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Thankful Jane · 09-22-2008, 04:22 PM

Hi Toledo,

Please forgive me for not responding to your post #940 yet. I want to spend some time on it and I'm short on time right now. I do want to thank you for your kind, reasonable, and thoughtful response. I will reply as soon as I can. If some time doesn't open up in the next few days, it may be next week. Our ladies retreat starts in a few days and I have a lot to do to get ready for that.

I have two questions in the interim.

1) Did you read or see the Fermentation of the Present Rebellion that was put out in 1990? Was that book circulated in the GLA?

2) Why is it so important that the word "all" not be used when talking about idolatry in the LC? The constant drum beat from a number of posters here is that all were not guilty. I don't believe I have ever said all were, in a blanket or generic fashion. I think I qualified it with some explanation of what I believed idolatry was, but again, why is this such a big deal?

When I talk about idolatry, I am mostly interested in understanding what it is and how it applies to believers, because at this point, I believe it does apply. I am not interested in trying to rope everyone into some definition in order to condemn them. I currently believe that many of the abuses that took place in the LC are tied to idolatry, but as yet I haven't clearly explained why I think that.

But back to my question--the way I look at it is that we all (there is that word again) should be ready and willing to examine ourselves regarding the possibility that we could have been involved in "idolatry" and have offended the Lord, or that we could become involved in the future if we don't guard ourselves. Don't we need to take responsibility for this if it is true and have a thorough repentance?

John warned us to keep ourselves from idols. I'm not ready yet to believe he meant only those of wood and stone.

So this is my basic attitude toward the topic. I think your response shows you have a similar desire to evaluate the truth of this in the light of the Bible. When I hear the upset over the use of "all," it sounds somewhat to me like a group of people being upset when they are told that they may have been exposed to some fatal disease and need treatment. Instead of being thankful for the warning and welcoming an examination and antidote, they resist saying that not all of them were exposed and not all have the disease. Why not just accept the possibility and apply the remedy?

In our case the remedy is only a few breaths away. “Father, forgive me if I have bowed to someone other than you and disobeyed you. Forgive me for silently assenting to what was done to Bill and John and others. Please shine your light on me and show me if, in anyway, You see me serving other gods.”

So, if you can, please tell me what is the reason for the upset about the "all" word? This really puzzles me.

Thankful Jane

09-22-2008, 04:22 PM	#951
Thankful Jane Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Georgetown, Texas Posts: 295	Re: The LCS Factor Hi Toledo, Please forgive me for not responding to your post #940 yet. I want to spend some time on it and I'm short on time right now. I do want to thank you for your kind, reasonable, and thoughtful response. I will reply as soon as I can. If some time doesn't open up in the next few days, it may be next week. Our ladies retreat starts in a few days and I have a lot to do to get ready for that. I have two questions in the interim. 1) Did you read or see the Fermentation of the Present Rebellion that was put out in 1990? Was that book circulated in the GLA? 2) Why is it so important that the word "all" not be used when talking about idolatry in the LC? The constant drum beat from a number of posters here is that all were not guilty. I don't believe I have ever said all were, in a blanket or generic fashion. I think I qualified it with some explanation of what I believed idolatry was, but again, why is this such a big deal? When I talk about idolatry, I am mostly interested in understanding what it is and how it applies to believers, because at this point, I believe it does apply. I am not interested in trying to rope everyone into some definition in order to condemn them. I currently believe that many of the abuses that took place in the LC are tied to idolatry, but as yet I haven't clearly explained why I think that. But back to my question--the way I look at it is that we all (there is that word again) should be ready and willing to examine ourselves regarding the possibility that we could have been involved in "idolatry" and have offended the Lord, or that we could become involved in the future if we don't guard ourselves. Don't we need to take responsibility for this if it is true and have a thorough repentance? John warned us to keep ourselves from idols. I'm not ready yet to believe he meant only those of wood and stone. So this is my basic attitude toward the topic. I think your response shows you have a similar desire to evaluate the truth of this in the light of the Bible. When I hear the upset over the use of "all," it sounds somewhat to me like a group of people being upset when they are told that they may have been exposed to some fatal disease and need treatment. Instead of being thankful for the warning and welcoming an examination and antidote, they resist saying that not all of them were exposed and not all have the disease. Why not just accept the possibility and apply the remedy? In our case the remedy is only a few breaths away. “Father, forgive me if I have bowed to someone other than you and disobeyed you. Forgive me for silently assenting to what was done to Bill and John and others. Please shine your light on me and show me if, in anyway, You see me serving other gods.” So, if you can, please tell me what is the reason for the upset about the "all" word? This really puzzles me. Thankful Jane