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Post by CherieKropp on Jul 29, 2015 12:42:02 GMT -5
Jesse requested proof in another thread - so if you care to post your names as proof to him, please do.
If you recall a worker preaching this, please give us particulars like who, when, what, where? Feel free to elaborate about your experience and thoughts regarding the Only Way concept. What changed your mind and caused you not to believe meetings were God's Only True Way anymore? EDIT: Some have suggested a question for "Did you believe it by osmosis"...that falls under the question: "Did you believe it?" Once the Submit Button us pressed, a poll cannot be changed--not even by the Admin.
I regret I did not include the question: "I was never taught it."
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Post by Jesse_Lackman on Jul 29, 2015 12:48:32 GMT -5
This poll is biased, it does not have enough options.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2015 13:03:42 GMT -5
My answers were the first here, able only to answer no to one (#3) by not voting for it.
1. In being taught 2&2 preacher speak, it was to avoid coming right out and flatly stating such, rather to teach it by inference and innuendo until the meeting was "tested" whereupon every companion I was with said either these words or something like them, "if you have been attending these meetings and wish to become part of God's only true way, you can acknowledge this by....". This was my experience with 14 assigned companions on two continents.
2. Eventually I came to understand the "true way" as being only my Lord, and not a method nor system.
3. The belief stated in #2.
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Post by matisse on Jul 29, 2015 13:30:49 GMT -5
Is there a way to add the option, "I was not told/taught this"?
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hberry
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Post by hberry on Jul 29, 2015 13:34:32 GMT -5
Is there a way to add the option, "I was not told/taught this"? I was thinking too of a category like "I picked it up through osmosis." (Meaning that you could absorb the teaching and come up with the desired outcome without being directly taught.) I suspect this is what Dennis is saying in the above post. I was directly taught this was the one right way and other ways were false (I grew up during the church bashing era of the late 50s/60s), but I believe I would have absorbed that same idea through the current focus on the form of ministry and form of church being "as it was in the bible."
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Post by blacksheep on Jul 29, 2015 13:37:38 GMT -5
Arnold Brown, (head worker in the Michigan field at the time) preached "only-right-way-all-others-are false-ism" throughout the 1960s. Anyone who sat through those 10 years worth of missions and actually listened would have to agree that it was told/taught over and over again.
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hberry
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Post by hberry on Jul 29, 2015 13:39:15 GMT -5
Arnold Brown, (head worker in the Michigan field at the time) preached "only-right-way-all-others-are false-ism" throughout the 1960s. Anyone who sat through those 10 years worth of missions and actually listened would have to agree that it was told/taught over and over again. The workers here too through that era taught the same way. Harry Meridien comes to mind immediately from that era.
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Post by shipwreckedsailor on Jul 29, 2015 13:54:51 GMT -5
Is there a way to add the option, "I was not told/taught this"? I was thinking too of a category like "I picked it up through osmosis." (Meaning that you could absorb the teaching and come up with the desired outcome without being directly taught.) I suspect this is what Dennis is saying in the above post. I was directly taught this was the one right way and other ways were false (I grew up during the church bashing era), but I believe I would have absorbed that same idea through the current focus on the form of ministry and form of church being "as it was in the bible." My thinking exactly ~ osmosis. I attended meetings from the time of birth, it is just something I grew up believing. I don't stick my hand in an open flame (well, not on purpose anyway! : ...do I remember when I was taught exactly NOT to do that? It goes along with so many things we learn from babyhood up and can't exactly put a date and/or time on when it became part of our thinking.
There is a story my sister, a very faithful 2x2 until her death, used to love telling. When she was only about 5 or 6 years of age as she was climbing into the car to head off to Sunday morning meeting a little neighbor friend yelled and asked where she was going. My sis promptly replied to this little friend "I'm going to meeting and you're going to hell!" Now where does a little five year old come up with that?
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Post by blacksheep on Jul 29, 2015 14:01:57 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2015 14:24:50 GMT -5
If I can't specifically remember a worker saying, "this IS the only true way" I can specially remember workers preaching they were part of the only true ministry of God on earth. Also, I can remember specific workers teaching about all other "ways" being false, leading people to a lost eternity. Sadly, taught (indoctrinated?) to believe that I did until finally comprehending what was my true "way, truth and life."
Since the only one I answer for is myself, I make every effort to apply what I believe only to myself. Not an easy task! Still trying, though!
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Post by SharonArnold on Jul 29, 2015 14:29:24 GMT -5
I was taught that 2X2 meetings were God's only true way, both explicitly and implicitly. (Western Canada, B&R 1958)
I no longer personally believed this, for a number of years, while I was still a member. It was a process for me, with the first questions starting when I encountered St Francis' "Lord make me an instrument of your peace" prayer when I was 13 years old. I could not understand how a Catholic monk could pen words that touched me so deeply and, at the same time, made my soul soar. By the time I was 18 or 19, I had done the math, and it seemed increasingly improbable to me. By the time I was 25, I had compared conduct/behavior of current members to non-members, and the non-members came off looking pretty good. I left at age 38.
