Cult of Personality, or: Good Lord, Robert Jeffress Has Had a Very Busy Last Three Days

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Oct. 10 2011 at 9:08 AM

Categories: Religion

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First Baptist Dallas's Robert Jeffress first appeared on Unfair Park back in October 2008 -- the first time, or close to, he referred to Mitt Romney, a Mormon, as a member of a "cult." Friday's remarks following his endorsement of Rick Perry at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., may have been brand-new to some (this morning Washington Post contributor David French makes "The evangelical case for Mitt Romney --and against Robert Jeffress"), but they were the same-ol'-same-ol' to others who've been within earshot of Tom Leppert's pastor for the last long while.

As expected -- hence, the media members scattered amongst the congregation -- Jeffress took to his downtown Dallas pulpit yesterday to try to explain his remarks and whether it was kosher for him to endorse a candidate "officially." Because, a few weeks ago, he said he wouldn't. Not now, not ever. "I believe this pulpit is too sacred to publicly endorse a candidate," he reiterated yesterday. "That's not what the pulpit of First Baptist Dallas is about."

Except ... it is, apparently. Especially, he said, after he started delivering those apocalyptic sermons a few weeks ago. Besides, he insisted, it's in his job description: The whole hubbub has "given me an opportunity to point out false religions," he told his congregants. "Part of a pastor's job is to warn his people and others about false religions. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism are all false religions, and I stand by this statement." The congregation applauded Jeffress's greatest hits. Then Jeffress went on to discuss his chat with Anderson Cooper Friday night -- seen above, and, again, it's hardly "breaking news" -- and the phone call he says he received afterward. At which point the pastor referred to his candidate of choice as "Ron Perry." Let's review the tape:

