Date Posted:02:49:59 06/21/04 Mon Author: Mike K. Subject: All too common In reply to:
former
's message, "Re: More Strawmen" on 15:05:56 06/19/04 Sat
Funny thing is, I'm currently researching another group I was involved with.
It looks like authoritarian "ministries" are somehow the same all over.
The following things apply there also:
>The good
>Emphasis on the Word of God
>Emphasis on personal relationships
>Sincere desire of many to obey Christ
>Sincere desire of many to exalt Christ
>Emphasis on education
>Emphasis on missions
>Lay member emphasis in evangelism
>Humility & hardworking spirit of many (people regardless od nationality)
>Profound committment of many members
>The Bad
>**********************
>No established system of justice or discipline
>Abuse
>Cover ups of abuse
>Unrepentant leaders
>Unwillingness to learn from other ministries
>Chauvinism, looking down on other Christians
>Excessive deference to leaders bordering on feudalism
>& monarchism
>Sexism
>Fostering execessive dependence upon humans rather
>than God.
>Unbelievable cynicism of established & entrenched
>leadership
>Shooting its wounded
>Inability to criticize itself in a meaningful,
>non-threatening way before God.
Yup, all these I observed elsewhere, in a group totally unaffiliated to the UBF.
