Where have I 'preached' any beliefs? - you have been found out to be completely biased and I sincerely regret your decision to end discussion but controlling the Site does not equate to fairness necessarily does it? Anyway that's my last word.

AndrewM1:

You have repeatedly gone off topic and discussed your "truth."

Suffice to say this message board is not about proving whose religious opinions are correct. It is about the behavior of destructive cults, controversial groups and movements.

And this specific thread is about Christadelphians and how they behave.

You have demonstrated that Christadelphians are intolerant of other Christians, exclusive and essentially an ethnocentric group.

You have strained to spin whatever you can on this thread. You have also either ignored questions, been evasive, parsed your words in a misleading manner, attempted to change the subject and now it's personal attacks.

Perhaps it's appropriate that this is your "last word" as you have not added anything new, meaningful and/or relevant to this discussion for some time.

Bye.

I have to respond to your latest statement about Christadelphians being 'ethno centric' - that is very wrong. There are significant groups in the following countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Philipines, , Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mazombique, Mexico and Liberia to name but some.

They are increasingly multi-ethnic in a very meaningful way.

I hope that you will acknowledge this as unbiased factual information.

AndrewM1:

You are mistaken concerning the use of the word "ethnocentric" within the context of my last post.

See [www.merriam-webster.com]

The word is "characterized by or based on the attitude that one's own group is superior".

This word ethnocentric specifically applies to the Christadelphians regarding the group's perceived religious superiority, which you have demonstrated through your posts repeatedly on this thread.

After considerable reflection and prayer, I would like to make a final posting clarifying that my previous posts were in no small part motivated by malice and bias resulting from my unhappy personal experiences while a member of the Christadelphian faith. My unhappy personal experiences, however, should not reflect unfavorably on the worthiness and validity of Christadelphianism's teachings or the integrity of the great majority of its members; those tenets and individuals should be judged on their own merits, and in making this clarification/retraction I would like to ask members of the religion for their forgiveness and understanding for some of my more harsh and judgemental comments.

I also want to make it clear this statement is being made of my own free will, because I am aware it may appear to be coming from someone who still has entanglements with the denomination and is thus continuing to be influenced by its members and doctrine.

May God bless everyone making a sincere search for "The Truth."

Jody:

Were you mistaken when you said, "Christadelphians believe all non-Christadelphians are damned to eternal death (Christadelphians do not believe in a literal Hell) and they also hold that many amongst the Christadelphians themselves will be judged and found unworthy of eternal life in "The Kingdom." Hope Tailor, by not stating this belief explicitly, was not saying Christadelphians believe all Christadelphians get 'saved.'"?

Isn't that still true?

You also said, "If he is an adherent of Christadelphianism, he has no problem believing six billion of us are excluded from God's love and mercy and redemption simply because we have failed to become Christadelphians. In his mind this may be a "humane" philosophy but probably not to most people."

Isn't that their position?

Whatever supposed "malice or bias" you may have had doesn't change the basic beliefs. doctrines and practices of Christadelphians.

AndrewM1 has confirmed these sentiments through his posts.

Yes, my comments were truthful, and your own arguments were accurate.

Christadelphians have "closed communion," meaning, you can't receive communion until you are vetted as having embraced their unusual belief system. Even in Christadelphianism itself there are various branches (the "Amended," the "Unamended," the "Dawn Fellowship," etc.) which contend their interpretations of scripture are more accurate than the interpretations of the other branches, and the other branches' members are in jeopardy of not receiving salvation.

Nonetheless, I responded angrily to some of Andrew's previous posts, because it was my sense there was a risk of him heaping more injuries on individuals who already consider themselves to have been injured by Christadelphians, and I felt this website should be one safe place for those individuals to relate their experiences without interference from a defender of Christadelphianism. In retrospect, I feel my rushing to that conclusion was as unkind and judgemental and un-Christlike as the treatment some of the ex-Christadelphians feel they have experienced.

I am a Christadelphian. I recognise some of the problems experienced by some who have posted. I am also shocked by the experiences of others as no Christadelphian would condone those behaviours.

yes I have a particualr belief system absed on my reading of the Bible, no my family are not Christadelphians and only one of my four children has become a Christadelphian.

No one has to be a Christadelphian and while we, generally, share the same beliefs it is daft to think that those with different beliefs would want to belong. Certainly, other religious groups do not want me to belong to them because of my beliefs. Similarly, if I was a witch or 'devil worshipper' they would not want me to belong.

What is the problem with that, we all meet with who we share common interests and values.

The problems described here are applicable across many (non cult) faith groups.

I am not saying there are not problems amongst Christadelphians, but please do not put everyone in the same condemnation because of the actions of others. We are not evil people, trying to brainwash our children, stealing members money and assets as portrayed elsewhere on these pages. Wrong behaviour exists by individuals in all religious groups.

We like you have our (different) beliefs. Both believe that we are right. If someone ahs been treated badly by their fellow believer, there is a process outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. It is difficult if you believe the 'congregation' is flawed.

The answer is to seek out individuals who can give us scriptural advice, open up the teaching of Christ and both sides be prepared to listen to the whole counsel of God in the spirit of humility and forgiveness. Of course if that is what we want, if we want a non-bible based religion or no religion at all then just walk away and join with those who share the same things as you hold dear.

I have not come on here to preach, reclaim or brainwash just to make a simple point. I talk regularly with many people off all denominations and those who are not religious about what I think the Bible is teaching us, each of us has to make up our own minds.

I am a Christadelphian because of the legal advantages that this 'badge' brings - release from jury service and conscientious objection - the reason the community was formed and named. I do not agree with everything that all Christadelphians teach or do, but the general teachings coincide with my understanding and reading of the Scriptures. I was baptised into Christ not into the Christadelphians. As Jody has said the majority of these people are simply following their beliefs and like all people with a belief system or a code of ethics (religious or not) are finding it increasingly difficult in an increasingly selfish and materialistic world. I thank her for her kindness in her final postings.

To those who have been harshly and unscripturally treated by Christadelphians, I apologise and ask you to pray for their forgiveness as God forgives us in the name of Christ who loved us and gave himself for us.

Mike

Hello my name is Ben devenish-meares.
I know this is an old post but I hope you still recieve this message. I am a christadelphian from Perth Western Australia. Im am so sorry about ur wife's experience, I have experienced similar hostility from strict Logos ecclessias. I would love to get in touch you two hopefully soon God willing.

Take care and God bless.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2011 05:52AM by rrmoderator.

Bendmeares:

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