Re: Struthers Memorial Independent Pentecostal Church
Date: February 09, 2013 03:11AM
Hi folks
I'm reminded of how easily we are blinded by religion. Sometimes, it seems, people who profess to be Christians are the first to cast stones at those who don't follow their particular brand of Christianity and this keeps people apart instead of bringing them together.
I think it is great that churches are beginning to get together and share their ideas and experiences; it is way too easy to become blinkered when you are indoctrinated with the same elitist rubbish day after day, week after week, year after year.
It also makes it more difficult for the more zealous and mis-guided groups to keep their eagle-talon grip on young, pliable minds and allows young people to grow in God and expand their knowledge of Him.
Religious biggotry is learned in the same way racism and gang mentality is learned. It is instilled at an early age and very often the young people can't even tell you why they hold such biggoted views - only that this is how they have been brought up.
SMC create their own brand of religious biggotry and, instead of nurturing their young people, they are mis-shaping and mis-guiding them into fanatics who are unable to speak their own minds or even tell you a solid reason for the beliefs they hold.
Why can't they tell you why they believe what they do? Because they have never been given the answer to that question from the people who teach them. How can you answer that question in a sensible manner if you are being told to believe just because you are TOLD to believe?
Now, just about every young child believes in Santa (I still do :-)) but they get to a certain age when they either are told, or begin to realise for themselves, that Santa doesn't exist in quite the way they believed as a young child. A similar fate befalls the Tooth Fairy eventually (shame, though... I kinda liked her!)
The point is that when we are old enough to ask the questions, the answers should enlighten us, enhance our knowledge and expand our intelligence.
Where is the enlightenment, enhancement and expanding of intelligence when you are told NOT to ask the questions in the first place?
Or, if you do get to ask the questions you are told to believe because it is sinful not to believe what your leaders and spiritual teachers are telling you.
It would be good for SMC if they intermingled with other churches again, like we used to when I was young. In fact I think it is esential to help avoid the elitism and cultish behaviour of groups who, like SMC, believe they are the only ones with a true connection to God. Islamic fundamentalists believe the same thing as does every other elitist or cultish group in the world; so SMC are not unique in this kind of 'over-the-top' teaching.
It does strike me as strange that they are promoting the Transformation DVD's though. When I was young anything that came from America was to be avoided at all costs, as being too worldly to be Godly.
Another thing that strikes me as a complete change of heart in SMC is that, back in the day when (we all ate Hovis), the idea of having commercial activities tied to the church was to be abhorred. Mr. Black was always fond of the story about Jesus casting out the market-sellers from the entrance to the church and raging at them for defiling God's dwelling place with commercialism. So how do SMC reconcile that to the Bookshops, Coffee shops and a Fee-paying school?
Does this mean that they think because they are selling christian literature and, I presume, christian cups of coffee and tea (perhaps with hot-Cross christian buns!) that this does not count as perfoming commercial functions in the church? I don't remember reading that Jesus said that it would be OK for the Sellers to sell christian literature and beverages instead of jewellry, meats and vegetables etc. Didn't he throw out ALL the sellers? Or is that just my imagination?
Ah, the double-standards of the 'holy and annointed'!!
As always,
Biiiiiig love and huge hugggggggs to all.
God bless xxxx