Cornwall ON – Pastor Tom Newton draws a lot of attention here in Cornwall Ontario. He’s called racist; homophobic, and worse on many websites in the area where is is rarely ever far from trying to spread his message.
He also attends public events as he did this Saturday at Buskerville 2. As the event was quiet I had a moment to chat with him on his corner at Pitt and First.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_AWxM-Iv50
I challenged Tom on some of his positions and some of the names tossed his way and he responded quickly. I get asked by a few of our regular posters why he’s allowed to post on CFN and I share simply that Freedom of Speech means that sometimes we have to endure things we don’t agree with or even know are wrong just like others have to endure our positions.
I’m really curious why so many have such strong negative emotions to Pastor Tom as he’s known by many? Is it his religion? His tone? His message? Or some other reason.
You of course post your comments below. I have a hunch you know will….
Yes, we all know that the preacher’s way is the ONLY way. Thankfully, the vast majority of the population has enough on the ball to see through this BS.
He’s no worse than anyone else! He wants things done his way. Everyone else wants things done their way. They don’t want to hear what he has to say and he doesn’t want to hear what they have to say. Everyone has a right to speak their mind. Congratulations Jamie for allowing that!
@ semper vivus. Not everyone constantly and publicly declares that those who don’t agree with him will rightfully burn in hell for eternity. The guy is sick, and the community, to its credit, shows an amazing amount of tolerance for his intolerance.
Do you not even hear what he says? He plainly states that his opinion means nothing. You don’t have an argument with Mr. Newton. You have an argument with the Bible. And it’s not “his” Bible, because it’s been around for centuries. He didn’t write it; he didn’t even interpret it. He simply quoted it.
@ Emma. I have a book here that says that the only true god is The Flying Spaghetti Monster! There are millions of books that claim all kinds of crazy stuff. The preacher can jump up and down and declare that anyone who believes anything that’s written in other books is wrong and will be punished, but he’s only making an ass, and a pain in the ass, of himself. No other religious leader in eastern Ontario is in constant attack mode like the preacher is. As I said above, the guy is sick, and the community, to its credit, shows an amazing amount of tolerance for his intolerance.
World wide web Preacher Trolls are generally men of blind hatred. No, I don’t know why Preacher Trolls are allowed to post on this site. They can’t convince anyone, they take up ink, their views are offensive, racist and full of clear and obvious hatred. Wish they would read the bible in it’s original language and stop being intellectual frauds. That’s the part that bothers me the most…not reading and interpreting the scripture in its original language and then being allowed to speak as if insight was on the horizon. Internet Preacher Trolls are intellectual frauds and such tiring ones.
@furtz: And if you quote from your spaghetti book, will you be quoting the book, or giving your opinion? Unless you wrote the book, you’d be merely quoting. That is my point. Mr. Newton is quoting, not opinionating. Therefore, any argument you have against what he says is against the Bible, not Mr. Newton. Therefore, you can’t say HE is sick. You would have to say the Bible is.
Point to Emma….
Actually, I read books, and agree or not with what I read. I don’t froth at the mouth and insist that my favorite book is the only one that matters, and those who don’t agree will burn in hell.
@ Jamie. Give Emma four points for defending the preacher, and reintroducing us to circular logic.
If you are going to interpret from the book, spaghetti or otherwise, you have to consider eight (8) rules. Basically, the rules have to do with; definition, usage, context, historical back-ground, logic, precedent, unity and inference.
The only respectable Newton I know, would spend all day researching the original and contextual meaning of an ancient Greek word within the reference point of a tribe.
http://www.isaac-newton.org/
This silly English bible, we use now, is a distraction for proles, slaves and the vulgar unwashed. If my Sir Issac Newton was here, he would get a large felt marker and write this on your face: “The bible was not written in modern English. Sorry I’m an offensive, small minded, idiot.” The bible really wasn’t written in modern English or even modern French and that makes a world of difference, unless you are part of the unlearned t-shirt wearing, vulgar group of chattering, empty skulls.
