Evangelist Rick Ousley withdraws from speaking circuit after affair

It's a broad topic with a lot of interpretations. I've never cared for the one-on-one auricular confession model ("supervision") that so many advocate, but I cannot be sure that they are wrong. What I had in mind was "community standards" which one cannot violate without censure.

No, I would not trust a successful minister, janitor, or invertebrate paleontologist to decide unilaterally what kind of behavior would threaten fornication. As I said, I believe that comes about as a long process of progressive self-deception. Others who are not under the influence of testosterone should be allowed to drive. "No, sir, we will not have a pastor who socializes with a woman alone."

The unsaved who are faithful will come in several forms. Some treasure the concept of honor and are determined to keep their word. Some fear the possible results of discovery. Some have unusually happy marriages. Some are safely ugly. In addition to those successes, (few though they may be), I still think that adultery among the unsaved would decline even more if it were punished as it deserves. That would be another example of accountability.

 

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. By the "community standards" concept, being without ridgid enforcement, are you saying that today some are allowing this behavor to exist because they are not punishing it or not taking it serious?

I, like you pipedude, do not understand any of this. Years ago, we had a Sr. Pastor in our church, everything was going his way. He had been awarded his DD, oversaw a major church expansion project, was an officer in the state Baptist Association and member BOD of a well known missions board. Excellent preacher. And yet he left his wife and kids to run off with a members wife. It was the kind of career move that you wouldn't believe that a heathen would make. Directly ruined 2 familys and seriously wounded many more.

And the way it plays out it is always a scandal. Why not quietly leave the ministry, then make the move?

Tom

 

My statements are indistinct because I am speaking generally. But, yes, men are acting unwisely today because it is considered legalistic by many to adhere to rigid standards of separation between the sexes. Nobody cares any more, it seems. Then friendship becomes love and love becomes adultery--surprise, surpise, surprise!

But if a man will just stay away from the situations, it's easy to avoid falling. And others should be ready to rebuke him if he is found to have socialized alone with a woman.

Many would call this legalism, but it works and I prefer it to the alternative.

And when you wrote "It was the kind of career move that you wouldn't believe that a heathen would make," that underscores my earlier allegation about self-deception. He was drunk on testosterone and lost his mind. And I can bet that he wasn't in a culture that forbade him to be alone with a woman-not-his-wife. Had he been in such a culture, the affair could never have risen above room temperature.

For that matter, at his wedding he took vows before God and the bride's witnesses. Even if he were consumed with desire for his neighbor's wife, had he believed that those witnesses would one day drag him into court and have him condemned and hung for covenant-breaking, it would have worked more wonders on his libido than three cold showers in the bleak midwinter :thumbs:

 

I believe the Bible has a smattering of information for identification purposes. We find a couple in I Corinthians 1:22. I've seen this before (sign) in Gentile's also for so many connect so closely with the Jewish religion. I know nothing of RO's preaching or writings beyond what you have shown, but those of you familiar with this man can now perhaps step back to see if there were any telltale signs other than "So, right then I asked God, 'Show me a sign from this cartoon; tell me what I need to know, or what it is I've missed, because it seems I don't know, or I've missed, something".

I have seen this before in Christian's, and the more I learn of them the more we can see the "shallowness", and sometimes, almost too forward or self-assured man of God, or woman of God. What do we see that can give us warnings? We see first the presentation and recognizable man of not "Wimpy" and his "stomach", but what I believe to be Pastor Rick Ousley' inner workings. He has a double whammy, of looking for a sign, and thinking he has found wisdom.

Can we see, "Right here and now God look at ME, I'M talking to you, so listen up. YOU show ME a SIGN Right Now, as I sit here and watch this cartoon;" "YOU tell ME Right Now what I need to know, or what it is I'VE missed, because it seems I don't Know, or I'VE missed, something". This guy thinks he is a Jew and can just ASK and God will hop right to it. How arrogant this Pastor Ousley to believe he is one of Jesus' chosen people. That doesn't work today as it did for those Jews of the Apostolic church in Jerusalem. All they had to do was "ASK" as witnessed in John 14:14-13; 15:16, and 16:23. Today we ask but there are no guarantees. It is His Will that will be done, for those days are long gone when the "kingdom coming was interrupted" with the stoning of Steven.

People that are always looking for a "sign" are good at missing the mark. Did this man miss the gospel of Christ Jesus in heaven, as The Jew missed their King on earth? And then Israel missed again the sign of Jonah. I'll venture to say this man Pastor Ousley has also missed the sign of Jonah.

 

This is public knowledge.

Some of us are trying to gain understanding as to why he failed, and how that can be prevented.

How is that gossip?

Your brush is too broad.