Quote:
Originally Posted by Pressing-On
There's a fine line between sincerity and emotionalism. JMHO.
I believe you've heard preachers say they know the "candy stick" that will bring the house down. Certain terms and voice inflections - it does make the people seem insincere and even ignorant to the viewer/controller/manipulator.
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Emotions can be evidence
of sincerity. I tend to doubt sincerity if there is no emotion attached to it. When my husband says "I love you", or "I'm sorry", I expect there to be some emotion attached, and which one IS attached determines whether or not I believe him.
Humans are emotional creatures. Show me an emotionless worshiper and I will show you someone who isn't very passionate about God. If God doesn't cause some kind of response--ANY kind of response--then...well....
That's just how I see it. I do concede that we all respond differently, but there
should be a response to God. Furthermore, I don't place singing, dancing and praising God for the sheer joy of it in the category of "emotionalism", and many do. I strongly disagree with that, at least represented in a negative light.
As for the congregation--I think I would go with "naive", because those of us who have been around Pentecost all our lives can see through the "candy stick" in two seconds--but a new convert isn't necessarily going to sense that--they're just going to respond to someone else who is or seems to be excited about the Holy Ghost or Jesus' Name or the Alpha & Omega, Our Deliverer...etc.
I have seen my children genuinely respond to things I would never be moved by--so I guess I'm not so ready to label the congregation as insincere just because the leader is insincere or a closet narcissist. Maybe ignorance is bliss?
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