“LET’S PURIFY OUR CHURCH and bring it back into complete …

Comment on La Sierra schism widens by Marcel.

“LET’S PURIFY OUR CHURCH and bring it back into complete harmony with the Bible that we claim as the basis of our beliefs.”

-Faith

Um – excuse me?! I think I read somewhere that it was GOD’S job to ‘purify’ His church through His angels:

“28 The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers (destroying angels), Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

“40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 13: 28-30, 40-43)

People are losing their sanctified common sense over this issue. No, I do not agree with LSU Biology professors teaching contrary to the Creationist stand of the church. But neither do I agree with people allowing themselves to descend to the level of hounds baying for blood whipping the mob mentality into a furor, willing to grab the reins from God and take on the work of denominational purification.

There are a number of statements on the Educate Truth discussions that have horrified me over that last few months, but it would be redundant to list them here. Suffice to say…

I am disturbed. Very, very disturbed.

I did not sign the petition Educate Truth had circulating on principle for this very reason. Some of the comments on that gem were as bad, if not worse, than the ones here. People have no idea the mentality they are feeding with this. When will it end? What will be the next issue to attract the church attack dogs? When will they be happy with the results of a mass purge? Will this be enough for them and will they be satisfied? No, of course they won’t. Evolution is only the issue du jour. They smell blood and they like it. Today it is Thestic Evolution, what will it be tomorrow? Do you think they will stop with the Biology Department? Not likely. I am sure the LSU Religion Department is also watching this fiasco with keen interest, preparing for the time when they will be the next targets. Make no mistake, the witch-hunt will not end with LSU. Already we are seeing comments on both the petition and here that other Adventist universities are next on the hit-list. Once they have ‘purified’ the schools, perhaps they will then focus on high-profile SDA churches. Maybe they won’t stop until they have gutted the entire denomination until a literal 144,000 ‘pure ones’ are left. Of course, they will most likely then start to cannibalize on each other, as there will be nothing left to ‘purify’ outside of thier little group of ‘true Adventists’.

I say this with tongue-in-cheek of course, but you see my point.

It’s easy howl for the heads of people when the subject at stake is one you have no particular issues with. I truly hope the individuals here who feed the inquisitional animal will remember these posts when the tables turn and the jackals come after you, and they will. Those who whip the mob into a frenzy, don’t come crying to anyone when they come after you for a point of belief or doctrine that you may have a different interpretation or take on. No one will hear you or sympathize. Own the bed you have made and sleep in it.

Once you start down the road of church cleansing and encourage that kind of frenzy the logical conclusion is frightening.