• Welcome to White Horse Forums. We ask that you would please take a moment to introduce yourself in the New Members section. Tell us a bit about yourself and dive in!

"Christians don't know what they believe." - until they are brainwashed

SteVen

SteVen

Active member
Why do we need the church to TELL us what we believe?
Must we surrender our right to our own beliefs to be a part of the church?

There is even a famous book titled: Know What You Believe
Which is there to inform you of what you haven't a clue about.
Brainwashing, obviously.

Not to say that there isn't a need for religious training, but...
this approach leaves MUCH to be desired.

Saw this video of John MacArthur lamenting the sorry state of Evangelicalism in 2022. (video below)
Ligonier ministries had done a survey of Evangelicals. The findings, per MacArthur, were "shocking".

65% of Evangelicals agreed that everyone is born innocent.
55% agreed that the Bible is not literally true.
56% agreed that God accepts worship from all religions.
43% agreed that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God.

"Evangelicals have absolutely no idea what they believe." - John MacArthur
Really? It seems as if the survey results TOLD you EXACTLY what they believe.
How can you claim that they "have absolutely no idea what they believe"?
If we reverse the percentages, what do we get? (hope my math is correct) - LOL

35% of Evangelicals DIS-agreed that everyone is born innocent.
45% DIS-agreed that the Bible is not literally true.
44% DIS-agreed that God accepts worship from all religions.
67% DIS-agreed that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God.

So here's the BIG question...
Why do we need the church to TELL us what we believe?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1fFRyDLbMA&t=82s


]
 
SteVen said:
Why do we need the church to TELL us what we believe?
Must we surrender our right to our own beliefs to be a part of the church?

There is even a famous book titled: Know What You Believe
Which is there to inform you of what you haven't a clue about.
Brainwashing, obviously.

Not to say that there isn't a need for religious training, but...
this approach leaves MUCH to be desired.

Saw this video of John MacArthur lamenting the sorry state of Evangelicalism in 2022. (video below)
Ligonier ministries had done a survey of Evangelicals. The findings, per MacArthur, were "shocking".

65% of Evangelicals agreed that everyone is born innocent.
55% agreed that the Bible is not literally true.
56% agreed that God accepts worship from all religions.
43% agreed that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God.

"Evangelicals have absolutely no idea what they believe." - John MacArthur
Really? It seems as if the survey results TOLD you EXACTLY what they believe.
How can you claim that they "have absolutely no idea what they believe"?
If we reverse the percentages, what do we get? (hope my math is correct) - LOL

35% of Evangelicals DIS-agreed that everyone is born innocent.
45% DIS-agreed that the Bible is not literally true.
44% DIS-agreed that God accepts worship from all religions.
67% DIS-agreed that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God.

So here's the BIG question...
Why do we need the church to TELL us what we believe?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1fFRyDLbMA&t=82s


]
Click to expand...

It's terribly sad.

This is exemplar of the kind of evangelical teaching I grew up in. Pastors born and bred in the barns of the Dallas Theological Seminary...

They should be called theological cemeteries-- because those are places men are sent to so that any free-thinking-ideas might die.

It absolutely is brain-washing, and the brain scrubbing process is absolute. You must think- thus.... You must comply.

You absolutely must agree with us, to be one of us.

Incidentally, I don't blame leadership. It's exactly like America in that you get the leadership you permit. Everyone goes along to get along, even though your survey results clearly show that there is a wide spectrum of beliefs, yet there is a pretty tight conformity of doctrine. People just don't buy it anymore. Folks realize that a lot of what they've been force-fed simply isn't nutritional -- isn't true. It's someone else's beliefs that we are told we must accept-- or else!

Or else what? ----"This is so dystopian..... so shocking...... how did we get to a place where people don't believe what is necessary?" according to John Macarthur.

Why doesn't Macarthur ask himself how did the church get to a place where it doesn't meet people where they are? Instead they see the need for others to have a 'come to Jesus meeting' where it's a requirement for you to come to him as they see him. The fact is, a lot of people want nothing to do with that Jesus, nor that God--- the one presented and represented by 'Christians.'
 
