Monopoly on Apostolic Identity is no more ....

[Cindy]

Read Sister Alvears thread.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Melody

This is unbelievable, two short years ago, everyone praised the committee's efforts, Dora, the music, the changing with the times, now belittling the same. Amazing, absolutely Amazing
Revrandy it is the doctrine that will be next.

Aquila, why would your wife after her years of not cutting her hair decide to?

It was down to her mid-thighs and was just too long and too unmanageable. It was freakishly long and thick. It was getting caught in everything from hotel room doors, car doors, children’s toys, once she had it caught in the vacuum cleaner, and even set it on fire twice while lighting candles. After a while it just got to be ridiculous. She was fed up with it and I was tired of laying on it and it being in everything. I was also growing weary of how insecure she was about it. It was really affecting her self esteem. It added nearly 10 years to her appearance. I felt like it just seemed “extreme”. So I began studying the passage in greater depth (I Corinthians 11) and realized that the passage was never intended to teach what we think it teaches. Paul was addressing a specific issue regarding veils and comparing them to social norms among the Corinthians. We prayed about it and we felt the Lord release her to get her hair cut. She dedicated it to Locks of Love for cancer patients.

Sadly, our church will most likely never see us as being “in good standing” because of this. But it was just too much. She was miserable with it and I love my wife too much to demand that she be miserable to honor a tradition based on a misguided interpretation of Scripture.

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by Aquila

It was down to her mid-thighs and was just too long and too unmanageable. It was freakishly long and thick. It was getting caught in everything from hotel room doors, car doors, children’s toys, once she had it caught in the vacuum cleaner, and even set it on fire twice while lighting candles. After a while it just got to be ridiculous. She was fed up with it and I was tired of laying on it and it being in everything. I was also growing weary of how insecure she was about it. It was really affecting her self esteem. It added nearly 10 years to her appearance. I felt like it just seemed “extreme”. So I began studying the passage in greater depth (I Corinthians 11) and realized that the passage was never intended to teach what we think it teaches. Paul was addressing a specific issue regarding veils and comparing them to social norms among the Corinthians. We prayed about it and we felt the Lord release her to get her hair cut. She dedicated it to Locks of Love for cancer patients.

I dunno, bro...

But the wording of this might make one wonder if you decided to "begin studying the passage in greater depth" ... in order to find an interpretation that would be more convenient to you.

I don't know if that was the case or not...

But I do know people do that sometimes.

[deltaguitar]

Originally Posted by TRFrance

I dunno, bro...

But the wording of this might make one wonder if you decided to "begin studying the passage in greater depth" ... in order to find an interpretation that would be more convenient to you.

I don't know if that was the case or not...

But I do know people do that sometimes.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes something just doesn't make sense. Though I didn't believe that it was wrong for women to cut their hair I still wouldn't let my wife because of what others would say. I honestly thought only a few people cared about the hair issue until our church split. I just thought everyone did it because they were scared of the pastor.

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes something just doesn't make sense. Though I didn't believe that it was wrong for women to cut their hair I still wouldn't let my wife because of what others would say. I honestly thought only a few people cared about the hair issue until our church split. I just thought everyone did it because they were scared of the pastor.

Why did your church split?

[deltaguitar]

Originally Posted by revrandy

Why did your church split?

It all started when a young girl wore eyeshadow on the platform and we started a youth service. My pastor resigned and half went with him including many conservatives, including my parents. My parents and a few others go to other UPC churches now. The conservatives left because of the way my pastor was treated. You ain't never seen anything worse than a church split.

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes something just doesn't make sense. Though I didn't believe that it was wrong for women to cut their hair I still wouldn't let my wife because of what others would say. I honestly thought only a few people cared about the hair issue until our church split. I just thought everyone did it because they were scared of the pastor.

Aquila gave his explanation, and I accept it at face value, but ....the hair issue aside...

Yes, "studying the word" in order to find an interpretation that would be more convenient to you IS a bad thing!

If someone is looking for an interpretation that's more suitable to them convenient doctrine, they'll always be able to find it. That path, and that mindset, can be a slippery slope. Just take a look at the various "gay Apostolic churches" out there now, if you don't believe me.

[deltaguitar]

Originally Posted by TRFrance

Aquila gave his explanation, and I accept it at face value, but ....the hair issue aside...

Yes, "studying the word" in order to find an interpretation that would be more convenient to you IS a bad thing!!

If someone is looking for an interpretation that's more suitable to them convenient doctrine, they'll always be able to find it. That path, and that mindset, can be a slippery slope. Just take a look at the various "gay Apostolic churches" out there now, if you don't believe me.

And it works when conservative folks want to find all sorts of doctrine in the bible.

My point is that most people don't go searching out doctrine unless they are conflicted. If they love having long hair or having multiple wives or driving horse and buggy as do the Amish then I doubt they will start looking for reasons to depart.

Most people will only search when things are wrong and as long as the doctrine doesn't bother them then they could care less about change.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by TRFrance

Aquila gave his explanation, and I accept it at face value, but ....the hair issue aside...

Yes, "studying the word" in order to find an interpretation that would be more convenient to you IS a bad thing!

If someone is looking for an interpretation that's more suitable to them convenient doctrine, they'll always be able to find it. That path, and that mindset, can be a slippery slope. Just take a look at the various "gay Apostolic churches" out there now, if you don't believe me.

That's true. One has to be very careful.

However, when it comes to hair the issue is... is it a "sin" to cut the hair? Even the most conservative interpretation could only claim that it is a "shame" but then you have to ask, to whom?

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by TRFrance

If someone is looking for an interpretation that's more suitable to them convenient doctrine, they'll always be able to find it. .

That happens on both sides of the aisle.