The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his075/way2.lzh/WAY2.TXT

Text File | 1991-07-13 | 5KB | 101 lines

CUL:What about "THE WAY"?  by O.J. Gibson

   Use the name of Jesus. Talk about love, the Bible, the abundant
life, "the renewed mind", denounce "fear" in all its forms. Adopt an
opening accepting attitude towards young people with varying life
styles and music tastes. Use the words "non-sectarian", "research" and
positive thinking. Let them know that the usual churches are to be
distrusted. Meet in home. Say, "Welcome friend!" How can you beat that
for a formula?

   Sooner or later they will get around to charging you a big fee for
seeing the leader, V.P. Wierville, in filmed instruction giving the
"Foundation Course". Jesus never charged fees for instructing people in
the truth but then, an organization has its expenses, you know.

   How can you fail to be intrigued by that title, "The Way". Man, that
sounds so ultimate, so exclusive. Maybe its because Jesus Himself said
long ago "I AM the Way" (John 14:6). That sounds like Jesus alone is
the way and not any human organization, headquarters in New Knoxville,
OH.

   The way says it is non-sectarian. One dictionary definition of a
sect is: "a religious group separated from the established church". The
Way is more than separated from it, it is opposed to it, critical of it
and separated from all manifestations of it not connected with its
branches. They are the people. Theirs is the only right teaching group.
One might also add that students of sects and cults recognize that it
is a cult peculiarity to rally around a particular leader who is
recognized as a true prophet, founder and inspired interpreter. That
would be V.P. Wierwille himself. Cults also have a special set of
doctrines, which taken as a whole, are diverse from any other Christian
group. Could we then say, the Way is non-sectarian?

   Is it Christian, as it advertises itself to be? That depends upon
your definition. There is a sense that anyone can believe anything and
call himself a Christian. Most of us would think it has at least
something to do with the doctrines you believe. The Way borrows from
several sources for its doctrines but combines them in a patchwork to
form a specialized group of doctrines which, taken as a whole, are held
by no other Christian group. Many of these doctrines are denials, which
is typical of cults.

   The Way:

   1. Denies Jesus is God. (As do Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons,
Christian Science, Unity, religious liberalism and virtually all cults.)

   2. Denies that Holy Spirit is a Person. (However it borrows from
Pentecostalism the teaching of speaking with tongues and receiving the
Spirit, while rejecting that movement, including its belief that the
Spirit is God and is a Person. It talks of "power from on high", but
denies that power is the Holy Spirit.)

   3. Denies water baptism for Christians.

   4. Denies that Jesus was a Jew. (various statements made about the
Jews indicate an attitude towards them that needs closer study).

   5. Denies that any part of the bible is for instruction of
Christians except the prison Epistles of Paul. (this is borrowed from
ultra-dispensationalism, otherwise called bullingerism).

   6. Denies the accuracy of translations of the bible other than their
own edited versions. Much is made over the Peshita test or other
"eastern" tests which are supposedly the only reliable ones. This is a
familiar tactic of cults, Jehovah's Witnesses make similar claims for
their New World translation. It says in brief, we have the reliable
translation.l They do not. This is further strengthened by using the
expression "Biblical researchers", and impressive title which implies
they have done deeper study than others.

   7. Denies that God gives differing spiritual gifts to believers. The
way says that every believer has them all. They simply must be taught
(especially by The Way) to "operator the manifestations". This is based
on their own private and unique interpretation of 1 Cor. 12 in a way
which is at variance with the overwhelming body of the Bible
commentators and does violence to the text. It is helpful to the Way by
giving them occasion to promise a kind of liberation of talent within
those who come to them. They can show you how to exercise powers of
healing and other miracles, and exciting prospect indeed if it were
true.

   8. Denies that sickness is part of the will of God for any
Christian. Perfect health and ultimately the elimination of death
itself can come if we exercise faith. This is similar to the teachings
of Armstrongism and certain other cults.

   Granted that much of the so-called church has departed from Biblical
truth, the fact remains that there are multitudes of true Christians,
outstanding leaders and sound churches who are loyal to the truth of
God and proclaim it. Not all of them are deceitful, ignorant or blind.
They recognize each other as brothers in Christ. However, they would
not recognize such a system of denials as outlined above as being
within the framework of true Christian doctrine. Several Christian
publication such as Christianity Today have exposed The Way as
heretical and departing from basic Christian belief. TIME, a secular
magazine, in its short article on the organization labeled it as
heretical by orthodox standards.

   O.J. Gibson