The Book and the Man That Rescued Me From Bible Literalism

"As far as the evolutionary debate is concerned, it is really over, and if the religious community does not know that Darwin won, they are simply not abreast of the times."

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"Some people are approached through the mind.  Others are approached through the emotions."

"...I wish you well.  However, survival rate in that context (WCG) please know, is not high."

Did Wade Cox Make Terrorist Threat Against National Park Service?

Cox is such stupid little man.  

Why is it that so many COG splinter cult leaders are such blithering idiots?

Gerald Weston: I don't care what others think, I have proven this is the only church where God is working today

Gerald Weston: "... proved to myself then—and still can today—that God exists. I proved to myself, and still can, that the Bible is His word. And when it comes to the true Church, I know what the Bible says and cannot deny where God is working"  Weston then goes on to use one of the favorite scriptures used to keep the members in line.  Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Church members were to always have faith.  Faith in the leadership, faith in the church, but not much faith in themselves.  Members were constantly being berated that they lacked faith and that God was eternally pissed at them.

Hebrews 11:1 has been turned into a weapon.  Members are in constant fear that they do not have enough faith.  Gerald does though,  he has reached the maximum amount of faith a human can achieve.  Dumb members still struggle to even come close.

So that no one misunderstands, we should not have blind faith, as so many in the world have. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 admonishes us: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (KJV). Yes, we must prove all things, and that is why we routinely instruct individuals seeking baptism not to believe something because that is what they always believed (or assumed). They need to prove to themselves the existence of God, that the Bible is His instruction book to mankind, and that this is the true Church. These things are provable! It is not good enough to have “always believed in God” or that “I grew up in the Church and know it to be the true Church.” Many atheists sincerely believe there is no God, Muslims sincerely believe truth is found in the Koran, Protestants sincerely believe their form of Protestantism is the religion of the Bible, and Catholics sincerely believe they are the “true Church.” Believing something and proving something are two different concepts.

Many times over the years, when events became difficult or confusing, I personally went back to review these three pillars of faith. I proved to myself then—and still can today—that God exists. I proved to myself, and still can, that the Bible is His word. And when it comes to the true Church, I know what the Bible says and cannot deny where God is working, based on what it says. It does not matter to me what others believe; I KNOW what I believe and why!

So I am not advocating blind faith, but Hebrews 11:1 is not talking about evidence-based faith. Notice again what it says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Yes, faith is the evidence! It is not based on evidence, but isthe evidence.