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BurningBush
I'll state first thing that my experience contradicts all that is being said. I attend The Door Christian Center in Fairfield CA. They are very passionate about people's salvation. We outreach most Saturday's and give our testimonies to all (believers & non-believers) In no shape or form have I seen scare tactics being utilized at any of these events. If telling people that salvation comes through our Lord Jesus Christ and denying him will result in an undesirable outcome are we lying? Are we using scare tactics or are we stating the "TRUTH" as stated in our Bible. Now, I am not doubting peoples experience at other affiliated churches. However, most of your forum(s) state that this network of churches is evil or very distorted. If that is the truth then I haven't seen it. Programming or Deprogramming doesn't mean anything. Either way you look at it it is forcing one to believe other than what they already believe in. Wouldn't deprogramming also constitute as a form of programming. Shouldn't we call it "reprogramming" instead? We also have to take into accountability the mental capacity of many of the offended family members and disassociated members. The Bible constantly calls on discipline of its people and structure with in the Body of Christ. I read earlier of a 14 year old boy who gave up drugs for his church (Potter's House). Now his mother wants him deprogrammed. Please make me understand this? I can't help but laugh at the irony of that story. For those that left the church I understand that they fully believe in their cause for parting their ways with the church but whatever happened with loyalty to those above them. The same mentality for the lack of loyalty to structure will result in the same situation elsewhere. Just like divorce, if you divorce your first wife the chances of your 2nd marriage ending in the same result rises twice as much. I believe its only fair to state the other side of this conflict.
Joseph
Parishioner of the Door Christian Center - Fairfield CA
Joseph,
From reading your post, I feel that you do not understand what constitutes a cult group. Have a read of some of the resources on the site, which explain what a cult is, how it is defined, the environment that exists, and so on. You seem to me to be making the common error of thinking of a cult by looking at the belief’s or doctrines. Just reading the documents on this site (or others) is very educational. After educating yourself, you might have another look at the statement of yours, “Programming or Deprogramming doesn’t mean anything.”
Joseph, I will agree with you that the good news is declared within the group. I don’t have a problem with the gospel.
Would you remain ‘loyal’ to a person/group/system, if it was being abusive to you? I don’t think so.
Also, would you remain loyal to a ‘structure’ while you were being abused? Why?
Your divorce statement should include the possibility of divorce because of unfaithfulness or adultery in one member of the marriage.
Finally, your taring with the same brush: “We have to take into account the mental capacity of many.....dissociated members”, is quite a presumptional statement in the negative don’t you think?
Such a statement as the one of yours above, immediately dismisses the possibility of actual abuse in a system being present. Which, in itself, is exactly the kind of statement that runs across many cult groups (again, educate yourself about the cult environment).
I don’t think you, Joseph, would adopt such an attitude as that, being in Christ Jesus.
sincerely.