I would rather jump off a cliff than teach in Cornwall. It’s like there are contests in Cornwall to see who can avoid finding the most primary documentation. You haven’t burnt down the libraries yet, have you?
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/
http://www.isaac-newton.org/
Did you know that Sir Issac Newton wrote a commentary on the book of Daniel: http://www.choicesforliving.com/spirit/part3/newton.htm
What would Sir Issac Newton have to do with such a “silly English bible, we use now, is a distraction for proles, slaves and the vulgar unwashed”?
@semper vivus: “Everyone has a right to speak their mind.” All the better, if they think before they speak and have something interesting and thoughtful to say. Simply regurgitating quotations, no matter how sacred the source, without accompanying thought won’t cut it. And literalist–that is to say, uncritical–readings of the Bible or any sacred text can be positively dangerous.
PJR: who are you to dictate that people “think before they speak and have something interesting and thoughtful to say? ” It’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
This man is “in your face”! He attacks you as you walk along a street. He says you must repent in order to be saved. Can someone tell me how I can be saved from him and his very condescending attitude toward us lowly sinners who wish only to go about our normal everyday affairs without being assailed by him and his comments? I know, walk on the other side when you see him… But then why should I have to disrupt myself. Why doesn’t he preach in his church to people who wish to hear his ravings. Then we wouldn’t have to be accosted. Enough said.
Semper Vivus: Whoa, take it easy. Precisely how does my post “dictate”? And you would prefer for people to speak before they think and have nothing interesting or thoughtful to say?
Aren’t there laws in most towns and cities regarding harassment in public places? If someone decides to set up signs and pitch what ever they’re selling on a public sidewalk, do they not require a permit? If there are enough complaints to the city and the police, maybe the problem would be dealt with and disappear. In London England there’s a place they call Speaker’s Corner where anybody can rant and rave, and the public can choose to to go and listen or not. Maybe that would be a solution to the Cornwall preacher problem.
The real problem is that people do not like the message – Repent or Burn! Luk 13:3 “No, I say to you, But if you do not repent, you will all perish likewise”.
The Gospel is an offense to self righteous religious sinners – Luk 5:31 -32 ” And answering, Jesus said to them, Those who are sound have no need of a healer, but those badly having illness.
I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. Rom 3:10 -12 ” As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one”.
The message is that a sinner can’t live in their sins, and practice their sinful life styles and go to heaven –
Gal 5:21 ” Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”.
1Co 6:9 – 11 “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor abusers, nor homosexuals,
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”.
The message of the Gospel will expose so called Christians who profess to know God and that still walk in darkness – 1Jn 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth”.
The message is Good News to those who repent and believe by God’s enabling grace, but the Holy News is that those who do not will justly be damned – Mar 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”. Rev 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”.
The message is that you nor I, nor anyone can save themselves by being good, doing good works, and belonging to a religion. Salvation is by grace and is a gift from God. God saves whom He wills! And justly leaves the rest to their just punishment – eternal torment! Eph 2:8 -9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”.
The real problem is that people get sick of constantly being told that if they don’t believe what the preacher believes, they will burn in hell for eternity. People should be free to walk the streets without being preached at by an obsessive nut-bar. Maybe the preacher should have daily services in his “church” so that those who want to listen to his message can, and those who don’t, will not have to.
Furts – I am obeying the Great Commission given by the Risen Lord Jesus Christ to all Christians –
Mat 28:18 – 20 ” And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”.
P.S. “The real problem is that people get sick of constantly being told that if they don’t believe what the preacher believes, they will burn in hell for eternity” – I did not say it, the Lord Jesus said it! Take it up with Him, if you dare!
If I ever find myself communing with the preacher’s imaginary god, I hope I have enough awareness to check myself into a mental hospital.
