Mike, your whole purpose in posting was to defend an exclusive position. That’s why you have posted a series of scriptural verses. You know as well as I do that those are used to do that. That’s why you now say “what I have tried to do is put put forward the scriptural position on these matters, not defend Christadelphians, not justify what happens.”

Please understand I am not condemning Christadelphians. I am simply stated the reality that it is a community that promoted the idea that it alone has “the Truth” and that is does disfellowship those who change position or question that. It also disciplines those who attend other churches. That isn’t a condemnation, it is a simple statement of fact. It isn’t writing anyone off to do that. Nor is it a lack of manifesting the Spirit of Christ to speak the truth about what happens.

Are you seriously suggesting the community is tolerant in these respects?

Nor am I saying Christadelphians are “incapable of thinking for themselves.” I never made that claim. Instead I would suggest we are all influenced by variance factors and as a community historically it can be shown to originate from the personal Biblical teachings of one man, Dr John Thomas. What I don’t believe is we have total independence of thought.

Block disfellowship has not been something which is only supported by splinter Christadelphians groups too. If we look at Christadelphian history thousands were put out of fellowship because some questioned how the Bible was inspired and a huge number would not support disfellowshipping them or altering their statement of faith. That is factual Christadelphian history. The main community disfellowshipped many other communities for leaving open the question of who exactly would come to the judgement seat. The main community decided that was everyone who knew the saving truth, which was defined within as the Birmingham AMENDED statement of faith. Allowing these people to rejoin was rejected in America a few years ago. Exclusivism has been a mainstream practice, not a sideline. Indeed Christadelphians historically call their belief set “the Truth” and have called other Christians “the apostasy”. Let’s be honest here.

I have not said I have all the truth. Thank you for your response because it lets other people see the kind of dissimulation that occurs.

'thetruthsetusfree' makes a number of points which I would not deny - but the same difficulties are apparent in any community of believers - with the exception perhaps of groups of 1!

Andrew Wilson's excellent book 'The History of the Christadelphians 1864 - 1885 The Emergence of a Denomination' details many of the difficulties experienced which has resulted in many different Fellowships.

My own experience clearly leads me to the conclusion that their ardent - and perhaps at times over-zealous - contending for 'The Truth' resulted in positions being taken up too hastily and separations / divisions occurring, some of which have subsequently been resolved, others not.

IF there is 'absolute truth' then their position is understandable.

They refer often to 'First Principles - those being the basis of what are accepted as the uncompromising beliefs essential to salvation - hence they could not fellowship any who believed in The Trinity; heaven-going; active possession of The Holy Spirit; transubstantiation; Confessions to earthly persons who claim to have power to forgive sins; etc the 'Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith (BASW) encompasses the basis of beliefs of Central Fellowship.

It is a sadness that such a small community has become so fragmented but perhaps inevitable when such great emphasis is placed on 'Truth' and it being so essential to salvation. Having said that few groups, if any, would ever claim that they alone will be in The Kingdom.

Christdelphinans do not belive that Jesus is the son of God, neither do they believe that he is God

Christadelphians do most certainly believe that Jesus is the son of God.

You are correct that they do not believe that he is God.

For additional insights into Christadelphian doctrine and departures from the religion, enter
"Lynette Schaefer Christadelphian" into your search engine.
She is a former Christadelphian who recounts her exploration of Christadelphian doctrine and
her exit from the religion in an article entitled "From Christadelphianism to Christianity."

Additional interesting discussions about the Christadelphian religion appear at the Help.com website.

Just thought I'd post an open message to any ex-christadelphians who are interested, to join the facebook group for ex-christadelphians. You'll find lots of support from former members who have been damaged and are trying to move on with their life.

[www.facebook.com]

Cheers

AndrewM1-Must be die hard christadelphian who does not like criticism of his religion, I have a family member who has joined this sect and I have attended bible study and their lectures as well, some good, some questinable because there is always two to tango.Christadelphian interpretation of theology verses christian. But CD's always attack christian interpretation of fundamental scripture. And christadelphians are always right. Many failed end time prophesies which got unstuck, but nothing stops them from making new ones. I suggest to AndrewM1 to google :what they said would happen and the physician who doctored the truth, and just maybe look into ex-christadelphian site as well. From personal experience I had with CD's, when I attended their ecclesia for sunday service, their preaching guy on the day said that outsiders were not welcomed to sunday service because the service is special to CD's, and if an outsider was present they will not be asked to leave,what a welcome, thanks. Well if you attend any christian church anyone is welcomed, the service maybe special to the congregation but no one will ask you to leave. Again in another session when a member of my family passed away, a chap said that he was sorry, but the person will not be resurected because they did not die in the TRUTH, who's truth, christadelphian truth. And another one said that if I don't convert I will not get salvation. Well Mr.AndrewM1, you are saying that your religion is not special, most christadelphians think that they will rule with Christ in his kingdom on earth, and please don't tell me you never heard that one before. I am not saying that all CD's are bad, but you guys are so "higher then thou". J.Thomas and R.Roberts predicted end of time and failed and many more, why do you even try, Christ said: I will come like a thief in the night, no date no time.

I have tremendous sympathy with what you have said 'ejk' - a) no-one would ever be turned away from amy Services (other than 'closed' meetings - often called Business Meetings - of the individual Ecclesia when even those from other Ecclesias would not be able to attend and b) It is GOD who is the Great Judge and not us - so eternal life is not a decision we can make, we just have to try to live our lives in accord with what scripture teaches.

Christadelphians, both individually and collectively, look forward to The Kingdom of God being set up on earth and hope to be in it but do not believe that they will be the exclusive ones within it.

Dr (John) Thomas was not correct in his predictions about when Jesus would return but he did 'read' quite accurately many of the 'signs of the times' - and Bible students everywhere continue to do so and look for his return.

Christadelphians are very hard to deal with, first majority look upon christians as "unbelievers" astray from the bible. They feel that CD's have been called out from among the gentiles, I know for a fact that most think that they will be taken miraculously to Mt.Sinai and be judged by Christ, the worthy will be given eternal life and they will rule with Christ in his Kingdom on earth. CD's like to predict the end of time ( return of Christ ) but have failed miserably many times.
John Thomas,founder of CD's said in his book Anatolia: that in 1866 Christ will arise to his inheritance-Kingdom of God
Robert Roberts said that Christ will reign on earth in 1910
C.P.Wauchope,prominant south australian CD that armageddon will happen in 1934
H.P.Mansfield 1968 claimed : that the world lives in the very shadow of Christ's second coming
H.P.Mansfield 1985 claimed: that Russian growth is a witness to the immenant return of Christ
Roger Stokes said that massive coming of nations together against Israel, that will devastate the Jews 1987
Woodville ecclesia south australia, 1999 the end is here
And now Andy Walton predicts that Russian invasion of Syria is immenant-because of the civil war. Russia did not mobilized her army on Turkish border, and just maybe Turks will go in to stop the boodshed.