Is It Possible to Convince the Deceived?
Intelligent human beings ask questions and don't automatically accept that what someone says is truth. On the other hand, church goers seem to automatically accept that what is said from the pulpit is what truth is and
ask no questions. Sheep are followers and generally don't think or reason. Splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God are not alone, because in the world of churches, the mindless and non-thinking are found in all
church organizations and institutions, and even among the "educated" with credentials (such as "masters" or "doctorate" degrees, as if they have arrived at all truth. They haven"t).
Religion is a joke and few come to their senses about it.
Van Robison
5 comments:
Many view ministers as being on a higher plain of spiritual authority then lay members, when the minister speaks he speaks with Godly authority in the eyes of many a church goer.
In reality ministers have no more authority then any lay member. There opinion is not to be weighted any more then anyone elses opinion.
Also I think people tend to be strongly locked into thier beliefs unless some awakening accures that jars them into reality. This may be a tramatic event in thier life or a shocking revelation of some kind. Trying to convince someone otherwise generaly is ineffective.
I personaly was jared out of Armstrongism when I found out that Armstrong had incest with his daughter for ten years. This made me question everything this man taught and it was'nt until then that I seen clearly what a scam Armstrongism is.
Intelligent human beings ask questions and don't automatically accept that what someone says is truth. On the other hand, church goers seem to automatically accept that what is said from the pulpit is what truth is and ask no questions
Sadly I've seen this all too often in my experience too Van Rob. The whole system is set up this way with the "experts" standing up front as the "fount of all knowledge" telling you what they want you to know and how to think. For instance, I recall in high school our Biology teacher demanding that no one was to question the theory of evolution and to assume its veracity. I should've got up and walked out of the room there and then seeing I disagreed with the "science" behind it and the arrogant attitude that would deny the possibility of alternative theories existing. But, like most naive, ignorant and stupid sheep I, along with the rest of my peers, sat glued to our chairs fearful of conflict. I found it to be much the same inside UCG since no competing view that challenged the traditional position of the church could be entertained in the minds of those who assumed their "minders" knew all there is to know about any given topic having having studied it thoroughly and there was nothing more to learn. My views, like that of so many others before me, was dismissed in spite of the overwhelming evidence growing in our favor. This time, however, I knew better and chose to walk, even if it was to be alone. It wasn't long after though that I knew I am not alone.
John,
I was once a member of WCG, GCGUCG, LCG, CBCG. With any of them, you walk in the door, and close door to your mind. I know how you feel. You have to put on the face of the crowd. There is no self only the grouup (Collective is more like it). My father is still a member. You can't even discuss alternate opinions. You see the door to the mind slam shut and absolutely no other opinion is considered. I stopped talking church and stick to politics or garening.
I can't believe I was once like him, but I couldn't stay that way forever. Sure I have my beliefs but I enjoy a conversation with others who have different opinions. I learn knew things. Even if I don't agree, I know where my friends are coming from and how to treat them. Confrontation will never win others to your opinion, and its not worth the mental energy.
Thanks Armstrongism for wasting many years of my life and damaging relationships.
Two points.
Firstly, just about every church, whatever brand, is only going to preach ‘from the pulpit’ the beliefs of that particular grouping. That’s the way it works, and it would be very confusing to all if what was said was likely to be at variance from the standard beliefs of the particular group. After all, you don’t go to your local Catholic Church expecting to hear a sermon condemning idols, or praying to Mary.
Seconly, not answering emails is rude, I agree. However, again it’s not limited to the COGs. I have often made comments, and asked questions on this blog, and I often get replies too – except from one particular writer, a certain Van Robinson, who, to date, has never made any reply or comment to any questions or points that I have made.
"...I have my beliefs but I enjoy a conversation with others who have different opinions. I learn knew things. Even if I don't agree, I know where my friends are coming from and how to treat them...
I'm with you Mish-Mash! It's as if whatever HWA introduced as a belief or practice was the "plain truth" and there was nothing more for us to learn. Yet, I believe there's still so much for us to learn and it's no use to keep looking back and continue to look at the Bible through the lens of HWA as so many WCG splinters do today as if they're "stuck in a HWA rut!" And I've found when you do look at his belief-system from a critical perspective and compare it with what the Bible really says--or doesn't say for that matter!--you discover a lot of the proof texts he used were misinterpreted or misapplied to support his own eclectic belief-system while alternative views were dismissed or suppressed entirely. So damned be the individual who would dare to question the man! Ultimately it's all led to a host of inconsistency in practice and illegitimacy in authority in my opinion.
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