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ApostateRLDS
Guest
try over 100 groups.
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BBBinIL
Guest
Well, first time for replying here, so hopefully this will come through in a useful & readible way!
“What is going on in the church?” Wow… broad question! Sure, the rumor mill is constantly active, generating (as always) lots of truth, partial truths, and totally bogus news.
For any group of people who are attempting to hear and respond to the mind and will of God, there will be constant challenges. We see it all through the scriptures. The Community of Christ is no different in that way. So, along the way, as the “body” makes one decision or another, there will always be those individuals who choose to go another way. Every faith has them – the folks that just “don’t show up again”, for their own reasons. So, given that, yes, there are some of those “schisms, breakaways, etc” that you mentioned. And some of those folks have grouped themselves together into independent congregations, choosing not to affiliate with the global church.
The “liberal” vs. “conservative” (though I don’t care for those terms) is another “constant” in our modern world. Each individiual has their own unique perspective and growing understanding of “what’s right” and “what direction” should be taken… It is the challenge of a prophetic people who follow a living Jesus, to collectively work toward a clearer understanding of the divine will for our day… Some people will engage in that process as cooperative partners… and some will “run & hide” as new understanding unfolds and threatens “treasured” beliefs of the past, some of which are no longer relevant.
Yes, we did have some recent cuts in our full-time ministry staff, but not as a result of the schisms, etc. that were mentioned. It was merely an ongoing (though painful) step in managing organizational income vs. expenses. We ramped up our full-time field ministers in the late 90’s, with a planned increase in giving to fund that investment. For a variety of reasons, the funding increases expected & needed didn’t happen, so steps were necessarily taken to get us back to a ‘sustainable budget’.
I’m out of time now, so I’ll try to come back sometime in the near future, and address some of the other comments in this thread. Brad CofChrist.org
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why_me
Guest
Brad,
Can I ask you for a favor? Can you please read some the lds related threads on this section of the forum and make a comment as to whether some of the catholics on this board come across as antimormons? I would appreciate your take on it. I say: yes, they say no. Also, what are your feelings about the lds church?
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zerinus
Guest
Thanks for replying. That was a little bit enlightening; but way too general and vague to be very informative.Well, first time for replying here, so hopefully this will come through in a useful & readible way!
“What is going on in the church?” Wow… broad question! Sure, the rumor mill is constantly active, generating (as always) lots of truth, partial truths, and totally bogus news.
For any group of people who are attempting to hear and respond to the mind and will of God, there will be constant challenges. We see it all through the scriptures. The Community of Christ is no different in that way. So, along the way, as the “body” makes one decision or another, there will always be those individuals who choose to go another way. Every faith has them – the folks that just “don’t show up again”, for their own reasons. So, given that, yes, there are some of those “schisms, breakaways, etc” that you mentioned. And some of those folks have grouped themselves together into independent congregations, choosing not to affiliate with the global church.
The “liberal” vs. “conservative” (though I don’t care for those terms) is another “constant” in our modern world. Each individiual has their own unique perspective and growing understanding of “what’s right” and “what direction” should be taken… It is the challenge of a prophetic people who follow a living Jesus, to collectively work toward a clearer understanding of the divine will for our day… Some people will engage in that process as cooperative partners… and some will “run & hide” as new understanding unfolds and threatens “treasured” beliefs of the past, some of which are no longer relevant.
Yes, we did have some recent cuts in our full-time ministry staff, but not as a result of the schisms, etc. that were mentioned. It was merely an ongoing (though painful) step in managing organizational income vs. expenses. We ramped up our full-time field ministers in the late 90’s, with a planned increase in giving to fund that investment. For a variety of reasons, the funding increases expected & needed didn’t happen, so steps were necessarily taken to get us back to a ‘sustainable budget’.
I’m out of time now, so I’ll try to come back sometime in the near future, and address some of the other comments in this thread. Brad CofChrist.org
Hope some day to find more detailed explanations of what you have given us a very general description.zerinus
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zerinus
Guest
I think it is time you gave this particular subject a miss, and focus your attention on other more interesting subjects.
zerinus
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Daniel_Marsh
Guest
Divergent Paths of the Restoration (Hardcover)
by Steven L. Shields (Author)
I think I read somewhere that there were more than 200 mormon sects.
