BeachOfEden Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Ok. It's my turn to vent my exasperation at my mom's JW friends who keep hoping I will come back to the Lord and get saved. Today I heard that a JW friend of my mom's asked her if she thought I'd come back to their Kingdom hall if my friend Bernie was to come. What's this? Briving? If they only knew that Bernie is gay...His elder father would die Anyways, anyone else here have to endure your family's fundamentalist friends trying to bring you back to the Lord and get saved? Anyone else annoyed that their fundie family's friends don;t acknowledge that you ARE ALREADY a Christian simply because you are not a fundamental one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatherman Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 BeachOfEden, Although I haven't been as regularly exposed to this kind of deal as you have, I have had my experiences with it (not JW, but Church of Christ). I found that it helped me to assume the best of intentions of the person. I assumed that they were acting out of love for me and faithfulness to God. Yes, it's a different path than yours. Yes, it's a path that involves persuasion and conversion. Given what they believe about salvation though, shouldn't they do everything in their power to help you? What would happen if you responded with total sincerity with something like, "Thank you so much for caring about me. Your love and concern is truly a blessing. God bless you." (says Fatherman atop of his easier-said-than-done tower) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Um, yes, as a matter of fact. Just Saturday my aunt called to see if we would like to come to her church (southern baptist). The invite was a very thinly veiled,"we need a piano player". I told her up front as soon as she invited that I would not play the piano. I did this for 15 years (locked into the system as it were) and am totally burned out. Didn't really stop her cuz she was on a mission! Even my mother, who has not gone to church in 25? years said, "now, you do have a talent and you should use it". Go figure. If they knew that I were (was?) here they would get the vapors! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
des Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 (edited) Fatherman, What would happen if you responded with total sincerity with something like, "Thank you so much for caring about me. Your love and concern is truly a blessing. God bless you." I'm happy you recognized how hard this one would be/is! I haven't really tried this, though I have really more or less done the "I'm born again" (I think I am, but maybe not in their sense) and try to find commonalities. This worked several days with my sister but only for so many days. Then she tried to figure out what I read. I hestitate to tell her Spong, Fox, the Dali Lama, etc. :-) Then she will try to get me to read things she likes. etc. She has sent me books and videos. If you honestly believe that your family member is goign to hell and burn their for eternity you are going to have to work hard at this! Much harder than we do. So you come into any kind of exchange like this at a disadvantage. You have really no ax to grind, since you are nto worried about what happens to them. Even though I don't agree with fundamentalism, I feel that they have the right to find truth as they see fit. Your tolerance can actually work against you. I can imagine my sister's comment to this: "Yes I care about you and I want you to find Christ. [in my terms]". But it might work with someone who is not so adept. :-) BTW, my sister has converted my mom, which kind of encouraged her. I think it has helped my mom (being not so "blame the victim" as Christian science), but I doubt my sister has informed mom, who has dementia and doesn't get all the fine points, that dad is now roasting in hell. The church my mom goes to is a conservative Presbyterian and they aren't very fire and brimestone. --des Edited January 24, 2005 by des Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachOfEden Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 "BeachOfEden,Although I haven't been as regularly exposed to this kind of deal as you have, I have had my experiences with it (not JW, but Church of Christ). I found that it helped me to assume the best of intentions of the person. I assumed that they were acting out of love for me and faithfulness to God. Yes, it's a different path than yours. Yes, it's a path that involves persuasion and conversion. Given what they believe about salvation though, shouldn't they do everything in their power to help you? " Fatherman, Can you explain to me how many different kinds of Churches of Christ there are? The reason why i ask is i KNOW that the United Church of Christ is Progressive but I have these cousions who live in the mid-west and have been devote Church of Christ all their lives but their church is VERY fundamental, the one that does believe in musical instruments. Thanks for your input. "What would happen if you responded with total sincerity with something like, "Thank you so much for caring about me. Your love and concern is truly a blessing. God bless you.".." Well, they did not ask me directly. Rather it was something my mom told me that a JW said to her. She said to my mom, "Do you think your daughter would come back to our congergation if we could get her friend Bernie to come?" They don;t know that my friend Bernie has also since become Progressive and they don;t know that he is gay either. Seeking : " Um, yes, as a matter of fact. Just Saturday my aunt called to see if we would like to come to her church (southern baptist). The invite was a very thinly veiled,"we need a piano player". I told