Friday, October 17, 2008

Ray Boltz Tragedy

I went to a concert at church the other night and asked Lewis what time Ray Boltz was playing. He told me that Ray came "out of the closet" recently. What?! I didn't know that. He sings "Thank You" and "Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb"....surely he doesn't...you know! Sadly it is true. Read and weep.

22 comments:

JDL said...

i discovered that last week. sadness

JDL said...

he comes out, and there is a clearance sale on his t-shirts.....coincidence?

Lij said...

The clearance sale has been on for months. Nice try, though.

Also, it's not a tragedy.

Andrew said...

1) Who are you?
2) How did you find this blog?
3) What is your relationship to Ray Boltz?
4) Welcome to the EdnaBlog.
5) The real tragedy was the Perm-Mullet he sported for the better part of his career.
6) Yes, the lie that Ray Boltz has been deceived with is indeed both tragic and sad.

Lij said...

1) Liz Boltz Ranfeld
2) Google
3) guess
4) thanks
5) Yeah, the mullet was pretty spectacular.
6) Nope. No deception involved. http://lizboltzranfeld.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/no-satisfaction-for-the-curious/

Kevin said...

Tragedy I say! I see you're related to him maybe somehow because of your name. Are you his daughter?

It is tragic because it is obvious he was wrestling with some feelings he had that go totally and obviously against God's will and he gave up on fighting it. Everybody has something they have to confront, his apparently took the form of a dude (and the permullet). For some people it is drugs or alcohol, which may have been easier for him to quit, I don't know. At the very least he could have said, "Oh crap, I love guys. I've loved them my whole life, but God says it's wrong. I can't help myself. I'll move myself to a cabin in the woods where no one else is. That way I won't be tempted." If your eye offends you, pluck it out. Better to be blind, or in Ray's case, self-exiled, than to give in to the sin and not only that, encourage others to do the same like he is doing with that Metropolitan Community Church.

Look, I don't know if they guy actually acted on any of his gay fantasies or whatever, all I'm saying is if he is aware of the problem (which he obviously is) he should repent. The thoughts may never go away, but he doesn't have to act on them, or encourage those who do.

JDL said...

I was aware of the sale. It was a poor attempt at humor.

I know for me (and possibly Kev and Andrew) I grew up in a Baptist church. So Ray Boltz was a big star. Ray, Carman, Smitty....we grew up watching concerts and videos of ALL THE TIME. So to find out that Ray isn't the Ray we got to know all those years ago, it is a little sad for me.

I certainly don't assume to know you or your family because I watched a few videos. It looks like you've got some strong support from the comments on your blog, and I'll add some prayers in there for you and your family. Not out of sympathy, but because its what we as believers are called to do.

JDL said...

AND I forgot to mention that although the mullet was quite spectacular, I was a bigger fan of the 'stache.

Andrew said...

Did we just get trolled by Ray Boltz' daughter?!?!? Awesome!

I always knew this blog was destined for greatness. Let's see that passive income start rolling in now...that or a large influx of comments from the gays.

The Nunley said...

WOW! I agree Justin and Andrew. That churches site is scary. They say they believe a lot of the right things, but are way off base with the gay stuff.

Andrew this blog had always been destine for greatness! I can't wait for your daughters birth too.

The Nunley said...

And you all know I love the stache more just check out my pick on the blogs home page.

Red said...

Wow, I just spent thirty minutes reading the article Kev posted and the comments below it. Then I hoped over to the MCC. I never really liked Ray, I was already listening to Aerosmith before I ever heard of him. The two thoughts that are running through my mind are:

1. What in the world did Christ die for? Justification...from what? Sanctification...unto what? There is nothing new about Ray's situation, it's just an in our faces reality of the sin that is in the very fabric of everything, that same sin that I live and struggle with everyday. But, in this we see the results of a postmodern culture telling everyone to be whatever they want to be and still claim the name of Christ. Again, nothing new here, but just as dangerous as ever.

2. "Evangelicals" for the most part are the modern day Pharisees. While Jesus dined with the tax collectors and prostitutes, the Pharisees plotted his death. I suppose I'm an evangelical, and I'm horrible at relating to prostitutes, homosexuals, and tax collectors(I don't know anyone at the IRS). I need the same grace as the next guy, as Ray Boltz.

Man, big two days for the blog. Justin, please post our latest ad revenue results. Andrew, mexican food.

JDL said...

its less than $17. we need people clicking the ads. Just having them on the page isn't doing anything for us.

Kevin said...

Yes, I didn't mean to imply that his sin was any more or any less than any other. It could have been anything. I commit sins all the time and I don't move to a cabin in the woods. I acknowledge it, ask for forgiveness, and turn from it. Some things I repent of right away, some things may take years of struggle and holding on to. Ray's struggles apparently have been long-fought. What makes me sad and angry (not at Ray himself) is that he struggled with it for so long and then Satan apparently convinced him into believing this:

“This is what it really comes down to,” he says. “If this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.”

What happened to dying to himself and living in Christ? He's been tricked into living in/of his own self instead of Christ. It's just so far from "Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb". That is what is tragic.

I'm not saying it is over for him though. And I didn't mean to sound like I was attacking him. God could change his heart today and he could start helping other people in his situation find the way out. That is what I hope will happen for him and his family.

Kevin said...

$17 would buy us a better javelin for WOM5.

And I meant to post this link as an example of Ray's mullet and stache at their finest:

Thank You

Notice he's bald now. Maybe his strength came from the mullet, Samson style. Just a thought.

Andrew said...

Good comments, Kevin

Kevin said...

thanks, answer your phone

Jones said...

Good Post, Good Comments, Let this be a reminder to us all that we have the same struggle within all of us. Since Ray became famous through CCM, this makes me think of Shaun Groves's Song "Twilight":

"Twilight, twilight, I'm torn inside my soul tonight. The dawning day, the dying night, Lord, rid my soul of twilight."

If I gave in to what I felt god naturally made me to do I would be a ruthless, self serving, impatient person. My wife would hate me, my children would dispise me. I am this person now, but I pray every day that Christ will make me less like this and more like Him. My hope is that someday I will be like Him.

Liz, this post is a tribute to how your dad has impacted our lives (even if we did not realize it). We are saddened that he seems to have abandoned the fight we are all fighting. We are praying for you and your family. Also, tell your dad that I did an interpretive movement dance to "Thank you" in middle school at my church and remember it to this day.

Red said...

Kevin, I echo the good comments by Andrew. We should consider annointing you the pastor of technology in light of your insights.

Adam, I keep thinking about the skit you guys would do at FCA to Thank You. I guess that one might have to be taken from the playbook.

The Nunley said...

What skit Landon? I remember when Justin was Jesus and I was Satan and we did a skit to Carmen!

Landon I am going to call you back.

Red said...

I thought surely there was a Thank You skit. Anyone else recall?

JDL said...

I think Jesse has sang that before at the First Family.