X: Xenophobe

Preachers and pastors who make their paying career in ministry are false prophets, we were taught. Those hundreds of thousands of men who have gone through college and graduate school to study the bible and the original languages and contexts of the scriptures, biblical scholars, are fakes. They are not hand-picked men of God.

In college, I made friends with a young woman who was the daughter of a pastor. She was the first person to tell me about the trinity – she even drew a picture to explain it. At that point I was already out of the FOC, but still very much afraid of other belief systems and worldly churches. I told my mom about my new friend and what I was learning. Mom’s response was to sternly rebuke me for casting my pearls among the swine. Because the woman had a father who was a worldly pastor, because she was not “born holy” in the FOC, she was swine.

Xenophobe: a person who fears or hates foreigners, strange customs, etc.

Dictionary.com

How can the FOC receive help if not from a stranger or outsider? I’ve been thinking about this. From my own experience in public speaking, it’s not something that comes easily or naturally. Just imagine, being very sheltered in who and what you were exposed to and then suddenly being called to become a preacher! I have to believe that these men (Walter White and other FOC preachers) really were lead and inspired by God, through the Holy Spirit to preach the word. How else could they have captivated such a loyal following? But, I have also come to accept that the FOC did not alone hold God’s heart. God didn’t send Jesus to die on the cross just for that little town in Oregon. God cares about the souls of the whole world.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:2

Last Sunday, I printed a message from a stranger to the OC FOC. I don’t know what his message is, or what God is calling his friend to do. But, I do believe that if the group is to be helped, it is very likely that the help will come from the outside.

What Is A Worldly Person?

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

In the Followers, we defined anyone who was not one of us as a “worldly person.” That included all other religions and denominations. They were worldly churches and worldly preachers.

But the term worldly person is used outside of the FOC. In most secular contexts, it is actually a compliment. It is someone who is wise in the ways of the world. An educated, well-travelled person.

Here is how dictionary.com defines worldly:

world·ly

[wurld-lee]  Show IPA adjective,world·li·er, world·li·est, adverb

adjective
1.of or pertaining to this world  as contrasted with heaven,spiritual life, etc.; earthy; 
   mundane.
2.experienced; knowing; sophisticated: the benefits of hisworldly wisdom.
3.devoted to, directed toward, or connected with the affairs,interests, or pleasures of this
   world.
4.of or pertaining to the people or laity; secular; neither ecclesiastical  nor religious
5.Obsolete . of, pertaining to, or existing on earth.

Churches outside of the FOC also use the term worldly person to refer to someone who dresses in fashionable clothes, has stylish hair, wears a lot of make-up, listens to popular, secular music, and is overly involved in the relevant popular culture.

I have recently heard some reports (yes, gossip) about how Shannon Hickman is getting along in prison. Because her case was high profile and covered in the news media and newspapers, the women prisoners had preconceived notions of how she would be when she arrived among their ranks. The thing that surprised the other prisoners the most was how “worldly” she was. What do you mean by worldly I asked.

“Well, she is into popular music, movies, and TV shows.” So, apparently the other prisoners were expecting someone who did not watch television or listen to music. Maybe they had in mind an Amish woman.

Despite their criticism of her, Shannon has made a lot of friends in prison, but she was a bit unsure at first. Her counselor, realizing that she wasn’t a hardened criminal had advised her to watch out for the other inmates saying, “If a woman comes to you and says she has your back, it means she wants to sleep with you.” Well, imagine her response when a friendly inmate said just that to her, with no intention of sleeping with her.

The inmates at Coffee Creek are required to work full-time jobs for very little pay. They usually receive $100-$200 per month for the full time work. Out of that money, they are required to purchase their own uniforms, shoes, make-up, haircuts, and personal items. Shannon’s chosen job is in the prison chapel. She is a clerk for the religious library.

So what makes someone a “worldly person” to you? Is it someone who gets medical care? Goes to a “worldly church/chapel services”? Is it a positive thing – an educated, world traveler and life-long learner? Is it someone who cares too much about worldly possessions? Or something else?

Guest Blog: Who Can Baptize?

The Followers of Christ teach that only certain people have the authority to baptize. Only a preacher – an apostle on par with the Apostle Paul – can perform a legitimate baptism. Followers believe that salvation can be obtained only through baptism by an Apostle.

Since their apostle – Walter White – has been dead since 1969, baptism is no longer possible. The children and grandchildren of the baptized are told they are born holy – and may have an opportunity to be baptized on Judgment Day. Outsiders – “worldy people” – cannot be saved. What happened to the Great Commission? What happened to the Good News? I never heard of these things until long after I left.

Followers take Jesus' statement to Nicodemus in John 3:5: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” to mean that you must be baptized with water to be saved. While the understanding of most Christians and Biblical scholars is that being “born of water” happens to us at birth, and being born of the Spirit happens when we accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In today's message, Jerry Patton addresses the question of who can baptize.

* * * * *

In my last post, I mentioned how baptism is not owned by anyone. This is true, however, through some church doctrines and traditions, access to baptism has been strictly controlled and sadly - even prohibited.

