What were Ian Paisley's best Sermons ?

EunanMac

A controversial man of huge contradictions.

Was he a Christian ?

Would he have been better or worse as a non Christian or a Christian ?

Was he a talented preacher ?

And what were his best sermons ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIxkrFgb0CI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFqhJI7VFVU

tommy2bad

Was he a Christian ?
If he says he was, then we have to take him at his word.

Would he have been better or worse as a non Christian or a Christian ?
He wouldn't be Paisley if he wasn't christian and specifically his own brand of Presbyterian. His politics were more driven by his particular anti Rome theology than anything else.

Was he a talented preacher ?
He was certainly a talented orator, none of his peers could use their voice and shear presence to the same effect.

And what where his best sermons ?
Never heard him give a sermon so cant comment, I doubt he be remembered for any of his sermons though.

Much as I disagreed with his politics I could never dislike the man himself.

Turtwig

Some of his sermons were actually riveting and dramatic. Like spine chilling stuff.

I remember the first one I heard on an old tape when my mam was explaining the protestant version of Christianity to me. It sounded amazingly passionate especially compared to the stoic passive nature of our own PP. I didn't know then who the guy actually was.

Wake Up! You sleepy christians!

martinedwards

never heard him preach but he was a powerful orator.

met him when I was about 10. we were at a hotel after the Balmoral Agri Show and he was at the next table.

a gentle gracious giant of a man who scared the wits out of me because he was that Huge shouty man off the telly.

Apparently, even though he passionately hated Catholicism and the Pope who he called antichrist, he was as willing to help a RC constituent as a Prod one.

Manach

Observing De mortuis nil nisi bonum, for the initial OP's question, that would be perhaps a subjective question which his congregation and himself would have answered in the positive. He was a leader of this people, and can be fairly argued he worked his best and lifelong on their behalf.
I'm also aware of his general view on Catholics, echoing perhaps Edward Said's "other", and his adversarial stance would been contributed to elements in the composition of how Catholics viewed certain Protestants or others hostile to the Church.

hinault

Paisley was a great orator.

Even though I disagree with almost all of the content of his oratory, he was able to convey his message very well.

Gael23

I'm a little too young to remember the height of his preaching career but I do hope there's a hell for him to languish in.
Not a very christian thing to say I know but a man who spent his life inciting hatred for an entire nation and religious faith deserves nothing better than a meeting with satan in the depths of hell.

Benny_Cake

I couldn't stand Ian Paisley's politics, his religious views or his destructive rabble-rousing. I'd have loved to hear him preach though, he was quite the orator. Apparently he was very good at sniffing out those who turned up at his church for voyeuristic reasons

Now that he's gone, I'd like to think that there's a place in heaven for him. He might be surprised how many of he people that he condemned to hell are there too!

No Username Yet

Protest against Pope JP probably one of his best stunts
yes a great orator even though i could never agree even hate most everything he ever said!

Probably was the best recruiting General ever for the RA

uck51js9zml2yt

I read his book on Romans years ago. Great insight and clarity in it.

Nick Park

Many years ago I listened to a recording of one of his sermons, delivered at the time of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. He excommunicated Margaret Thatcher and handed her over to the devil.

The sermon was unbiblical nonsense - but it was marvelously theatrical and entertaining.

Berserker

I'd separate his politics and religion for the purpose of this forum.

No doubting his ability as a preacher and orator. Listen to his sermons. They were spine tingling, as someone else posted.

Was he a Christian? Absolutely, he said so himself.

EunanMac

Does anyone know the reason why he was forced out of his own church in the end ?
I noticed not even his funeral service was held in a free Presbyterian church.
Have they become even more Paisley than even Paisley was in the end ?

Peregrinus

EunanMac wrote: »

Does anyone know the reason why he was forced out of his own church in the end ?
I noticed not even his funeral service was held in a free Presbyterian church.
Have they become even more Paisley than even Paisley was in the end ?

Basically, yes. The Free Presbyterian Church has always been strongly political, having taught for instance that it would be "unbiblical" to have terrorists or former terrorists exercising civil power. When Paisley accepted the position of First Minister in an administration which also included Martin McGuinness, many in the church felt that he had compromised his adherence to the church's teachings for political advancement. Similarly, he was criticised for accepting a post whose statutory duties included the protection of LGBT rights in Northern Ireland, the Free Presbyterian position being not merely that homosexual acts are wrong but also that the civil power must accept and endorse this view. Paisley eventually resigned as moderator rather than be pushed.

Basically, Paisley was able to bring (the bulk of) his party along with him on his political road to Damascus, but not his church.

The result was a signficant weakening of the previously strong, if informal, links between the church and the party. Of the six DUP ministers in the executive only one, Edwin Poots, is a member of the Free Presbyterian Church.

porsche959

tommy2bad wrote: »

Was he a Christian ?
If he says he was, then we have to take him at his word.

"If he says he was, then we have to take him at his word."

As I understand it, according to the theology of most Christian churches, that statement is not accurate.

tommy2bad

porsche959 wrote: »

"If he says he was, then we have to take him at his word."

As I understand it, according to the theology of most Christian churches, that statement is not accurate.

It's a personal position, I might not agree with someones interpretation of Christianity but it would be both arrogant and bad mannered to tell anyone they were not a christian. Not to mention the no true Scotsman thing.

Galwayguy35

He might have said he was but he didn't act in a very Christian way.

Tolerance of others beliefs for me would be part of being Christian and he was far from that, he hated anyone who was Catholic and even in a BBC interview only last January said the victims of Dublin /Monaghan had brought it on themselves.

MrPudding

martinedwards wrote: »

Apparently, even though he passionately hated Catholicism and the Pope who he called antichrist, he was as willing to help a RC constituent as a Prod one.

This is most definitely the case. Whilst I was not a practicing catholic, I most certainly, so far as he was concerned, kicked with the wrong foot. When it came to his political work there was no religion.

MrP