Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
I think every genuine Christian would be concerned if a person wants to leave their church. Whether Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Presbyterian, Mormon, JW, or the Recovery. I think Catholic and Orthodox believe if a person leaves their church they are in danger of going to hell because it is "falling away from the faith", and they associate the church with the faith. Leaving the church is leaving "the faith".
The general attitude of most people is one of "where are you?" and "how are you doing?" rather than "you must not leave us, if you leave us something bad will happen to you". I have never encountered that attitude personally.
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I agree that most would be concerned if someone left their church and went into the world. But not if they just moved on to an another church. Not these days anyway.
Perhaps the general attitude of LCM believers is more tolerant today. But that just makes the point that the previous attitude, which has been witnessed to by example after example, was wrong and should be publicly denounced.
And I don't believe the LCM leadership has really repented from this attitude. Clearly Benson hasn't. And why a clearly crazy person like him is still allowed to be in leadership of that movement is beyond me.
It reminds me of the Catholic church. When I was a kid the attitude of Catholics was that you had to be a Catholic to "go to heaven." Most Catholics don't believe that any more, but the leadership has yet to fully denounce that attitude.
Why? I'm sure the reasons aren't noble. They probably fear a rash of lawsuits. Which I'm sure the LCM leaders do as well.
LCM leaders were plain wrong to pressure people to stay there, and if they don't realize that then they are plain stupid.
Not an attractive choice for them, but unfortunately the only viable ones.