The Trinity Foundation of Dallas, Texas
Date: June 14, 2006 05:32AM
The stuff in which some guy who's never met us is comparing us to HG and Jonestown is on FACTnet. No, I do not consider my Bible Study teacher to be my "covering" in the sense of some type of abusive relationship, but I do believe that as members of the community we are, as a body, in covenant with one another and as such in a position of accountability to another. As far as the mind being Anti-Christ, to me that serves as a description of our self-seeking and inherently corrupt nature as humans, fallen creatures. What Ole has to say about these things is no more or less "ego-dissolving" or whatever than what Jesus or the Apostle Paul taught. The message: repent, take up the cross, anf follow Him. I personally have never felt like this principle was being used, distorted in any way, to manipulate me through guilt or fear or anything. I am here and part of this community entirely of my own choice. Nobody recruited me or anything and in fact believing or agreeing with what Ole has to say about certain Bblical matters was never a requirement for my continued involvemnt, nor are there any inordinate strictures of any kind put on my behavior or belief system at all, and I hardly feel as if they're trying to disorient my sense of self or undermine my identity or whatever. Like I said, at least any more than Paul would. Ole (to my perception) speaks very authoritatively, but it's not like you're required to believe him, except of course in the essentials of the faith.
As far as the hotseat thing, no, I've never asked and nobody's ever told me of it. It's not happening now and so is not so important to me. In my opinion, maybe there were problems in the past, but from where I sit it looks like these have been dealt with and the fact that others have been hurt hurts me. But I really know nothing of it and have not read the book yet. Being abused here or anything even close is simply not part of my my experience. Exhorted, challenged, but certainly not abused, manipulated or anything like that. Not at all. As far as Lifton's model somehow being compared to what Ole teaches goes, well, an orange can be compared to a tangerine, but they're two different fruits. You know?