division

/Tag: division
19 June

No, Jesus didn’t come to divide households. Not even close.

By |2019-04-11T06:16:05-06:00June 19th, 2017|Uncategorized|21 Comments

One of the most powerful rhetorical devices to rally the troops around the church's flag has been its language of martyrdom. Everyone is out to get them, and they love to talk up how much they're hated and persecuted by "the world" and their non-SCOC family members. But at least they know to expect and prepare for this kind of unfair treatment; Jesus predicted it, didn't he? Matthew 10:34-36 - Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own [...]

28 September

Striking at the root of the tree: The hypocrisy of Merie’s withdrawal

By |2019-04-11T06:40:30-06:00September 28th, 2016|Uncategorized|42 Comments

If I were to ask one question of Stanton members, it would be this: Did Merie ever make herself right from her withdrawal for sowing seeds of discord and causing division? Here is her letter of withdrawal from 1958. (Mainline churches actually leave a paper trail for their disciplinary actions, unlike Stanton COC, which prefers to keep its business under the cover of secrecy.) To me, this is the question that strikes at the root of the tree of the Stanton sect. According to Merie's own teaching, the mainline churches didn't "lose the candlestick" until sometime in the mid-70's. This means her withdrawal was put into place by a church that even she recognized. Now remember that by Stanton COC teachings, even unjust withdrawals need to [...]

26 August

Speaking the same thing

By |2019-04-11T02:08:44-06:00August 26th, 2013|Uncategorized|11 Comments

I have never seen a group misapply 1 Corinthians 1 about "speaking the same thing" so radically as this church does, and with such devastating results to freedom of conscience and congregational autonomy. "Older ones" get sent as delegates to what amounts to the Church of Christ Convention (not unlike the Baptist Convention). We typically call this May Week, or May Meeting, or sometimes March Week. Stanton discusses and debates petty matters of conscience, and returns with "new understandings" for the congregations to adopt. In a national game of follow the leader, the congregations do so, posthaste, as good followers do. This charade of unity-keeping is performed under the guise of living up to Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 1:10 to "speak the same thing." But [...]

10 July

What is a sect?

By |2019-04-11T02:07:55-06:00July 10th, 2013|Uncategorized|18 Comments

Members of the Stanton Churches of Christ will not like my use of the term "sect," and I assure you, it's not meant to be hurtful or derogatory. Here is the definition: a dissenting or schismatic religious body; especially : one regarded as extreme or hereticala religious denomination a group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or to a leader party faction I think any fair-minded person would have to agree that all of these definitions apply. They were founded based on Merie Weiss's dissenting views from the mainstream Churches of Christ in the late 60's and early 70's. As such they became a schism when she broke away and formed her own distinctive church body or "fellowship." They adhere to a distinctive set of doctrines [...]