoors that the Lord has made for us - and to sit here and hear his word, outside!" said churchgoer Norma Jean Harrison.
That's pretty much the church's credo.
"We say we worship outdoors by the seashore like Jesus did," Deich said.
"But the disciples weren't packed in a minivan," Hartman said.
"No, they weren't," Deich said. "But they were probably standing next to donkeys and camels and, you know, the transportation of the day."
Still, transportation today is much more isolating. What about community and fellowship? Well, worshiper's in mirror may be closer than they appear.
Before and after every service they gather in the old concession stand for donuts or coffee or just to put a name and face with a make and model.
The whole place really is convenient.
"Isn't there a risk, when all is said and done, that it's so convenient - God won't count it?" Hartman asked.
"No, God doesn't work that way," Deich said.
In fact, pastor Deich believes that God is AAA okay with the drive-in church.
"I know she does," Deich laughed.
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See all 120 CommentsQuestion is, how long will it take before the
A.nti
C.hristian
L.ucifer
U.nion
complains about it.
posted by starsnbars12
That''s nice, would you like to publicly display anymore of your hateful bigotry tonight or are you done?
You intolerant evil humanists will destroy this country and everything it stands for.
FREEDOM OF RELIGION is in OUR CONSTITUTION jerk.
If you want STALIN, take a time machine back and go get him!
In the USA we have freedom of religion.
Get over your psychotic bigotry. Loser.
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Posted by starsnbars12 at 08:07 PM : Aug 22, 2008
+ report abuse
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science cannot prove sh*t..what they can provide is a ''theory''..THAT IS WHY in about every so years they ''update'' thier theory i.e. cancer was caused by this instead of that..that this does that and not this..
if everything they say is absolute..then there is no need for anymore research..or tests..or advancement in science..
Religion is the root of ALL evil in the world!!!
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Posted by starsnbars12 at 08:01 PM : Aug 22, 2008
+ report abuse
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greed for power is the root of all evil..those greedy men than runs religion is causing all of this..religion in its basic true form is for the benefit of man (if there is such a thing)..but that is just to correct you on your assumption.
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Posted by starsnbars12 at 08:05 PM : Aug 22, 2008
+ report abuse
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your military service is hearby noted..but it does not make you correct.
I am a fundamentalist. What this means, in the truest sense of the word, is that I seek the fundamentals, or foundations, of my faith. I attempt to remove the historical and cultural accumulation, whether that be associations, bias, ceremony, or ''prerequisites'', and try instead to focus on what the founder of my religion taught. In doing so, I have managed to affiliate myself with most major religions:
Christian (I believe in Christ)
Islam (We submit ourselves to God''s will and plan and humble ourselves before him)
Judaism (we are the Chosen people and children of God)
Buddhism (life is suffering and pain caused by longing for things that don''t exist when all that does exist is GOD and our relationships with Him)
Hinduism (the human mind cannot comprehend the awesomeness of God)
Wicca (we are connected to the beauty of nature around us)
Shinto (every life and living thing has a soul because it is God''s creation)
I am a fundamentalist. What this means, in the truest sense of the word, is that I seek the fundamentals, or foundations, of my faith. I attempt to remove the historical and cultural accumulation, whether that be associations, bias, ceremony, or ''prerequisites'', and try instead to focus on what the founder of my religion taught. In doing so, I have managed to affiliate myself with most major religions:
Christian (I believe in Christ)
Islam (We submit ourselves to God''s will and plan and humble ourselves before him)
Judaism (we are the Chosen people and children of God)
Buddhism (life is suffering and pain caused by longing for things that don''t exist when all that does exist is GOD and our relationships with Him)
Hinduism (the human mind cannot comprehend the awesomeness of God)
Wicca (we are connected to the beauty of nature around us)
Shinto (every life and living thing has a soul because it is God''s creation)
It is only we who have decided they were. Yes, the church has a history of persecuting those who disagree with them. Was that right? Absolutely not! And the science world has long maintained that religion has no place in a modern society.
