(This is a copy of the post I submitted to www.baptistdeception.com in response to some visitors that do not agree with Mr. Steve Sorenson's much needed web site, I thought I would post it here as well)
One of the things I have come to terms of late is the pursuit of pure, unadulterated truth, or to put it simply, "Above All: Truth". When I became a victim of spiritual abuse by IFBCs, I decided to check and validate everything they (IFB leaders) have ever told me, from KJV only, to tithing and church history. I'm still on that quest and have come to the conclusion that I will never know the complete truth this side of life, maybe in the next one, (then again where is it stated once we die we will know everything right?).
If my faith, denomination, church, etc, cannot stand up to the scrutiny of honest questions and examination of truth then it needs to be cast aside. For example (this is for you hard-core IFBer's): Suppose for a minute that we have solid, undeniable evidence that the KJV-Only stance is incorrect or that the KJV Bible has errors due to the translation process. Now most of you IFBs will have stopped right there and not understood the question so . . .one more time: SUPPOSE, that we have solid, UDENIABLE EVIDENCE that the KJV-Only stance is incorrect and that the KJV Bible has errors due to the translation process (Ok IFBs, hang in there don't switch off, just SUPPOSE!). What will you do? Will your faith crumble because it is centered on a human endeavor? (The KJV translation was after all done by humans not angels.) Do you have the courage to look at that portion of your faith/belief and say "that belief was wrong"? What if the same thing can be said about tithing? Most members of IFB churches that I know will not consider such questions and operate almost as if they are in a cult. They will run away because it threatens their entire spiritual world and they are afraid. Like the classic scenario of the abused child that refuses help because despite the abuse (or incorrectness of teaching) that is all they know and the alternative (the unknown) is not acceptable. Despite the guilt they feel over some of the smallest things in life, despite the fear that God will send the "Destroyer" if they don't tithe, or God will visit judgment upon them if they do not attend every service or church event. Some will reach a level where they feel they are doing it out of love for God and not guilt, but what happens when that feeling dissipates? That's right, you start doing it out of guilt! (Come on, admit it, it’s ok, you can tell us, we've been there :) Yet despite all this, they feel they are in the proper spiritual world where everything is as it should be. Until the abused reach a level of pain where they say enough is enough! Have the courage to start asking questions at your church! Ask them the hard ones! When they give you there standard, patented IFB answers, go to the internet (Google or Bing) and research the opposing views, print them out, go back to your preacher/SS teacher and sit down with him and review them point by point. Here are some good ones to get you started: Is tithing for the New Testament church? What evidence do you have to support Pre-Trib Rapture theory? What is Preterism? History of KJV-Only-ism.
I predict a couple of outcomes once you start doing this: 1. the preacher will meet with you and tolerate this a few times then tell you to stop asking questions or leave the church. 2. The preacher will start to avoid you and make excuses why he can't meet, may defer you to a deacon/Sunday school teacher, if you persist he will ask you to leave the church. 3. The preacher will start getting mad and start using you as the topic of preaching during subsequent services. 4. Maybe, just maybe, the preacher will meet with you and welcome your quest for truth and embrace your endeavor.
People who have written on this site opposing Mr. Steve Sorenson simply lack the courage to honestly look at their IFB beliefs/movement with an open, clear, un-predisposed mind. They have been successfully programmed to lock their mind and throw away the key using the very scriptures they profess to follow. They will justify cruelty, anger, name-calling, profanity and violence all in the name of their god. I see them stoning the woman caught in adultery whereas Jesus simply let her go. Do you have the courage to see if we the abused are right? Try it! God will not condemn a person who is honestly searching for truth right? Ask God to show you and have the courage to take the answer even if it goes against the preacher/church/denomination. After all, you have been preached that there are incorrect wayward churches out there; all you want to do is make sure you are not in one of them.
I can tell you of the wonderful freedom and happiness my wife and I enjoy now that we no longer attend these churches. We stopped tithing years ago and that "Devourer" fellow (still sounds like WWF character or something doesn't it?), he never did appear. I have not lost my job, my car did not explode (boy, sometimes we make God out to be a terrorist don't we? Car bombs and all.) I have spoken out against these so called men of god (yep, little 'g' on purpose there) and no "She-Bears" have appeared to devour me. God has not killed my kids. I will continue to call out these men of god as I see them, some are ignorant fools and some are just plain asses. I don't answer to them anymore; in fact they in part should answer to me for leading me astray so many years. They should answer to you too; after all they claim to have the truth! For those that doubt my experience, understand that I was well on my way to becoming one of them. I was an Adult Sunday school teacher, preacher and deacon over the course of my IFB life and was on the cusp of enrolling/attending Ambassador Baptist College in North Carolina following after Ron Comfort. Glad I didn't. I would rather be an "Honest Sinner, than a Fake Saint". And I will be the first one to tell you I am not perfect or holy, but then again, unlike most IFB preachers I've known, I never claimed to be. Peace, out! :)
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6 comments:
I read your whole blog today. You could have almost written our entire story! I completely related to your tithing story- my husband came to that same conclusion once we decided (fearfully) that I could no longer homeschool (it was driving me insane), and we chose to enroll them into a private school (a bad one with Christian rock music)! Ofcourse, we really couldn't afford that either since we have 5 children....so, they then went to public school. I was waiting for things to burn myself. I joke about it now, but the fear was not funny at the time. We were loved...until we quit going Sun am, pm, Wed pm and Saturday workdays. And,we could totally relate to the Sunday drives. Haha! I really laughed when I read that- we actually went fishing one Sunday. 1)We don't know how to fish. 2)It was like 106 degrees and humid that day. 3)We had no money, but we bought fishing poles and bait on our charge card.....anything to avoid church! :) Loved your blog! I started one myself....just my journey through my own thoughts and through the Bible after coming through 2 IFB's- though the first one not as strict- still dogmatic on the teaching. http://michellemagi.vox.com/
God Bless!