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ApostateRLDS
Guest
You could be right.
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BBBinIL
Guest
Thanks for the opportunity, and it could be an interesting exercise… but I really don’t have time to wade through some undefined list of possible comments about the Utah LDS church, looking for “anti-mormon” attitudes. Yes, Mormon-bashing happens. The same could be said for any faith group… including the Catholic family.
Instead, I’m called to focus my time & missionary efforts on reaching out to “seekers”, those who are looking for an ongoing relationship with the living Jesus… not those who prefer to bash others who are also on a spiritual journey.
However, in support of those who ARE still seeking, I will participate here in a very limited way, and will be happy to converse (publicly or in private) with those who have specific questions about the church that God restored to the earth in 1830, especially as they relate to the Community of Christ.
As noted in several comments, there HAVE been quite a number of splinter groups through the years, and some still exist today.
I am not, nor have I ever been (nor COULD I be!), a member of the Utah LDS church. But in my ministry, I have and continue to work with many people who are/were LDS members… and who love the message that God cared enough to “restore” his church, but don’t like some of the “other” teachings of the LDS church. In that process, I have learned LOTS about what they teach, and how that differs from the faith traditions & beliefs of other groups, both within and outside of the restoration movement.
In His service, Brad (brad.bryant@hp.com, www.CofChrist.org)
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Marc1152
Guest
Please be sure to count me in as being Anti-Mormon…
The people are as nice as any other folks but the religion needs to be exposed for the deception that it is.
Kind regards
Marc
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Jerusha
Guest
The group in Wisconsin is very small. Here is a book about that splinter:
signaturebooks.com/strang.htm
It is almost funny.
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why_me
Guest
And of course this can be said about most religious faiths by those who don’t believe in those religious faiths.
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why_me
Guest
Here is the official strangite website:The group in Wisconsin is very small. Here is a book about that splinter:
signaturebooks.com/strang.htm
It is almost funny.
strangite.org/History.htm
And here is the restorationist website:
theremnantchurch.com/
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Marc1152
Guest
Do you have one for the Temple Lot sect?
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BBBinIL
Guest
Well, I would tend to disagree with this statement in general… The Community of Christ is not interested in becoming more “protestant”, but rather a better reflection of the living Jesus Christ, and His mission in the world. As a people who follow a God who still desires to speak to man, as He has done throughout history, it is required that we as individuals, congregations, and as a world-wide body, adapt to the new information and directions. That DOES introduce change into our “church life”, and you’re right… some folks don’t like that.
But Moses had his share of “whiners” too, as they traversed the desert, and I’m afraid that human nature will always be frought with those who are reluctant to follow the prophetic voice. And please don’t misunderstand me… YES, we DO have a living prophet, but NO, we do NOT claim that our prophet is the only voice through which God speaks today. He is merely the one that God has chosen to work through for US, and to support OUR part of His kingdom-building plans. God is MUCH larger than any book or any religion, and continues to “stretch” us into greater understandings of Himself and His plans.
I hope this helps a little… and I’ll continue to monitor this thread, and contribute as I feel led.
I invite you to read, study and pray about our most recent revelation, March 2007, and see how God speaks to your heart in it’s words… cofchrist.org/wc2007/section163.asp
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ApostateRLDS
Guest
For once, I’d have to agree with WhyMe
. There has been a definite drift in the RLDS Church towards the ‘I’m ok, you’re ok’ brand of Protestantism. The Church no longer emphasizes ‘The Book of Mormon’. You can be a member and still believe it’s all hooey.( In fact, there is a school of thought in the church that considers it ‘Inspired Fiction’.) You don’t have to believe in the First Vision story. The Presidents of the Church really aren’t comfortable with the idea of being a ‘prophet’. With these changes and it’ other ecumenical and liberal doctrictines, there is no doubt that it’s distancing itself from the Restorationist movement, and towards a non-Dogmatic form of Protestantism.The people who protested against these changes deserve better than to be called ‘whiners.’ They have legitimate greivances over the way the ordination of women issue was handled and the way they have been treated. I’m no friend of the so-called Restoration, but the CofC’s conduct during this affair was despicable.
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