ARayOfDawn

Every so often, I stumble across some Biblical Clownery, such as Logan Dorn, or the dude who asked if obese people should go to Heaven that is exceptional.

Enter “Stand Strong” podcast.

Scripture says, “[n]ot many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.” (CSB, James 3). The KJV (which Timothy favors) says, “[m]y brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” That said, the Greek word didaskalos here better translates as “teachers” rather than “masters”. While I grew up on the KJV and still love it, it’s not the best translation being heavily skewed towards respecting authority in a way that’s not in the original text.

So already Timothy is off to the wrong start, teaching whilst only studying one version of the Bible.

Anyway, I’m going to rate the key points of this video cause hiking season is whittling to a sad, cold end.

Young People Don’t Wanna Work!!!!

The video begins with Psalms 1:1 and Timothy woefully saying the world is “sad”, though he doesn’t specify how the world is sadder than when the atomic bombs dropped, the Holocaust happened, slavery of an entire race was widespread, there were no laws protecting children, etc. Apparently, “young people don’t want to work!” Ironic since I did some sleuthing on the Rodrigues family, and his father David, doesn’t have a job and looks like this…

Whilst his children (whom are plastered all over the Internet by their mother) look like this and his wife cracks jokes about the kids fasting frequently and having one less chicken leg because she’s having more kids.

Not only is gluttony a sin, one of the seven deadly sins, for comparison, you can also look at thecollinskids, or the Dougherty dozen, whom have a similar number of kids to see what healthy children that age should look like. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “[b]ut if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (KJV)

Message Rating: -0.000000000002/10 for hypocrisy. Get a job and feed your kids, David.

Christians Should be Hard Working (!)

Next, Timothy says Christians should stand out by working hard … which is true. The Bible does say, “… so whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men.” (Col. 3: 23, KJV).

Message Rating: 10/10

Have High Standards, Ye Heathens! But Not… Too High?

Timothy says he won’t judge someone for having high standards (but not too high?), which what? Work standards? Relationship standards? Pet standards?

At about 5:45 he says we should not take God’s “word out of context…” which is ironic.

Message Rating: 2/10. The only standards that matter are God’s.

Modest Is Hottest

About 7 minutes in, we get the reason this entire video was made: Timothy is upset young (Christian) women are turning him on. He briefly mentions creeping on the Amish, before labelling himself a “conservative, solid, Baptist Christian that stands on the KJV of the Bible”. Telling how his first identity is “conservative” and not Christian.

Anyway, he specifically targets younger ladies, saying women dress to impress guys, which dude just because everything you do is to get laid, doesn’t mean that’s everyone else’s motivation for life.

Nay a Bible verse is quoted anywhere. Scripture actually says that, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” (Matthew 5: 27-29). Interesting those who take Paul’s words that women shouldn’t teach men literally, don’t take the words of Jesus literally.

Jesus then reiterates this in Matthew 18:9 “...if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee…” So in case ya’ll ain’t catch it the first time, Jesus said gouge your eyes out for looking at porn twice.

Biblically, the only sinner in this situation is Timothy. He even admits that these women dressing “immodestly” are Christians ignoring the fact that “… the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for the man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7), so even if these women were dressed “immodestly” that’s in no way indicative of their faith, nor how God sees them.

Timothy eventually gives a gem, which is how you look is more important than how a guy treats you.

Ladies, forget about finding a man who imitates Christ. Just worry about looking hot.

Message Rating: -3.14/10. Opposite of what the Bible actually says.

Wait, Don’t Settle!

Next, he starts talking about waiting and not settling, which is a good message. Sadly, I’ve yet to find any virgin, Christian man willing to watch Hereditary and then have a deep, theological discussion about it’s themes of generational sin with me, so alas I can relate to not settling.

Anyway, Tim says a man who thinks you’re hot can’t be faithful to you… Maybe my standards are too high, but I expect the man who’s going to lead my family to have enough self-control not to bone every woman he sees but I digress. Apparently, expecting Christian men to behave like Christ is too high of a standard. Guess we should date non-Christian men?

To be fair, Tim does have a point – a guy only into you for your looks isn’t really interested in you – it’s just his execution is terrible.

That said, he never really describes what “Godly apparel” means other than “not Amish”, but not like “everyone else.”

Message Rating: 4.5/10

The World Is Wicked, Degenerate, and Evil

“They” are becoming more and more evil, which first “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, of this present darkness”. Biblically, the issue is not people, but rather spirits that have always lurked around forever and simply manifest differently. That’s why “Corinthians says, “…we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Sure, prayer will often lead to a tangible solution as faith without works are dead, but that phrase alone indicates he already has the wrong mindset, which is a carnal mindset rather than a spiritual one.

Odd for someone trying to teach.

Also, people who complain about how wicked the world is clearly have never taken a literature class cause humans have always been whack.

Even Solomon says there’s nothing new under the sun.

Messaging Rating: -0.0/10.

The Harlot

He reads Proverbs 5 “The Harlot”, which is directed towards men, telling them to avoid situations where they may be tempted. Yet, his entire video is about how women are causing men to lust, which nothing in Proverbs 5 say anything about clothing. This is ironic given earlier he talks about Christians taking scripture out of context.

Then he reads Proverbs 31 and this is where my patience evaporated.

Message Rating: -0/10.

Final Thoughts

Jesus put the onus of lust on the luster.

Men who have a problem with how women dress should pluck their own eyeballs out, especially if they are Bible literalists about everything else. Preaching anything else is taking scripture out of context. Modesty is arbitrary anyway and not limited to one’s clothing. The female body isn’t inherently sexual otherwise God wouldn’t have made Adam and Eve nude (recall how in Genesis God said it was all “good” when looking at what He created, including mankind). It’s sin that makes us view nudity as sexual and culture that has so overly sexualized every part of the female body men can barely look at a woman and not think sexual thoughts.

That said, Christian men like Timothy are instructed to “walk in the Spirit and not the flesh” (Galatians). Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and Jesus said they will know us by our fruits.

Lastly, the AMP version of 1 Tim 5: 1-2 says “do not sharply reprimand an older men, but appeal to him as you would a father… to young women as sisters, in all purity [being careful to maintain appropriate relationships]. The KJV says to “entreat… the youngers as sisters with all purity“. No mention of clothes, modesty, only a simple command. Regardless of what a woman is wearing, Christian men should treat them with all purity. Men like Timothy should die to the flesh as he put it, or put down his own desires and natural inklings, whatever they may be.

Stand Strong Podcast Rating: 1.5/10