Most will agree that there is a correlation between intellectuals and atheism. But I stand against that. Here I am, an intellectual, and yet possessing a strong religious belief. I will not kill you or even disrespect you for disagreeing with you. In fact, most of my friends are atheists. The stereotype of the Atheist is no worse than the stereotype of the Christian. One cannot simply assume all members of a religious group believe the exact same thing. I am against war and against violence, and I do not condone "religious wars".
You are not alone in thinking there are problems with religion today. There are MAJOR problems. Again, Christian agreeing with atheist. Yup, it is true, there is a correlation between the devout and large piles of dead bodies. Is it right? No! Organized religion has deviated in many ways from the original beliefs.
Separation of church and state means (in my opinion) that America is not to be a Godless nation, but that the nation is not to take one specific set of religion beliefs and preach it saying "This the way to live, you must follow this church" or say it is the only or right religion or to operate a State-sponsored church. We have freedom of religion, but there is no way government is going to be secular and devoid of God. We are not to be intolerant, but to be tolerant, because we have God.
We allow freedom of religion because we are an accepting country and let everyone worship as they please; so long as they do not actually and maliciously harm another. We do not endorse one specific religion but we do not abandon God either. There is a fine line of balance.
Separation of church and state is exactly this. We do not promote one religion as the only, best or superior, but at the same time we are not without faith-our pledge of allegiance says under God, and our money says In God We Trust. But which God? God of Christian Muslim Jew Hindu or even the ungod of Atheist? I believe there is only one God, and that not necessarily only one religion must be right. I believe firmly in freedom of religion but that is because America is supposed to be a land of freedom and toleration, and acceptance. Not a land where one group is superior but one where all are accepted and God is not forgotten.
Especially in America, it tends to be the Atheists vs. Christians, Science vs. Religion/Church, etc. But can we ever accept each other, instead of condemning each other; work with each other, instead of against each other? Just because you disagree with me, does not mean I hate you or want to slander you, or think you are damned to hell. Don''t label me, and please do not stereotype me.
"My" god? What I believe is not "my" god. It is the god of every faith known to man. I am more open-minded than you think, grasshopper!
Sunday worship services to be accompanied with a complimentary round of pork rinds.
I seriously doubt the stability of many floridans.
"My" god? What I believe is not "my" god. It is the god of every faith known to man. I am more open-minded than you think, grasshopper!
Posted by trealistorm at 10:35 PM
Actually, believing that "your god" is the "only god" and all other "gods" are false is very closed minded. But think what you will - whatever makes you feel better. Anyone that needs to rely on supernatural fantasy beings obviously has ego issues to begin with. It doesn''t mean you''re humble, it just means you''re pathetic.
Posted by trealistorm
You obviously do not believe in your faith at all. Only Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth and the Life. You are not saved or you are very misinformed. If you were a true Christian you would ruffle a few feathers.
Top Ten Signs You Are A Fundamentalist Christian
9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.
Top Ten Signs You Are A Fundamentalist Christian
8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.
Top Ten Signs You Are A Fundamentalist Christian
7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don''t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!
6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
Top Ten Signs You Are A Fundamentalist Christian
5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.
Top Ten Signs You Are A Fundamentalist Christian
4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."
3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.
Top Ten Signs You Are A Fundamentalist Christian
2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
Top Ten Signs You Are A Fundamentalist Christian
1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.
Posted by truthislife1 at 12:31 AM : Aug 23, 2008
Yes, if you were a true christian, your heart would be filled with hatred and intolerance. You cannot possibly be a christian!
Posted by Voltaire777 at 12:43 AM : Aug 23, 2008
The cool thing about this post is that it ruffled a few feathers already. EVERYBODY cannot be right or correct or true in their belief system, that includes me. So. . . when it comes to Jesus, the truth can be found. Some people think God hates ***, murderers, cheats and liars. Even cooler is that many of these people were in the early Christian church. Because they searched for truth and received Jesus, God was big enough to cleanse them, wash them, and forgive all their sin. Even after people become Christians, there will be many sin struggles. Plus Christians will love more if they realize what really happened to them. The reason people feel so judged when they get close to Christians is that the light comes on and the people in sin realize their is a difference and get angry and say "turn off the light". Yes, there are many hypocrites in the church. But let''s remember, hypocrisy is a world problem, not a church problem.
