Quote:
Originally Posted by Holy Ghost HH
So, it is wrong to sue a brother for any reason? That is the exact thought the Catholic Church had about its child "indiscretion" didn't it? The church became independent from the UPCI. UPCI is in a backslider state if you hear the undertone of the reason this church left it. The 2 sides and the truth is a good one. Facts Are part of truth. This story has garnered a lot of attention in McMinnville and they will run a follow up I would assume. I am on the side of right not wrong. I would choose the facts over opinion that is why I read the file. Never take a mans word as fact without validation on something as important as this. Doing the right thing is no reason for disfellowship. |
Read the Bible and tell me if it's okay to sue a brother. It's not a rule the UPC made, or one that I made. Both Jesus and Paul taught and wrote against it. You say you're on the side of right, not wrong. If this is true, then you cannot possibly support this lawsuit against another believer.
Even if the Bible wasn't clearly against it, I would still say a believer shouldn't take another believer to court over internal church discipline as a matter of allowing a precedent to be set. Again, I doubt the court will rule in this man's favor because of prior court rulings refusing to get involved with internal church disputes. But should a court choose to ignore that, and get involved in an internal dispute, it will be a bad precedent.
I do agree one should value facts and evidence over one's word.
As a man who grew up in the home of a Pastor, and who has served under several Pastors, I will say the decision to disfellowship or excommunicate someone is not taken lightly. Especially if the person has been in the church for a while and has friends and roots in the church. In the cases I've known, the Biblical pattern for disputes was followed, and only after the person refused was he/she removed from fellowship. Removal was always a last resort, and only because of continued discord.
Again, there has been no proof or evidence provided against the Pastor which would show he was wrong for kicking the man out of the church.
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