Quote:
Originally Posted by Falla39
Thread started by IGL 6-15-09
http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...ight=Standards
Quoted by IGL Today,
You are the one that started the thread with the word "standards' in the line. You have talked about life standards, principles, and people getting bitter over sleeve lengths and sports. So, I suspect you mean all of these. |
I think you're trivializing the long term effect of some of our standards. Once one begins to really read and study the Scriptures they will discover that many of our standards aren't found in Scripture... they are opinions of a previous generation of Pentecostals. They are traditions of men. At that point I became upset... not because I discovered that sleeve length didn't matter... but because the "man of God" told me that the Bible says that I'd go to Hell if I wore short sleeves. Essentially... he
lied to me. When one has trusted the pulpit with their most intimate decisions and difficult times, some of their worse sins, and sacrificed time finances, and freedoms (like taking that job offered out of town that would have landed 6 figures)... only to discover that the pulpit isn't teaching actual Bible but mere opinions of a pastor or a previous generation of pastors... that hurts. That hurt leaves one feeling lied to and betrayed. I trusted him to teach me the Bible... but he dangled me and my family over Hell regarding beards, baseball games, sleeves, pants, and wedding bands. Now I find out that the Bible doesn't condemn any of these things. I can't trust him now. He betrayed a sacred trust to teach Scripture by teaching me TRADITIONS of men. To this day I view 90% of anything a preacher tells me with suspicion. If I hear a preacher condemn something or preach about something, I will personally go look it up and cross reference commentaries to make sure he isn't giving me HIS opinion instead of the Word of God.
Sadly, my wife's faith was crushed. She loves the Lord... but she's terrified of going to any church. She's afraid of being manipulated and emotionally tormented by men who will try to terrify her about things that aren't issues at all. Sadly I was one of those men who "lectured her" and "scolded" her like her dad instead of loving her like a husband over sleeve length and the second head coverings I "felt" like the Lord was commanding us to believe in. She lost faith in me as a spiritual leader ... because I was taught to base my faith on standards and go by my feelings. As a result I went as conservative as I could with all the traditions I learned. I thought it was all in the Word of God... but it was just the opinion of a man. It's entirely my fault that I allowed myself to be manipulted by such an abusive pulpit... but they should share some of the blame here because they failed to teach the Word and instead drilled opinion and tradition into us. That's why I've got some bitterness.
I faithfully served an ultra conservative church for nearly 12 years and because I couldn't make a weekly morning prayer service due to my job they removed me from ministry and the Pastor's wife yelled at my wife for being in "rebellion" when all she said was, "My husband and I can't make it." My wife came home sobbing and in hysterics. She was removed from choir, ladies group ministry, choral, and the outreach team. Why??? Spiritual abuse. Legalism. Men thinking they are God and can make law from the pulpit without regard to what the Word of God truly says.
So dear Sis. Falla.... please understand. It's not sleeve length or the condemnation of baseball games that has made so many people bitter. Its the fact that we've been terrified for no reason and lied to. I will never take my son to a church where the Pastor tells him he'll go to Hell over short sleeves. NEVER. Why? It's not biblical, and to expose him to such is to expose him to spiritual abuse.
Our words and actions have effects on people. You might think it doesn't matter to dangle someone over Hell regarding sleeve length or facial hair... but when that person studies the Bible for themselves and finds out how that's not said in Scripture... they'll loose all faith in the pulpit... and sadly, some will loose faith completely.
I love ya sis. I just have to try to communicate some of my feelings on the matter, because honestly, if the Bible condemned sports, I'd never go to a ball game again. But truth be told... it doesn't. Those who says that it does are lying to us.
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