her up front as soon as she invited that I would not play the piano. I did this for 15 years (locked into the system as it were) and am totally burned out. Didn't really stop her cuz she was on a mission! Even my mother, who has not gone to church in 25? years said, "now, you do have a talent and you should use it". Go figure. If they knew that I were (was?) here they would get the vapors! " I relate alot to this, Seeking. Infact, much to the annoyance of both JW's and Southern Baptists, I have voiced how much ALIKe I see Southern Baptists and JW's both being. Because of this likeness i see between both of these groups I have made '2' websites of my own...One based on XJW Progressives and the other on X-Southern baptists Progressive. If you like I could give you the urls to either of these or both of them, if you...so you can see how i think they so much alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
des Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 (edited) United Church of Christ isn't at all related to Church of Christ. They have entirely different roots, where UCC derived from Congregational, Christian Church and two others. There may actually be two new additions to the group in coming years. I am not sure of C of C. I think there are several different CofCs though, but most have in common that Baptism is believed to be required to go to heaven. I think they tend to be rural (or at least draw rural born people in the city). In the ads, the announcer cleverly said, "We're the United Church.. of Christ." I still wonder how many people went in the local C of C and wondered.... --des Edited January 24, 2005 by des Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 We live in the south. My Grandfather is a "yellow dog" Church of Christ (not to mention Democrat,lol). This group believes that you have to be a member of "the Church of Christ". They do believe that you have to be baptised as part of salvation. They also take communion every Sunday. Oh, and they don't allow musical instruments in the church. Reminds me of a real life joke by an old lady I know: Her friend said that music wasn't needed in church------did you ever read anywhere in the Bible about Jesus toting a piano around on his back. The old lady shot back----no, but I never read about him carrying around an air conditioner, neither! hehehehe........loved that one. Sherry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachOfEden Posted January 25, 2005 Author Share Posted January 25, 2005 "We live in the south. My Grandfather is a "yellow dog" Church of Christ (not to mention Democrat,lol). This group believes that you have to be a member of "the Church of Christ". They do believe that you have to be baptised as part of salvation. They also take communion every Sunday. Oh, and they don't allow musical instruments in the church." I believe that IS IT. Yes, that MUST be the church that my cousins belong to. They do believe that the Church of Christ is 'THEE" right church and all others are cults. Yes, my father was forced to attend this COC when he was a kid and he did say that they do communion every Sunday and that they deny the use of musical instruments in the church. Funny, follow Fundamental Protestants told that they thought the CoC was a cult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrotherRog Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Fyi, read these articles carefully - some important distinctions: ---------------- REVEAL: Leaving the International Churches of Christ (ICC) (ICOC)An Organization of Former Members of the International Churches of Christ (ICC), Boston Church of Christ/"Boston Movement", and Crossroads Church of Christ ... http://www.reveal.org/ The REVEAL Library: From the CofC to the Boston Movement... In the late 1970s a controversial movement, commonly known as the Boston Church of Christ or Boston Movement, arose within the American Restorationist Churches ... http://www.reveal.org/library/history/paden.html Bibliography of the International Churches of Christ / Boston ...... An Examination of the Boston Movement in Relation to Thought-Reform Criteria," all by Carol Giambalvo; "The Boston Church of Christ at Boston University," by ... http://www.unc.edu/~elliott/iccbib.htm International Churches Of Christ: Who They Are, What They Do, How ...... The movement's churches generally take on the name of the place in which they are located, eg: Boston Church of Christ, Los Angeles Church of Christ, London ... http://www.apologeticsindex.org/i02.html The Boston Church of Christ... Phone: 978-663-4620. © 2004 Boston Church of Christ. All rights reserved. website powered by Genesis © Design by Major Web Developers, Inc. http://www.bostoncoc.org/ Church of Christ, Scientist Official web site of the Mother Church, the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts. http://www.tfccs.com/ Church of Christ, Boston... The Boston Church of Christ, The Crossroads Movement, Multiplying Ministries, The Discipling Movement, The International Church of Christ, The London Church of ... http://www.carm.org/icc/icc.htm The Watchman Expositor: Boston / International Church of Christ ...... Boston Church of Christ / International Church of Christ. ... Not only must one be baptized, but one must also be baptized in the Boston Church of Christ. ... http://www.watchman.org/profile/bostnpro.htm International Church of Christ aka Boston Church of Christ, Kip ...Boston Church of Christ, International Churches of Christ, Discipling Movement, Kip McKean, Discipling. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE ... http://www.rickross.com/groups/icc.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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