Quote:
Originally Posted by MissBrattified
Very interesting article. This is one of the reasons why I object to independently run home churches and small groups. There needs to be some collective oversight and accountability, at the very least amongst the leaders (plural) of a "group of groups." It's too easy for someone with a "domineering and charismatic" personality to prey on weak-minded or ignorant people otherwise. Likewise, traditional churches function more healthily when there is plural leadership and elders rather than a single man making all the decisions for a local congregation. I can appreciate independent churches where the pastor stays accountable to a group of elders or peer ministers; I'm highly suspicious of men who want to run the church without being accountable to anyone but God (and I've personally observed the sort of chaos and destruction that results from such a church government). God didn't set it up that way--not for saints or leaders either one.
ANYtime a leader wants to have private meetings that exclude other saints or church leaders, that is a Big Red Flag. I don't care if they're just meeting for prayer and scripture reading. The only reason for secrecy or exclusivity is for the leader of the group to maintain control of the group. Alarm bells should go off at that point.
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I don't see how this has much of anything to do with whether or not the group was 'independent'. It has everything do with evil men taking advantage of people. Evil men take advantage of others all the time, in independent settings and in institutional settings. Your comment seems to be saying 'a small independent church is likely to be a hotbed of EEEEVVVVILLLLLL' because there isn't a board of directors or some kind of leadership group in place.
Biblically speaking, the church doesn't have any one man in charge besides Jesus. Every church should have elders, and every Christian should examine what is taught and 'prove all things' by the Scripture.
Personally, I don't see how any Christian in western civilization can be excused for not knowing that mass fornication, whoredom, whoremongering, adultery, wife swapping, and especially MURDER are forbidden by God and not 'sound doctrine' for churches or study groups or fellowship groups or whatnot.
PERSONALLY, I suspect the men (or at least those who particpated in the evil) in that particular group were not Christians at all by any means, but were a bunch of evil whoremongers whose lusts were out of control and who probably abused and brow-beat their wives into submitting to such disgusting abominations.
But hey, it's America, and we have freedom from religion, separation of church and state, and God forbid government 'legislating morality' like those old pesky BIBLE LAWS that would have called for those responsible to be
stoned to death for their uncleanness and murder.
I just can't accept that there are American Christians who are just 'ignorant' and can't see DANGER SIGNS when hubby and the preacher start talking about how everyone needs to have a wife swap or all the men get to have a go at the preacher's wife.. I mean, SERIOUSLY?
If people are THAT ignorant, that they would believe such things are BIBLICAL and of God, then they shouldn't be let out of the house and probably need to be forcibly medicated.
Good grief, these people probably vote, too.
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