I am fairly sure the majority of my relatives who are still members still believe this. Even most of the handful who no longer really believe this, and are okay with me no longer being a member, would probably rather not risk testing it for themselves.
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Post by Mary on Jul 29, 2015 14:39:39 GMT -5
Hymns like 'I Love to Think The Way of God is just the Path that Jesus Trod' and other such hymns about 'the way' were sung with us knowing that they referred to us as being the way of God. We were in the only right way and we sang hymns to reinforce this. Jesus also traveled 'this way.'.
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Post by blacksheep on Jul 29, 2015 14:46:49 GMT -5
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and NO man come unto the Father but through me."..... Well, the Buddhists, Muslims, atheists, agnostics will argue, contest your opinions "Jesus... NO, you ain't the ONLY Way." The day is coming when Jesus sits on His throne as a judge in the judgment day, He will say, "I told you so!" You have to bend, spindle and mutilate that to fit the Worker's Meetings.....get out the shoehorn!
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Post by blacksheep on Jul 29, 2015 15:08:50 GMT -5
In this case, the word "WAY"...
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Post by Mary on Jul 29, 2015 15:18:53 GMT -5
The Way is not Jesus plus anything Nathan. The Bible says Jesus is the Way. What happened to the hymn Jesus only is our message. Seems as if Jesus plus is their message.
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Post by blandie on Jul 29, 2015 16:23:26 GMT -5
Yessir and theres also the side-steppers who'll say that theres people in other churches who'll be saved and sometimes omit the part about that god will bring them into contact with the true ministers with the true gospel thats required to save them. And for some folks thats enough to rationalize away in their own minds that the group isn't all that exclusive even though it rests entirely on a fig leaf dodge of the real issue. The same sort of equivocation is used to dodge the teaching/doctrine on many other things like the trinity or the rules or whatever. Clever as foxes but not innocent as doves.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2015 16:28:22 GMT -5
I was taught it specifically by my grandparents and my mother and my aunt I never had a worker say it to my face though...
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Post by magpie on Jul 29, 2015 16:55:25 GMT -5
Why did some say that I was bound for eternal damnation when anouncing that I had moved out to further my service,learning,commitment and communion with God? "EXCLUSIVISM" = only way.Of course we as kids wondered why the lovely christian God fearing neighbours would be going to hell,traumatic teaching.
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Post by magpie on Jul 29, 2015 17:01:20 GMT -5
Nathan B ,sorry Nathan it is a cult,I thought many previous posts and boards pointed that out clearly.I am very ecumenical and never known one christian persuasion not preach teach that through Jesus it is the only way.
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Post by bubbles on Jul 29, 2015 17:05:54 GMT -5
I had a debate with one of my parents over this after I began attending another church. My arguement was that Jesus is the only way to the Father. I gave scripture and quoted it because that mindset I grew upwith kept surfacing in me and I woukd feel a pull back to meetings. It escalated into a full on row. I got off the phone in tears because I didnt like arguing with my parents. The response was alluding to workers their sacrifice and meetings. My pastor was teaching me the importance of understanding scripture verses mans teaching. You stand on the scripture not on the opinion of man. This kind of erroneous teaching causes so much confusion because it sounds similar to the scripture.
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Post by matisse on Jul 29, 2015 17:07:20 GMT -5
Yessir and theres also the side-steppers who'll say that theres people in other churches who'll be saved and sometimes omit the part about that god will bring them into contact with the true ministers with the true gospel thats required to save them. And for some folks thats enough to rationalize away in their own minds that the group isn't all that exclusive even though it rests entirely on a fig leaf dodge of the real issue. The same sort of equivocation is used to dodge the teaching/doctrine on many other things like the trinity or the rules or whatever. Clever as foxes but not innocent as doves. Another side-step about people in other churches that i have heard is "It is not for us/me to judge."
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Post by Jesse_Lackman on Jul 29, 2015 17:16:58 GMT -5
Jesse requested proof in another thread - so if you care to post your names as proof to him, please do.
If you recall a worker preaching this, please give us particulars like who, when, what, where? Feel free to elaborate about your experience and thoughts regarding the Only Way concept. What changed your mind and caused you not to believe meetings were God's Only True Way anymore?
The question should be the same for professing people as it was for exes on the Cult to Christ thread; "Are those outside the fellowship condemned to hell?". That is how you will find out what they believe.
