Wednesday, July 1, 2015

A Cult, Or True Christians ???

According to this report in the Houston Chronicle, the individuals from the Church of Wells who disrupted Joel Osteen's sermon are part of a "cult":

http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Ruckus-at-Lakewood-Church-signals-new-chapter-in-6361122.php


By the standards referred to in the report, they appear to meet such a definition.


I believe their actions were ill advised. However, we need to consider a few things before punishing these people:


(1) Their activities somewhat mimicked what Jesus did when He disrupted activities in the Jewish Temple and even drove people out using a whip:


And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
John 2:14-16 KJV

(2) What the disruptors appear to have said about Joel seems to have some validity. Refer to the video embedded in this post for a lengthy discussion of Joel's heresy:


http://sainthoward.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-heresy-of-joel-osteen.html


(3) According to the book Christ's Ventriloquists by Eric Zuesse (and many other sources), Saint Paul rebelled against leaders of the early Church in a manner at least as violent as did the members of the Church of Wells, and yet today he is revered as one of the chief architects of Christianity.


The US Constitution says this about religion:


Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...


It is within the rights of Lakewood Church to expel anyone who disrupts their worship service. It is not right for any earthly authority to then arrest those who were so expelled. Disagreeing with false doctrines and attempting to shield people from them is a basic function of religion, as confirmed by Jesus Himself.

No comments:

Post a Comment