Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake
There is no pecking order in the churches.
You are perhaps referring to a training of some sort. If you subject yourself to the terms of a training then do so enthusiastically. Otherwise, just enjoy the church life.
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That's just a general observation I made, but I did see various times where church meetings were used to unnecessarily put someone on the spot for whatever reason. Anyhow, I don't know that it's so easy to separate the local churches from their trainings because the two are hopelessly intertwined. By the way, I saw plenty pressured to attend the FTTA or semi-annual trainings in a way where they didn't attend in an enthusiastic manner.
Back to the subject of shaming. Shaming is shaming regardless whether it happens in a meeting hall or training center. I think the concerns that others have relayed here are due to the fact that such a practice can easily qualify as spiritual abuse, and I don't think that concerns about that kind of practice 'distract' from anything. They are 100% valid.
When I think of all the instances where I saw someone put on the spot, I can't see really any of those situations as having been necessary. Putting people on the spot like that, or shaming (the extreme method) always serve the purpose of showing who's in charge. That's why I say that there is a pecking order. Visible or not, if shaming is taking place, it's a clear sign that there are people trying to assert themselves as being above others.