Moral of the story: Incest is good, and animals that can swim across vast oceans need a boat to save them from floods. Science is blasphemy. Schools should be replaced by churches, Christians should kill everyone not like them, and most importantly of all, the bible should replace the constitution.
Did I leave anything out?
Ya all have to forgive me.... I''m feeling a little insecure because truthislife1''s holy light is making me feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. I need to go watch a few episodes of "Roseanne" to regain my liberal mindset.
*grin*
Hmm...
I don''t know why I said that it just seemed really appropriate.
The only thing you left out is your in-correct knowledge of the Bible. Incest was not instituted until later on in the Old Testament. Plus I don''t know where you got the idea that Christians should kill others not like them. Have your hate towards God for not making His Word more clear to you.
The only thing you left out is your in-correct knowledge of the Bible. Incest was not instituted until later on in the Old Testament. Plus I don''''t know where you got the idea that Christians should kill others not like them. Have your hate towards God for not making His Word more clear to you.
Posted by truthislife1 at 01:27 AM
Where do I get the idea that Christians want to kill anyone not like them? Lets see... the Crusades? The Inquisition? The Iraq War? (we know it wasn''t because of terrorists or 9/11, though I suppose it could have been because of oil) The vast majority of wars through history have been over religion. You think Christians are any different? I certainly don''t. Whether they kill someone with a knife in battle or strangle them slowly through legislation I view them as much the same thing.
Oh, I don''t hate anyone really. The only thing I don''t like is when other people think their religion applies to me and try to make laws and regulations based on their religious belief. To me, that violates Church and State separation.
You can believe in the tooth fairy, bigfoot, aliens from mars, stonehenge, crucifixes, old books or whatever else you want to. The moment you seek to control my personal life with your personal belief, you have crossed the line.
The phrase separation of church and state is generally traced to a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists, in which he referred to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as creating a "wall of separation" between church and state. The phrase was then quoted by the United States Supreme Court first in 1878, and then in a series of cases starting in 1947. This led to increased popular and political discussion of the concept.
For soundreason, who said: "by spraying about how they think they have it all figured out"
What? I don''t have anything figured out. I don''t know why we''re here, how we got here, even if there IS a reason. I don''t know if there are any gods or deities. All I know is that your religion is absurd. That''s the only thing I''m certain of. But that''s ok, practice it til you keel over, just don''t seek to affect me with it.
Glad I could make you laugh. That''s my purpose, to spread joy and happiness! 8-)
That''s all right though I promise you I won''t be insulted by it. 8-)
From IRLIberal
In love, this is not just my personal belief. God''s truth is not only personal, God''s love will cross the line in your life and see right through all the anger and hate that troubles you. You have a chance to have a better life.
Posted by truthislife1 at 01:55 AM
Thanks so much. While I wait for divine revelation to correct my horribly outcast and pitiable state, could you please stop integrating your religion into our government? Removing religious references from our money would be a great start. Thanks, I''d really appreciate it!
Of course, we are done. Thank you for your time.
Yea, I''m not about to replace one religion with another. If there is/are divine being(s) they''ll just have to accept me as a skeptic - or not. If not, then they are capricious, and we''re all doomed anyway. I prefer to look on the bright side, that if there is a god or gods, that they''ll understand us and accept that blind faith based on 2000 year old dogma (or older) isn''t quite enough for a rational person to rely upon. Either way, it''s all good to me.
Hon, you can do whatever you like, so long as you don''t try to legislate your religion.
If praying for me makes you feel better, then by all means, knock yourself out!
Hope you have a good sleep. 8-)
Posted by truthislife1 at 02:19 AM
I''m glad to be of service.
(sarcasm, of course, but you see how it''s precisely as valid this way as the previous poster''s version, i.e., meaningless)
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