I was a member for a number of years and the members for many years were truly sincere about following God. I feel like we were deceived in many ways by some watered down teachings, we could wear whatever and listen to rap and wear jewelry etc.. There was a massive delusion we were under, and the bible was used to evangelize but we missed the holiness piece.. The zeal was great but misguided and many many people were misled to think this was the way of God, but we completely undermined all the history and influence of other movements and churchianity that infected the bible over the centuries - and so we naively believed we were living like modern Christians would, only in this generation... I care about these people- but we have to be more honest and open and willing to be humble with how little we knew, and how weird we were - and how like the world we actually were/are.
Also, there's a HUGE mis teaching that Jesus had to take the suffering for our sins... We die to our sins - is the correct translation - like Damon said, but that's a massive misnomer that has been taught "substitution" theory, and I believe it's a massive root of much weirdness... "Because Jesus died for you" is a marketing orders.. It is very manipulative, and I agree that Mark Templer was using tricks to make members whether he knew it or not, he was caught up in the system and was working for the church and earning his keep and trying to out grow other regions and areas of the world. Power and money and comfort drive people to do some weird things and it's confusing when wrapped around religion - it's harder to see at times.
I was also a member of London church of christ... (LCC)... I had to go toe to toe with a lot of opposition like dating outside the church... Some people were OK, but it reminded me often of Jonestown Guyana
I was a member for a number of years and the members for many years were truly sincere about following God. I feel like we were deceived in many ways by some watered down teachings, we could wear whatever and listen to rap and wear jewelry etc.. There was a massive delusion we were under, and the bible was used to evangelize but we missed the holiness piece.. The zeal was great but misguided and many many people were misled to think this was the way of God, but we completely undermined all the history and influence of other movements and churchianity that infected the bible over the centuries - and so we naively believed we were living like modern Christians would, only in this generation... I care about these people- but we have to be more honest and open and willing to be humble with how little we knew, and how weird we were - and how like the world we actually were/are.
Also, there's a HUGE mis teaching that Jesus had to take the suffering for our sins... We die to our sins - is the correct translation - like Damon said, but that's a massive misnomer that has been taught "substitution" theory, and I believe it's a massive root of much weirdness... "Because Jesus died for you" is a marketing orders.. It is very manipulative, and I agree that Mark Templer was using tricks to make members whether he knew it or not, he was caught up in the system and was working for the church and earning his keep and trying to out grow other regions and areas of the world. Power and money and comfort drive people to do some weird things and it's confusing when wrapped around religion - it's harder to see at times.
The Cradle of Filth episode was the best.
I was also a member of London church of christ... (LCC)... I had to go toe to toe with a lot of opposition like dating outside the church... Some people were OK, but it reminded me often of Jonestown Guyana
The Wu-tang forever poster in the room,,, really? That was weird
This is nothing but will worship - false, ineffectual and totally useless.