[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by Igzy

Well, to me it's mostly just a way to bolster your claims of special status.

The LCM is basically doing nothing different than what any arrogant, self-obsessed group claiming to be the "one true way" has done. The LCM is just more creative and clever with its rationalization of it.

I don't know if you've seen this, but below is something I posted a while back. It shows how groups thinking they are special and unique is nothing new and is an error that has been repeated over and over down through history.

As I said, the LCM is more creative and clever with its rationalization of special status. Rather than say they have the "right doctrines," they say things like they are "the continuation of the one ministry." Rather than say they are the "one true church," they say they are the "proper manifestation of the church."

But it doesn't matter because the intent is the same and adds up to the same error. You want to believe you are better than everyone else to the point that you are the only valid group. You are not trying to help others get it right as much as you are trying to validate your group and discredit all others.

That's not ministry, that's self-aggrandiziation.

And as the record below shows, it is an error that has occurred many times in history--which is, ironically, more proof you are nothing special.

What's funny is that #16 sounds just like something you would say.

WHO SAID IT??

1. “This is not just another Church. This is not just one of a family of Christian churches. This is the Church and kingdom of God, the only true Church upon the face of the earth...”
   
2. "The gospel of the kingdom ceased to be proclaimed shortly after the death of the apostles. It was not preached again until ________."
   
3. "_________, the one and only channel which the Lord has used in dispensing his truth."
   
4. "There is one church! There is one God. There is one kingdom of God and this is it!"
   
5. "The only way to follow the Lord absolutely is to go the way of _______."
   
6. "This is the only way that was started by Christ."
   
7. "This is God's inner circle--His very elect...we are God's only true representative on this earth.”
   
8. "...we _________ are the remnant church!"
   
9. “The church is careful to not be allied with other churches..."
   
10. "All of the doctrines of God were restored by _________."
    
11. "The true church will be a restored Church."
    
12. "There is nobody else in this country that has the true gospel...There is nobody else in this entire world....There is no place to go.”
    
13. “Some people say there are other fellowships that can be alright. No, there can't be! Because there is only one body..."
    
14. "This is the one unique move of God on earth today."
    
15. “When you walk away from ________, there is no where to walk. Walking out of the light into the darkness."
    
16. "Just taking a look at the hundreds of Christian churches in existence today, it doesn't take much to notice all the disputes among beliefs, practices, doctrines, and authority that divide each denomination. It would be impossible to join all these churches, even the Protestant sects, into one church. Therefore, all of them do not make "one body without schisms". There can only be one, and I testify that the one is _________."

1. Ezra Taft Benson, Mormon leader
2. Jehovah's Witness Watchtower publication, 12/1/1928, pp. 363-6
3. Jehovah's Witness Watchtower publication, 4/1/1919, p. 6414
4. Dave Weger, International Church of Christ
5. Witness Lee, the Lord's Recovery
6. The Cooneyites
7. The Philadelphia Church of God
8. Seventh Day Adventist
9. Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
10. Philadelphia Church Of God
11. Mormons
12. Nick Young, International Church of Christ
13. Cooneyites
14. Witness Lee, the Lord's Recovery
15. Nick Young, International Church of Christ
16. Mormons

http://www.letusreason.org/cult12.htm

http://www.theholdemans.com/Compare.htm

__________________[/QUOTE]

You seem to take issue with any group that calls itself the one true church or one true way. However when we think about it, for hundreds of years Christians had no issue with a belief there is only one true church. Why do we take issue with this today?

I think you'll find many more quotes too from Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist (successionism), so these must also be "arrogant, self-obsessed groups". Are you willing to say that about these?

It may surprise you or others on here, that Luther wrote,"The true church must appear or be visible in the world. But it can only appear in a covering (larva), a veil, a shell, or some kind of clothes which a man can grasp, otherwise it can never be found".

The Lutheran theologian Ernst Kinder said:
"One may distinguish between an outward belonging to the church and true membership in the body of Christ-distinguish, that is, but not separate, for we possess the latter only through the former".

Luther and other Reformers were very clear on the matter of a true church versus a false church. Of course Luther had the Roman Catholic church in mind as the false church.

A view that a true church does not exist, or that it is not visible, is a false view, and possibly a result of being affected by new-age mumbo jumbo.