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The next president's book reveiw: http://obamatogo.blogspot.com/2011/10/president-2012-patriot-or-puppet-for.html
Lol...And Robert, your point is?
why dont you get your facts straight before you judge
you dont know what you are talking about
Ummm .... the Anglicans (and the Episcopaleans) do not worship The English Monarch. The English Sovereign is the head of the Anglican Church in much the same way that the Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. The Anglican's split from Rome was over Henry VIII's desire to divorce yet again. As a result the Anglican Church does allow the dissolution of a marriage (IIRC) and the Roman Catholic Church does not. The Roman Catholic Church has a process called annullment. When an annullment is granted, the Church is saying that the marriage did not exist and the partners in the marriage have to acknowledge their error in making the marriage. An annullment is especially difficult if there are children present from the marriage. hth
Dated a Mormon chick, went to Mormon assemblies and the like. I said they seemed to embrace all the essential mainstream Christian tenets. They insisted they were different, so, go figure. I don't believe in the Trinity and don't think most people have thought enough about dogma to have an informed opinion. So, I find so much that divides us to be minutia. We can all agree that we should treat others as we wish to be treated. That said, Mormons generally see themselves as apart from mainstream Christianity. I don't see it, but why argue with them?
Nah. You're really just a spin off Catholic cult who worship the Queen of England. A 900-ft. Jeffress appeared in a vision and told me so.
I want to bear you my testimony being a boy who was raised in the LDS Church... I believe in Jesus Christ with my whole heart. I Know that he was sent to this earth by God the Father to take upon himself the sins of the world. I Know that Jesus Christ died for us, so that we may be able to return to heaven once again, and I Know that Only through him, is this Salvation possible. The only way. I believe that our duty here on earth is to faithfully strive to be the most Christ-like individuals we can possibly be. I am 18 years old, and I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I Believe In Jesus Christ. I am a Mormon, and without any doubt... I am a Christian.
Dude !! Holyer then thou is so passe
Ok, his very first statement in the CNN clip with Anderson Cooper is wrong. He says the Southern Baptist Convention is the "largest protestant denomination in the world." Huh? There are something like 80 million Anglicans/Episcopalians in the world, and only 16m in the SBC.
What is the difference between a cult and a religion? .... Oh, about 2,000 years ... ;-)
You brought home my point, Goose. DMN is trying to show us how 'uptown' they are by picking Perry as their 'cover boy'. Problem is, they aint.
So in other words, Jeffress is the product of cult conditioning?
Correct me if I'm wrong here. Christians believe that non-Christians are all going to hell because of unrepentant sinning, not being Baptized,not accepting Jesus or combinations of these. There are millions of Christians who believe this and among them Baptists whom are especially taught to fear hell. It's that fear of hell that drives their religion / cult. Gay sexual practices are according to most Christian faiths akin to or include fornication and adultry and thus doom those folks to hell. I think they call it Sodomy but since sodomy practiced by married folks is OK let's just call it sex outside of marraige. I don't believe that these statements Jeffrees has been making are out of line with mainstreem Baptist and other Christian teaching. It just sounds so cold, abrupt and un PC to say this stuff outside the pulpi and to non memberst. He's just practicing his faith and certainly not being a hypocrite. It's the people who are members of such congregations who pick and choose what they feel will send someone to hell who are the hypocrites. It sounds so harsh and cruel to damn someone for such benign behavior or lack of faith they give them a PC pass even though they profess faith in the Bible and thier religious tenets which don't. It's why their are so many athiests, agnostics and skeptics. Anyone who has reached the age of reason and can ask serious questions will easily find problems with all of these sects, cults, and religions that brainwash their children to perpetuate such ideas and often nonsense. Jeffrees pointing out that Mormonism is a cult is not so innacurate as their tenets and practices are an easy target and easlly debunked, He's just a product of Dallas Theological Seminary and irrational fear of going to hell who believes his scripture is god's holy word and thus is doing his ministerial job. What's not to admire.
Because D Magazine readers are Pigs
I want to see a showdown between Romney and Cain. Watching the bigots go wild over that match-up will be priceless!
Parkies understand that religion is good business.
Whenever I see charatans like this trying to interject their small-minded, bronze-age beliefs into this nation's politics I no longer have to wonder why, in virtually every poll taken in the last two decades about religious affiliation the result is invariably NONE OF THE ABOVE as the fastest growing demonination.
He's a pretty big embarrassment to humanity as well.
To give the conservative Christian viewpoint, I would like to say I find this guy to be a complete and utter embarrassment. For conservatives, for Christians, and for Dallasites.
Good drummers are going to hell.
Dear Bob: STFU Sincerely, The Lord
Texan of the Year ... does not mean that person was the <b>best</b> of the year. Please refer to Time Magazine Man of the Year 1938
Poem working....
While we're on the subject, kinda of.....what's up with that passive aggressive two pager of the history of Rick Perry yesterday in DMN??? Reminds me of when they named him Texan of the Year in an editorial but caught so much heat they had to do a followup to 'explain' that what it really meant was..... yeah right, we got your message loud and clear. Perry and Dechard sittin' in a tree.....
you said 'mincing' around NorthPark,giggle giggle, boy you nailed it for those of us old timers who know of which you speak. giggle giggle.
Even in our city, most blog comments find this man reprehensible. As always, he and his ilk can be found to have the full support of the D Magazine blog commenters. Does anyone know why?
The Baptist's ARE a cult too. What your point. Our cult is better than their cult?
"People of all types are welcome! Except the homos. or the Mormons. or black people. Or poor people. Or people who ask to many questions. or..."
I moved from Wichita Falls to Dallas, and had no idea Jeffress had just gotten the gig at First Baptist Church down here, so it was a little bizarre seeing him mincing around NorthPark a few weeks after thinking I had escaped his shit. It's also really weird seeing him doing the exact same thing he did in wichita falls (build a HUGE, expensive extension to the church) in Dallas. Sometimes it kinda feels like this dude is haunting me.
God really needs to fire his PR people--they do an awful job representing him.
I had to laugh when he said that people of all types are welcome. In my head, I couldn't help but think there are a few asterisks there.
M...honey.....some shit won't flush...it just keeps coming back up. They are the Turds from Hell.
Oh for Christ's sake the Mormon's ARE a cult! http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cults-Walter-Martin/dp/1556617143
Standing ovation........abortions and gay's is always thier rallying point. If they would just stick to working with those who seek them out it they would be tolerable. But no, they always have to act like they are under attack and that it is their duty to impose their beliefs on others. Pastor, I encourage you to never have an abortion and to never marry another man.
Whenever I see that face I get the urge to flush a toilet.
Someone has reached out to the Pastor. I think they had a Come to Jesus meeting about using the pastor position to do it . And I think the Message was NOT FROM THE PULPIT ! I don't think Pastor was happy about eating his words . That little Sermon was him telling who ever I got THE Message.
Another good reason to revoke the tax exempt status of this church. Make them pay income and property taxes.
Who died and made him God?
What about their not-for-prophet status with IRS? What then? Profit or Patriotism?
Who is listening? His church is FULL and on TV? How many sermons? And they drink this up like Kool-Aid served in a anodized aluminum glass. Distasteful to most.
Hey, remember when FB didn't allow black members and your predecessor supported segregation? I think I will get my "morality" from somewhere that didn't fuck up so badly on such a clear moral issue.
I use the phrase "taxpayer-subsidized social club" to describe their organizations. I've had quite a few people bleat about their charitable acts, but none of the TSSCs ever have the guts to open their books and run the overhead calculations we apply to real charities. I'm pretty sure that we've *put people in prison* for operating charities that were more efficient than most TSSCs.
Come on Mr. Jeffress. Endorse a candidate. Let's get the IRS involved and nix all the government money and tax breaks your church and its bank receive. Come on, go ahead, tell your congregation who to vote for. You're in the spotlight.
This man moved here from Wichita Falls and I began having seborrhea and occasional episodes of eczema.