OK, I am back, I can run, but I can't hide....

[Paul not the apostle]

I had to take a break for a while. The church controversy stuff that we were going through was just too much and I needed a break. Tongues, testing of spirits, etc. It was too much for me to handle all at once. All that and a troubled economy trashing our finances for a while. We have left the church and are now going to another church in town. We chose a Sunday School class with all older people because we just wanted to kind of hide out and not be involved in any debates that cause people to not like us. Guess what book is being studied? That's correct, GENESIS. The first week the leader stated that the class should try to not get sidetracked into the polygamy debate again. The class did not heed his request. I can run but can't hide.

 

[Mark C]

Perhaps that is something as simple a lesson as "what God is teaching is not a sidetrack", Paul.

Blessings, and welcome back!

Mark

 

[The Duke Of Marshall]

They say that "knowledge is power", but I say that "the wise use of knowledge is power". Maybe it is just me, but I have always enjoyed getting into discussions about plural marriage. Most people I get into discussions with feel rather "over knowledged" at the end of the discussion. I am not saying that to "toot" my own horn, but rather most people know what they are talking about without even knowing scriptures. The real laugh is when you get with these southern baptist "king james only" people. They will not even consider the source. Rather they hold their translation up over the original and of course, their interpretation.

Good luck to you Paul as you go through your journey. After everything I have studied and learned, I most likely would not be accepted in about 98% of churches nowadays. So I do not even go to church although I would love to find one for at least fellowship.

 

[Tlaloc]

Thats right Paul, now that you know you can never un-know. Since your too honest a person to go into denial your stuck knowing and having it burn on your conscience when people teach something false.

It is admirable to want to avoid debates, and no one can debate endlessly. For you it may be the best thing to try to simply shine instead of debate. When it comes up lodge your disagreement calmly and with gentle wisdom, concisely present the facts, and when they rebut simply say something along the lines of 'you can twist the Word however you want, thats what it says and thats where I'm standing' and then let them continue on to their lesson. If the lesson isn't specifically anti polygamy you can even encourage them to proceed and not get side tracked. You may never win the leadership that way, but you also might not get singled out and kicked out as quickly, and in the mean time other lay people may come to you with serious questions so you can make a real difference.

This is typically how we make a mark and shine in the secular world, we act differently and we let people know we think differently. We don't sit fighting it out and arguing it out with everyone who disagrees with us, we just lodge our complaint and continue to live to our higher standard. If it works in the real world we should apply it to church doctrines gone astray as well.

 

[steve]

I most likely would not be accepted in about 98% of churches nowadays.

so you would be accepted in 2 churches out of every 100? what a lightweight
i think you may have meant something closer to 99.8%. (altho even 2 out of 1,000 might be hard to fit into)

 

[The Duke Of Marshall]

so you would be accepted in 2 churches out of every 100? what a lightweight

lol, eh, I was trying to be optimistic. Someone who knows the truth of plural marriage and whose beliefs are more in line with the messianics than anyone else does not really fit in, in the bible belt south dominated by southern baptists. I agree though; 2 out of 1,000 might be hard to fit into.