Pastor Roberto Miranda wants to ''reclaim the state of Mass for Jesus"

[paineinthearse]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/08/24/from_pastor_to_political_activist/?page=full

Also posted at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4443776&mesg_id=4443776

From pastor to political activist
His church booming, he wants to spread the word statewide

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff | August 24, 2005

(snip)

But (Pastor Roberto) Miranda is not satisfied. He has written a master plan to ''reclaim the state of Massachusetts for Jesus Christ" and penetrate a culture he feels is being lost to promiscuity, activist judges, and the legalization of same-sex marriage. He is organizing Protestant ministers and Christian activists around the state and encouraging them to bring modern marketing techniques to the church.

The 17-page treatise appeals to evangelical leaders to work together to ''proceed systematically to penetrate and reconquer" institutions of culture, business, and politics in a state that he said has become ''saturated with a godless, secular outlook."

(snip)

''I called together these key leaders to talk about how could we put together an initiative to sell our product better, to be more relevant, and to communicate the message of the gospel in ways that would be a lot more digestible to the general public," Miranda said during in an interview in his spacious office overlooking Northampton Street.

He wrote the plan more than a year ago in the aftermath of the legalization of same-sex marriage. The vitriol he said he witnessed between both sides inspired him to draw up the plan, which calls on Christian leaders to unify and strengthen the church, recruit high school and college students, and imbue them with a ''clear, militant Christian worldview," and increase the influence of Christianity in the arts, media, and politics.

more......

[jackster]

1. I cringed when I saw this on the front page of the GLOBE!

"militant Christian worldview"

what makes this scum think that Christ would approve of a militant worldview.....

Hopefully, the good and intelligent people of MASS have aLOT to say about this!

[TaleWgnDg]

9. Well? First, this isn't on the "front page of the (Boston) Globe,"

.
Well? First, this isn't on the "front page of the (Boston) Globe," with all due respect to you, jackster, it appeared on the front page of today's Globe, City & Region Section, page B-1. A choice spot, I must agree. Very choice. And with a large photo (see above in the OP's post) that claims most of the space above the newspaper's fold too. Yes, it is very prominent.

Second, the "evangelical movement" gave New England and the U.S.A. abolitionism in the early 1800's which lead to the Civil War. However, there's a vast and wide distinction between extolling anti-discrimination in our laws than extolling discrimination against an entire group of people in our laws. Our New England evangelical forefathers had it correct espousing anti-slavery; these newbies don't in espousing discrimination against gays and women and stem cell research and the list goes on.

May the level-headedness of us, New Englanders, again prevail. This time not to place discrimination into our Massachusetts constitution as to homosexuals, women, those who are in medical science stem cell research and those who are ill that will subsequently rely upon that same medical science, those who want no Terri Schiavo intervention in our state, and the list goes on and on.

Finally, yes, may we prevail in our home state and across the country. And may those well-meaning but narrow-minded evangelicals as depicted in this Globe article remove themselves to where they came. And, if by chance, they are not well-meaning but attempting to make their fortunes off the back of Massachusetts' minorities, may they suffer greatly as they return from where they came.




.

[jackster]

11. thanks for the correction and the great post!

I just glanced at the photo and read a bit of the article not realizing what section ....

[Bill McBlueState]

2. come and get us, asshole

Me and my godless, secular brothers and sisters are ready for ya!

:grr: :nuke: :grr:

[paineinthearse]

3. I did some googling

This appears to be the 17-page document - www.lifeaudio.com/ministries/lightsource/ main/customitems/visionnewengland__RobertoMiranda.pdf

His "Vision for New England" was at http://www.visionnewengland.org/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID14438%7CCHID114781%7CCIID1895312,00.html but has been taken down.