It takes a whole lot of courage to blog like this. Kudos to you for having the guts to question & not take anything for granted. Kudos to you for not just accepting what someone wants to force you to believe...
I think my new motto is
QUESTION AUTHORITY
I too was involved in an IFB church for around 19 years. (they called themselves non-denom, supposedly denominations are "not biblical"...yet the leader calls his church "baptistic", so go figure??? oh, do I see double speak there or what?) Anyhow, the doctrines & MO are very similar. I understand where you are coming from.
My IFB story is a very long story, let's just say that the whole situation ended up damaging us in many ways.
The Catholic church, in which I was raise NEVER hurt us like that! I can say that to their credit, they never caused us the damage like that bible preacher did.
Our spirit, our emotions, our psyches, our finances, our relationships, our careers.....
I am not the same person after what I & my family have experienced. I'm OK with that though...I'd rather be out of there & be just ME, then still be in it, a Stepford wife & drinking the Koolaid week after week.
Dear God thank you for getting us out of that place. God understands freedom, that's what I think.
I have a much clearer understanding now of abuse, deception, manipulation & control, especially inflicted using the bible. It was not pleasant, but I knew staying in that place was no longer an option for my family & I.
You may have read some of my comments on the baptistdeception website that tells more of my story. God bless Steve S. for putting that website up, because he is RIGHT & he is telling the truth. Unfortunately it does seem that many aren't willing to hear the facts & look at them objectively. Some folks just stop thinking for themselves.
Just my opinion.
Ah well... maybe someday folks will see the damage for what it is. and maybe they'd think twice before treating people so harshly. Ok rant off..:)
Please take care & don't think for a minute that God is mad at you for leaving that abuse. You did the right thing in walking away from the BS.
I believe God is smiling down on you & me & others who have the courage to say NO...God is not like that!
To Life! & your continued journey, may it be a good one!
April Galamin - Griffiths
hey the whole world said they will stand with you in vain against the genuinly saved.And how can you say,that they critisise you,for ive done the same as you once,yea,I left to,yea and but it was cause I wasent right,and no it wasent the faithful pasture who heart God had made to hate sin,Yea but I was lagitimetly honest for fear of God.I can tell by the IBPS fruit that their genuinaly saved,and you call them mean but you realy mean God is mean.and when you look on them with enmity upon your face,your realy looking upon them as you would before Him,cause you as it clearly seems lead astray by whatever it is of this ungodly world,yea,and the christians may not give to you that which is holy unless you shun being a dog.
To anonymous aka "Yea Person" that posted at 4:00 PM. Sounds like you are trying to be a prophet or prophesying. Tell you what, tell me what is going to happen Monday April 19th and I will start paying attention to you. If not, you're a deluded "poser" that needs some psychological help and cult de-programming. If you are simply trying to communicate with me, try good ole modern English. Works quite well.
Funny, I just came across this blog today. Looks like it hasn't been updated in a while, yet so important. My Dad was an IFB pastor all the years i grew up, as well as while my siblings were at home. We went to worthless private schools that they couldn't afford, we lived at the mercy of the "tithers" in tiny little churches that my Dad had started. Unbelievable the sacrifices, the suffering in God's name. All my siblings are either dead or have strayed far far away from anything God related. Thankfully through God's grace, and a few hard lessons, I have learned about the true Grace of God and His sovereignty. Pray for the IFB cult members in this world, those who appear to be spiritual, yet have absolutely no depth of understanding, or any real maturity at all. I have seen the damage that the Hyles, and Sword of the Lord crowd does. Those that darken the experience of Christianity and shackle their followers with a burden so horrible as to cure most of ever really becoming a Christian. A religion of DONTS and Wrath. It is a wonderful life for those who know the freedom in Christ, and understand He chose me to live and reflect His message through my actions and love for others. Praise God for electing me, and for delivering me from the hypocritical existence of the IFB movement.
We too have left the IFB because they were not following what the Bible teaches. We do not GO to Church we ARE the Church. The Early church met in homes, held a Lord's Supper meal, and only gave to the poor and missions. We have blogged a lot about our experience in the IFB and how people can really follow what Jesus and the disciples taught at faithbylove.wordpress.com Glad to hear you escaped all the lies my friend!
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