Pushing Religion

This whole area is a bunch of sheltered morons. Preaching about the bible like they have actually read it. They can't even read. Not even sure why they get the newspaper when all they do is wipe their ass with it.

Gary, it's actually 99.998% of the world's current population, at least according to the Laestadian Lutheran Church. I wrote a book on the movement that includes a whole section about this exclusivity claim: *******examinationofthepearl****/html/section-0007.htm

CurrentYooper may be from the Apostolic Lutheran Federation, which is the Laestadian group that stresses exclusivity the least. It accepts at least the other Laestadians if not also other types of Protestant Christians. Some people in the FALC (First Apostolic Lutheran Church, or Torola group) also seem to be getting a bit less exclusivist, but I think the official line there is still that they are the only saved group.

Perhaps if you used proper grammar, mechanics, and spelling I would have bothered to take your post seriously.

Well, since when is proclaiming the 'Good news' That Jesus saves and you don't have to suffer for your sins because of His sacrifice on the cross "pushing religion". This is just one sinner warning another sinner to 'Flee the wrath to come'. Ephesian 2:8,9 dispells works as a means of attaining eternal life. Romans 10.9 gives the way to obtain eternal life. KJV 1611 AV.

Re: the Laestadians who to told your daughters they were going to hell. I myself am one of the Apostolics, and it's one of the teachings of our church that I simply don't believe (we're the only ones that are saved, etc.). To me it seems rather presumptuous to pretend to know God's will ... it used to really bug me, but I've simply come to accept/ignore it and focus on the good I find in our faith community. Certain sects of the Apostolic/Laestadian faith still come off as judgmental, but ours (thankfully) is becoming less so, at least how I see it.

I agree entirely, and you'll notice it's the same 5-6 people writing their sanctimonious bull---- every month. Yes, they have the right to their opinion, but it doesn't mean they have the right to have it printed in the paper ... it's the editor's right to make that decision, and I hope the current one (whom I admire) exercises her right to NOT print them and spare the rest of us from feeling like we have to wash our eyeballs afterward.

I have two daughters who are being raised in the wonderful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. About a year ago, a couple of their classmates (their parents are members of the Laestadian movement) told them that they were going to go to Hell. Hmm. This could very well mean that 99.999+percent of all people who have ever lived, are now living and will live are going to Hell. Seems reasonable to me.

It is indeed noteworthy that in the year 2010 (quite a bit removed from the Dark Ages) there still exist a fair number of people completely sunk in the mire of religious mania. That's fine, but keep quiet about it. Please don't embarrass those of us who outside the USA don't want to be a laughing stock.

I am also very tired of reading every single published editorial about how everything reflects back to God - or how the government needs to get back to religion, or whatever random thought that pops into their uneducated head that day. However, as much as I think they are absolutely crazy most of the time (how can you form any type of opinion about anybody if you have never left the Keweenaw?) - it is their right to express their belief, no matter how half-cocked it is. Non-believers, believers, whatever - we're all living on this earth and it's about time we started to coexist without getting all self-righteous.