It was phrased as “the devil was taking control of Joe’s hand and causing him to lash out at his closest supporter”. So while it did not specifically say “he is beating me”, that is how I and those who I showed the letter to interpreted it.
On the other hand, I went to Berean Baptist Church. While it may have been very close to Southern Baptist, we could always look at the bible, or be reminded by our leaders of ACTS 17:11, where the Bereans would go home every day and read their scriptures to see if what they were being taught was true.
If you’re still in church and any of your teachers or leaders insult or belittle you for questioning them, please cite that passage.
My cousin (Roman Catholic) was getting married. Nice ceremony, the sermon was going on swimmingly when suddenly the priest veered off on to this abortion tangent. At one point he posited the abortion of a child that would have grown up to be a priest that converted some large number of people. “Who will answer for those souls? Who will answer?”.
Then he popped back into a standard wedding sermon.
Yeah, that’s sure what it sounds like.
One of the great things about going to a lukewarm church is that I can’t remember every hearing anything outrageous from the pulpit. Now in Sunday School, I remember a few gems. Things like being told that “Satan and the democrats will turn you from God.” This was said in a thick southern accent by a woman in a red beehive hairdo to a group of kids that were pretty much avowed Democrats. This same woman also mentioned how “Them pagans was worshippin’ Afro-ditty.” I swelled with pride to see the iron will with which my friends controlled their laughter.