In my studies, I have never read anything that grants a particular type of disciple an exclusive authority to baptize. In the New Testament we hear Paul talk about deacons and elders (also known as shepherds or bishops) who hold an office of service within a church and their overall charge is to serve the flock. We also hear Paul talk about the Apostles and the work they engaged in, which in his case, was to be a herald of the gospel to the gentiles (the pagan world). Not even Paul as an Apostle claimed exclusive authority to baptize. In I Corinthians, he counsels the disciples at Corinth about unity within the body of Christ:

My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Paul says that he did not baptize anyone other than Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. It doesn’t stipulate who baptized the others. If it were important to stipulate a restriction concerning baptism, he would have stated it somewhere. But even here, in this case, when he’s discussing who baptized who – it isn’t addressed. It isn’t addressed because there was no restriction. There wasn’t then and there isn’t now. Paul spells out in his letter to the Romans and Galatians that we are free in Christ, not to sin, but to serve – for we are no longer under law, but under grace.

The short of it is that any disciple of Christ can baptize a non-believer into the Kingdom as they repent of their sins and confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Any disciple can study with a non-believer and when that non-believer decides and is ready to start their walk with Christ, the disciple can baptize that non-believer. Every disciple has a ministry for they are part of “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” I Peter 2:9

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:6-13

The Prophet/Apostle thing cuts both ways. With the authority they were claiming, they had an inside track on being in good with God and if you were a good boy or girl, they would give you access to a real church family and things flourished. While many of them were not even born or very young, these guys were building their own church-lore and ingrained it into their offspring. No one ever thought to ask, "What happens when Walter dies?" So who's gonna feed this monster. God isn't. Who has the guts to stand up and say, "I've been called (as the new church Prophet)"?

As with any group, over a period of time, factions form and they slap anyone down that tries to take over. So they're dying a slow death. They're cut off in so many ways. They flourished because of a Prophet and now they are dying because of him. Their savior is in Carus cemetary rotting, mine is in heaven reigning.

Don’t let any man stand in the way of your relationship with God.

Frequently Asked Questions - Part 1

I have gotten a lot of questions about the Followers of Christ throughout my life, both when I was attending and since. Here are some questions that come to mind. If you have more, please post them under the comments, or email them to me and I will answer them in a later blog.

Question: Since the Followers do not accept outsiders into their congregation, are they concerned about running out of potential mates for their children?

Answer: No, they are not worried. Followers are allowed to marry cousins, as long as they are at least second cousins. It's not unheard of for a girl to keep her maiden name because she has married someone with the same last name. A side note, some worldly people think the Followers are called “kissers” because they are kissing cousins, rather than the practice of the “Holy Kiss.”

Question: Are the number of childhood deaths increasing due to the shallow gene pool.

Answer: Maybe. I haven't gathered genetic samples and run tests. More likely, the number of childhood deaths are more visible due to more recent legislation and news coverage, not actual increasing numbers.

Question: If a Follower decided to become a doctor, would it be OK to go to him/her? Seems like trusting your own to aid in your own health care would be allowed?

Answer: If a Follower decided to become a doctor, he/she would not be welcome at church – the heretic!

Question: Do the midwives have any training? If so, who trains them? Do they sign the birth certificates?

Answer: Yes, they have practical training. They have to have given birth themselves. They also have to help at a set number of births before they can be an official midwife. No formal training though – and many do not have even a high school diploma. They do sign the birth certificates. In the box labeled hospital, it says “Followers.”

Question: If there are no ministers or Bible teaching, what are church services like?

Answer: Every Sunday morning and Thursday evening, the women and young children enter the sanctuary and sit according to their life situation (by age and gender for children, the newlyweds sit together, new parents sit near the back so they can take their babies out if they cry, after this life stage, people sit near relatives and friends). When it is time for church to start, all the men file in and find their wives to sit by them. The piano player sits at the front at a grand piano (the pulpit is deserted, though it is set up just like it was when there were men to teach and preach). If there is an announcement to be made – someone needs prayer, someone needs care, there is an upcoming wedding, etc – one of the five men who are appointed as the church leaders will make the announcement from the microphone near the piano. The piano player announces a song number and everyone stands to sing all the verses of the song. Next the congregation kneels at their benches and prays silently for two minutes. Everyone takes their seats, and eight more songs are announced and sung. The piano player will announce, “last song,” and everyone stands to sing the last song. The men file outside to talk amongst themselves and the women and children stay inside to socialize. That's it. Takes about twenty-five minutes start to finish.

Question: When a Follower is taken to the hospital from a car crash, do they get shunned?

Answer: No, church members come and visit them and pray for them. When I was a kid, I remember a really bad crash where an older lady broke something like twenty bones. The doctors gave a very poor prognosis, but we all prayed, and the next day, the bones had miraculously healed. The doctors said they had never seen anything like it. Incidents like that really reinforced the idea that God was on our side, and doctors/hospitals were irrelevant at best, but more likely harmful and deadly.

Question: Why won't Followers talk to the media and defend themselves for their beliefs and practices.

Answer: One of the biggest rules is to keep our business private. We are convinced that anyone who talks to outsiders about our religion is a heretic and blasphemer. Even those who leave often live the rest of their lives in fear of breaking this rule not only for their own soul, but for the social repercussions of the relatives they left behind who are still in the church.

Question: Do you regret leaving? Are you in fear of your immortal soul for going public with this information?

Answer: I do not regret leaving. I do not believe I am sinning, or wrong, by going public with my experiences and opinions. My writing is meant to be informational, helpful, and enlightening.

Question: When will your book be finished?

Answer: I have another six months of writing left before I go into the editing and rewriting stages. All final edits will be complete by this time next year.

Question: How does your family feel about your blog and memoir?

Answer: They haven't disowned me yet.