If you asked most professing people as directly as I asked exes here I think most in the fellowship would answer like these exes did. I was specifically asking magpie based on magpie's judgmental statement. It's the same question, just modified slightly for magpie. "JESSE",you said blunt? snip OK,ROSS REMAIN "BLUNT", TO SAVE OTHERS FROM BLIND BONDAGE. 2x2s are in an unsaved BLIND BONDAGE and are condemned to hell? So it is yes from you? Matisse - no. Faune - no. SharonArnold - no. Maja - no Redback - no, no, no, no, etc Blacksheep - not condemned Roselyn - NO ! Cherie - no hberry - no Matt10 - there is no hell Mary - no xna - no withlove - no Ross Boden - No findingtruth - no gene - no ellie - no elizabethcoleman - No snow - No. But then I'm not part of the books cheering section. It's just one more book stating that their interpretation of what God wants is the better one. However, no one ever seems to see the irony of it all. Snow's comment should be the last word on the subject!!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2015 17:18:29 GMT -5
I didn't vote because I found the poll rather odd but I can state categorically that the 'only way' doctrine was taught consistently through the entire period of my unfortunate association with 2x2ism. I'd say it was taught implicitly if you were a stranger and explicitly if you were B&R. However once you had grasped it you couldn't fail to notice it if you were minded to listen. I remember one poor individual who attended gospel missions for ten years before professing. Over and over again he turned up to listen, sitting on his fold up chair fiddling with a well worn copy of hymns old and new with the gospel supplement at the end of it. Sunday Tuesday Friday Sunday Tuesday Friday, for ten long years he came, Winter Spring Summer Autumn, Winter Spring Summer Autumn, on and on and on, seeing off endless streams of workers and hired halls by the end of it. After he'd finally succumbed and thrown his telly in the bin he was asked why it took him so long to make his choice for the Lord. "It took me ten years to accept that my parents were in hell" he said. That, my friends, is the 'only way' doctrine in operation. Poor fellow. Matt10
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hberry
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Post by hberry on Jul 29, 2015 17:23:34 GMT -5
Yessir and theres also the side-steppers who'll say that theres people in other churches who'll be saved and sometimes omit the part about that god will bring them into contact with the true ministers with the true gospel thats required to save them. And for some folks thats enough to rationalize away in their own minds that the group isn't all that exclusive even though it rests entirely on a fig leaf dodge of the real issue. The same sort of equivocation is used to dodge the teaching/doctrine on many other things like the trinity or the rules or whatever. Clever as foxes but not innocent as doves. Another side-step about people in other churches that i have heard is "It is not for us/me to judge." That one makes me crazy, because if you believed that Christians in other churches were saved, you'd say so instead of the "we don't judge" comment.
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hberry
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Post by hberry on Jul 29, 2015 17:27:58 GMT -5
I didn't vote because I found the poll rather odd but I can state categorically that the 'only way' doctrine was taught consistently through the entire period of my unfortunate association with 2x2ism. I'd say it was taught implicitly if you were a stranger and explicitly if you were B&R. However once you had grasped it you couldn't fail to notice it if you were minded to listen. I remember one poor individual who attended gospel missions for ten years before professing. Over and over again he turned up to listen, sitting on his fold up chair fiddling with a well worn copy of hymns old and new with the gospel supplement at the end of it. Sunday Tuesday Friday Sunday Tuesday Friday, for ten long years he came, Winter Spring Summer Autumn, Winter Spring Summer Autumn, on and on and on, seeing off endless streams of workers and hired halls by the end of it. After he'd finally succumbed and thrown his telly in the bin he was asked why it took him so long to make his choice for the Lord. "It took me ten years to accept that my parents were in hell" he said. That, my friends, is the 'only way' doctrine in operation. Poor fellow. Matt10 Yes, one of my relatives refused to join the F&Ws because he said it would mean he'd have to believe his godly Mother wasn't saved--and he knew by her life that wasn't true. He got the memo, and that was back in Jack C days.
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Post by CherieKropp on Jul 29, 2015 17:32:21 GMT -5
EDIT: Some have suggested a question for "Did you believe it by osmosis"...that falls under the question: "Did you believe it?" Once the Submit Button us pressed, a poll cannot be changed--not even by the Admin.
I regret I did not include the question: "I was never taught it."
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hberry
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Post by hberry on Jul 29, 2015 17:33:26 GMT -5
EDIT: Some have suggested a question for "Did you believe it by osmosis"...that falls under the question: "Did you believe it?" Once the Submit Button us pressed, a poll cannot be changed--not even by the Admin.
I regret I did not include the question: "I was never taught it." really, it works okay as is....the comments provide the context.
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Post by Jesse_Lackman on Jul 29, 2015 18:09:37 GMT -5
Cherie I wasn't wondering what was taught. I was wondering what people believe right now. Just like what I asked exes.
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