Mr E said:
People just don't buy it anymore. Folks realize that a lot of what they've been force-fed simply isn't nutritional -- isn't true. It's someone else's beliefs that we are told we must accept-- or else!
Click to expand...
Exactly!
More evangelicals are deconstructing, or at least questioning the garbage they were raised on.

Mr E said:
Or else what? ----"This is so dystopian..... so shocking...... how did we get to a place where people don't believe what is necessary?" according to John Macarthur.
Click to expand...
Right. Dystopian is the perfect term for it. - LOL
Can these folks actually be for real? (in their own little world)

Mr E said:
Why doesn't Macarthur ask himself how did the church get to a place where it doesn't meet people where they are? Instead they see the need for others to have a 'come to Jesus meeting' where it's a requirement for you to come to him as they see him. The fact is, a lot of people want nothing to do with that Jesus, nor that God--- the one presented and represented by 'Christians.'
Click to expand...
Spiritual abuse.
The whole sermon is intended to beat/shame attendees into submission.
Horrified at how the masses of evangelicals aren't towing the line.
Slap these idiots silly and they may fall in line.

]
 
SteVen said:
Exactly!
Pastors have to sign a statement that they will UPHOLD the doctrine of the denomination.

]
Click to expand...

I was a licensed pastor before I retired, and retained my license after I retired. I wasn’t required to sign a statement that I would uphold the doctrine of the denomination which licensed me. The only doctrine I upheld is doctrine which agreed with the sound words of Messiah. If / when the denomination which licensed me didn’t agree with the Messiah’s doctrine, I spoke openly from the pulpit against it.
 
SteVen said:
Why do we need the church to TELL us what we believe?
Must we surrender our right to our own beliefs to be a part of the church?

There is even a famous book titled: Know What You Believe
Which is there to inform you of what you haven't a clue about.
Brainwashing, obviously.

Not to say that there isn't a need for religious training, but...
this approach leaves MUCH to be desired.

Saw this video of John MacArthur lamenting the sorry state of Evangelicalism in 2022. (video below)
Ligonier ministries had done a survey of Evangelicals. The findings, per MacArthur, were "shocking".

65% of Evangelicals agreed that everyone is born innocent.
55% agreed that the Bible is not literally true.
56% agreed that God accepts worship from all religions.
43% agreed that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God.

"Evangelicals have absolutely no idea what they believe." - John MacArthur
Really? It seems as if the survey results TOLD you EXACTLY what they believe.
How can you claim that they "have absolutely no idea what they believe"?
If we reverse the percentages, what do we get? (hope my math is correct) - LOL

35% of Evangelicals DIS-agreed that everyone is born innocent.
45% DIS-agreed that the Bible is not literally true.
44% DIS-agreed that God accepts worship from all religions.
67% DIS-agreed that Jesus was a good teacher, but not God.

So here's the BIG question...
Why do we need the church to TELL us what we believe?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1fFRyDLbMA&t=82s


]
Click to expand...

Why do we need the church to tell us what we believe?

The church doesn’t tell us what we believe. People believe all kinds of things. The church responds to what people believe - including, but not limited to, people such as yourself who have left the church.
 
SteVen said:
Slap these idiots silly and they may fall in line.
Click to expand...

It sounds to me like you are lumping all pastors together. It comes across to me that you are, or may be, struggling with the idea of authority figures in the church. (And perhaps authority figures outside of the church, too.)
 
Mattathias said:
It sounds to me like you are lumping all pastors together. It comes across to me that you are, or may be, struggling with the idea of authority figures in the church. (And perhaps authority figures outside of the church, too.)
Click to expand...

Sounds to me like you were one of those authoritarians and got the certificate for it. Let me guess, it's still hung on the wall of your den.

Mattathias said:
I was a licensed pastor before I retired, and retained my license after I retired.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top