Bio - http://leondejuda.org/db_public/cldj_public/index.php?display=onepage&what=73&ciu=7bce49a760bac985b39907077c9c4697

Congregación León de Judá



Personal - Dr. Roberto Miranda: Senior Pastor
El Dr. Roberto Miranda ha estado relacionado con Congregación León de Judá desde sus comienzos en 1982. Ha pastoreado la congregación desde el año 1985. Sus estudios seculares incluyen una Licenciatura en Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad de Princeton, y maestria y doctorado en Literatura Hispanoamericana de la Universidad de Harvard.
Fue ordenado oficialmente como pastor por las iglesias Bautistas Conservadoras de America en el 1986. Desde ese ano abandonó su carrera secular para dedicarse al pastorado, y desde entonces trabaja con nuestra congregacion a tiempo completo. El pastor Miranda ha recibido diversos honores academicos a traves de su carrera profesional. Sin embargo, considera trabajar como siervo de Jesucristo el mas alto logro de toda su vida. Su trabajo con varias agencias de la comunidad, y su membrecia y liderazgo en diversas juntas directivas de instituciones cristianas y seculares al nivel local y nacional, constituyen una extensión del ministerio y la visión espiritual de nuestra congregación.

A traves de los años, el ministerio de predicacion y ensenanza del Dr. Miranda ha alcanzado a congregaciones en Puerto Rico, Honduras, Republica Dominicana, Rusia, Republica Checa y diversas ciudades de Estados Unidos. Las grabaciones de sus sermones han sido de bendicion a creyentes en muchos otros paises de Latinoamerica. Frecuentemente, el pastor Miranda participa como conferenciante invitado a congresos y conferencias para pastores y laicos en diversas partes de Estados Unidos.

http://www.pluralism.org/research/profiles/display.php?profile=71805

Cambridgeport Baptist Church/Iglesia Bautista Central
Baptist (Christianity)
459 Putnam Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: [phone]


Activities and Schedule

Sunday Worship Services: CBC 10: 00 A.M., IBC 11:30 A.M.; Home Bible study groups
History

This church's story is typical of many urban churches that have changed considerably to find new life in late-20th-century America. Founded in the 1800s as Emmanuel Baptist Church, its congregation began dwindling during the 1980s. The church building was then purchased by two separate congregations, Cambridgeport Baptist Church (CBC) and Iglésia Bautista Central (IBC) who now share the worship space on Sundays and throughout the week. The membership of the CBC is primarily European and Asian American; the membership of the IBC is primarily Latin American.
Description

The Iglésia Bautista Central is booming with hundreds of people at its Sunday worship service, filled with the song and prayer characteristic of the Pentecostal movement. IBC's pastor, Roberto Miranda, is from the Dominican Republic and holds a Ph.D. in Romance Languages from Harvard.
The Cambridgeport Baptist Church is attracting a growing congregation that describes its faith as evangelical and is committed to outreach and service in the Cambridgeport area. CBC's pastors Todd Lake and Joy Jordan-Lake are spouses who share a joint ministry. Their work includes a "clothes closet" and food pantry for low-income families as well as monthly services at the Cambridge jail and the Cantabridgia Nursing Home.
Contact Name and Title
CBC: Pastors Todd Lake and Joy Jordan-Lake, IBC: Pastor Roberto Miranda

Date Center Founded
1800s

Membership/Community Size
CBC: 200 members, IBC: 350 members

Ethnic Composition
Primarily Euro-American, Asian American, and Latin American

Updated on August 15, 2002

[formerrepuke]

4. Ha Ha-- We Ohioans are way ahead of you on that,

..with the help of these folks:

http://ohiorestorationproject.com/

[Zenlitened]

5. Dig the nazi salute going on behind him:

:puke:

[paineinthearse]

6. Zenlitened

Thanks for the original post in the GD forum.

[Zenlitened]

7. One of the most chilling stories I've read in the Globe in a while.

:scared:


:hi:

[paineinthearse]

8. Anyone up for a field trio to Cambridgeport?

I'd be willing to attend a service to observe the good pastor.

[Kat45]

12. Possibly.

I'll have to think about that. And since I am a person who is a Christian, reads the Bible, and goes to church every week, I would most likely find his distortion of Christianity quite interesting.

[TaleWgnDg]

10. self-delete . . .

[Rockholm]

13. He stood next to me during the last ConCon..

What a creepy SOB. He was there with many of his followers. They were all wearing orange scarves, praying in Spanish. I actually got into a verbal sparring match with one of the women. Go back to the DR. Better yet, take your theocracy and move to Iran.