Quote:
Originally Posted by vendingqueen
Leastofthese I just got on this forum yesterday because my 22 yo son gave up his opportunity to go to PA school to go to California (FTTA). I am encouraged that you saw the truth of their ways and was wondering if you could enlighten me as to how to proceed. I am also encouraged that you are still a believer because I would hate more than anything for people who leave LC to feel as though God has left them.
Are your parents Christians also, how did they react to your leaving for FTTA? We don't know what to do. We have tried for a year to show him biblically and socially the "red flags" of this group to no avail.
I am really in need of a support group for parents of students, do you know of any? We want to support our son without supporting his decision to go to the "training". We realize that if we are too harsh it will only give them leverage to turn him against us completely. We want to him to fell as though he can always come back, because we Love him very much. That is of course also what Christ would have us do.
I have also been reading in these threads about people being "married off" at the end of the training. How prevalent is that? Is there extreme pressure in that area?
Any help and insight is appreciated. I am located in Texas just in case you know of anyone in my area who can help us.
Thanks in advance
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If your son is in the FTTA they will encourage him to preach the gospel, yet very few of them actually do. They'll be desperate to speak with anyone who will listen. I suggest you listen.
For example, I would encourage you to ask him to explain the ground of the church to you. That will be irresistible opportunity for him. He will tell you many things about the Temple and the OT, I would agree with him that the Temple is a type of the church, I would agree with him that the ground of the temple was very important.
Encourage him to speak on these things long, he might do so for 30 minutes or more. But then I would ask "if this is so important what does it say about the ground of the church in the NT"?
No need to discredit or respond to whatever he says. He himself will know that it is quite weak. He will probably come back to it again and again. But if not ask him "Jesus said 'on this rock He would build His church'", was He talking about the "ground of the church"?
If you continue to revisit this one question with him, "what does the NT say". It will go a long way to helping him see.
He will give you verses on the importance of oneness -- so then you can ask "so then this group you are with, you are one with all Christians"? He'll respond in the affirmative with some explanation, no need to argue. That question will nag at him.
He will give you verses about the evil of denominations. Once again, you can ask "so these Christians name themselves after something other than Jesus because they are following something other than Jesus, and the group you are with, you only follow Jesus?" Once again, these questions will be like harpoons, they'll stick in him and bother him again, and again.