Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
Talking about those 80's lawsuit. There was a certain elder who didn't go along with it and it was pointed out "someone is not one with us". A few years later he ousted out of the Church in Rosemead.
Whether one wants to accept it or not peer pressure is very prevalent in the local churches whether you're one of the young people or a respected elder.
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Yes, I recall Dan Toole (an elder in Fullerton, CA at the time) announced the first group of lawsuits were being initiated after “a training” in Anaheim (1980 I think) saying they were necessary because the churches’ growth was being hindered by the “slanderous books”, and there was a need to “appeal to Caesar” like Paul did. Brother Lee said he didn’t want to do it, but had been pressed into it by leading brothers who said something needed to be done. And, the lawsuit was for $1.00 because it wasn’t about money, but the truth.
One of the elders in my locality objected on the basis of Paul’s word in 1 Cor 6. He was immediately “quarantined” and was either expelled from the church or voluntarily left (there were private meetings with him I wasn’t in).
We were told by the remaining elders that “he is too much in his mind”. “Satan is twisting his thoughts”. Don’t talk to him or his wife or you might get “gangrene”. Being young and gullible (and not well schooled in scripture) that scared me, so I participated in the church-wide shunning of him and his family.
That was quite disturbing to me, because I had spent a fair amount of time at his house fellowshipping over meals, and felt close to he, his wife, and children. But, I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. It makes me sick and sad thinking about it now.
It was my first taste of a local church quarantine (it wouldn’t be the last).