“Repent or Burn,” says the preacher. That’s what the religious officials of the Inquisition were saying 500 years ago, and they didn’t wait to see if God carried through on the threat. It is said that even the sainted Thomas More, he who lost his head, personally supervised the burning of any who dared to translate the Bible into English. So much for Bible-thumping! Seems we haven’t advanced very far as a species.
If you have a speaker’s corner then, that means you are limiting free speech to only certain places which is bad, bad fascism. We have free speech. This is of course different than accosting someone, that’s true. But free speech means that you have to let the idiots speak and hear them tell everyone that they are idiots, otherwise the idiots will pressure cook and you know what can happen then, right? Better that we see it out in the open.
We live in a society where anyone can knock on your door and say something. That’s a good thing. We live in a society where anyone can stand on a side walk and say something and hand out a pamphlet and be protected by the full force of the Crown to do so. People require a permit to sell things on the sidewalk for cash, not to give ideas away for free. I will always force you to defend my right to express an opinion that might be contrary to your own. I will not give you the freedom to shut me up or make me go away to a special place you choose, not ever. In particular, if I think the sky is falling. Dogs pay attention to these sort of things.
But yeah, Preacher Trolls make people want to convert to Islamism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism – anything but Christianity. To me Preacher Trolls look like fire hydrants and if they are ranting on the side walk or the keyboard, hopefully it will be limited to that.
Get it right – “Repent or Burn,” says the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Good point Adam & Eve’s Pet Talking Dog, especially about letting the nut-bars vent so they don’t explode. However, I don’t think that having designated “speaker’s corners” for ranters and ravers is a threat to free speech. They can still express their thoughts, but it would be at a place where people can go and listen, or not. Most cities and towns require buskers to buy a permit, and they are assigned a location where they can perform. Why not do the same with street preachers? Some corner of a park would be the perfect location for the preacher to rant. He could save the birds and squirrels, and those who choose to go and listen. I don’t think people walking down a public sidewalk should be forced to cross the street in order to avoid being assailed by the preacher’s lunacy. I sure as hell wouldn’t want my grand daughter exposed to his crap.
Says tnpreacher555! Look back to your earlier post: your words without quote marks preceding Luke’s between quote marks. Besides, neither your words, nor Luke’s, nor the words of any latterday literalist, fundamentalist or religious fanatic can erase the historical record of monstrous acts perpetrated on the innocent in the name of Christianity (e.g. by the Inquisition and Sir Thomas More).
According to the preacher, Jesus has a super inflated ego, is a cruel sadist, and has serious anger issues.
Now a real god, like The Flying Spaghetti Monster, just wants everybody to enjoy life and be nice to each other.
The choice is obvious to any sane person.
Unwanted, offensive and harassing banter is liable for this so called “fascism”, as it has been called.
On another note: you cannot say that it is not your opinions by hiding behind a farce. Using Jesus as a scapegoat, oh the logical fallacies.
I read nothing the preacher writes. If we would all just follow the Ten Commandments, we could better our society.
Furtz we let you vent so you won’t explode. Willie, go for it!
Ka-Boom!!!! Now my dear wife will have to repaint (not repent) my room.
The Bible, like the works of Shakespeare and the great poets and novelists—Homer, Tolstoy, Dickens et al—is a complex metaphorical work and a masterpiece of humanity that requires deep intelligence and understanding. Not to be used as a crutch for shallow minds, or worse abused in the interests of bigotry and intolerance.
PJR, Are you suggesting that the preacher lacks that deep intelligence and understanding?
What a bunch of horseshit. Nobody else preaches on the street, they do it from a pulpit in their respective churches. Stay there! Enough said.
Furtz, Now what gave you that idea?
I respect Pastor Tom a lot. If more Christians had the zeal that he has, the nation would be a lot better place.
I’ve seen no evidence that he’s racist. I wonder if Pastor Tom’s detractors could post some racist comments he made.