Bait and switch

Let's look at some reasons for believers being hesitant to seek unity with other believers in the Church of God.

Many religious people have had years of programming with false ideas. Do you realize how hard it is to unlearn erroneous programming?

• Before many were baptized, they were correctly told to prove all things.

• After many were baptized, they were incorrectly told that their salvation was dependent upon the clergy.

• Even if this behavior was inadvertent, this amounts to bait and switch.

There are actually quite a few people who still claim that the clergy in the Church of God never said that salvation was dependent upon the clergy.

While some of these people may actually be lying, I prefer to view the majority of people who say such things as being in denial.

• Have you ever heard of the theory of God's government on earth?

• Have you ever heard clergymen say that disobeying them was the same as disobeying God?

• Have you ever heard clergymen say that leaving their church (which was really a physical corporation) was the same as leaving God?

• Have you ever heard clergymen call people "Korah" because the clergymen said that the people "rebelled" against the clergy? (Interestingly, the main lesson of the story about Korah is leaders rebelling against Jesus Christ.)

So, you see, there are plenty of paradigms that influence people to stay loyal to one physical organization and to ignore other people who might actually be brothers in Christ.

Military groupthink

Let's consider the approach called groupthink.

Everyone knows that the armed forces of a country practice groupthink. The first thing that happens to a new military recruit in America is to have his head shaved. He must look like everyone else.

This is the beginning of putting the soldiers in an environment where they will lose their individuality. Each soldier must be loyal to the leaders. Each soldier must respond quickly. No questions asked. No evaluating the order. In essence, no thinking allowed.

Those in the rank system will do your thinking for you. Be loyal to headquarters and to the leaders.

Are you surprised when you see some churches actually patterning their organization after the military model?

The groupthink model that is so necessary for a military is not Christ's idea for the church. Believe Christ.

Common justification

Have you ever considered the justification that church leaders use to promote groupthink?

A common scripture is Amos 3:3, which reads: "Can two walk together except they be agreed?"

There you have it. Everyone who walks side by side must agree on everything. And, if a person doesn't agree with the leader, guess who has to change his thinking?

But is that what Amos 3:3 means? Absolutely not.

Here are two other ways to consider Amos 3:3.

• Can two people walk together without agreeing to meet?

• Can two walk together if they have never met?

Another justification

Another common scripture that church leaders use to promote groupthink is 1 Corinthians 1:10.

In the King James translation that verse says: "I beseech you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions [schisms] among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

Do you really believe that Paul is telling people to all have the same thoughts and opinions? Is that what Paul was saying?

Let's look at the same verse in the Moffatt translation: "Brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg of you all to drop these party-cries. There must be no cliques among you; you must regain your common temper and attitude."

Contrary to what you may have been taught, 1 Corinthians 1:10 is not primarily talking about people all having the same head knowledge. 1 Corinthians 1:10 is primarily talking about people all having a loving approach.

As Paul wrote later in the letter (in 1 Corinthians 8:1): "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." As Paul taught even later in the letter (in 1 Corinthians 13:2): If a person understands all mysteries and all knowledge, but does not have love, he is nothing.

Paul was certainly not endorsing groupthink or the practice of being cruel to people who think differently.

The old schism trail

What caused these schisms and party-cries in Corinth? Let's go back to chapter 1 and read the context.

In verse 11 Paul acknowledges contentions among the Corinthians.

In verse 12 Paul pinpoints the cause of the problem.

Paul said that some people polarized around himself. He noted that other people polarized around Apollos, and he mentioned that yet others polarized around Peter.

The people were ignoring their shared calling and dividing themselves up to follow church leaders. Instead of looking at what they had in common, the people allowed their allegiance to church leaders to separate themselves.

Has this been done in the 20th and 21st centuries?

Some people polarized around A.N. Dugger, and others polarized around C.O. Dodd.

Some people polarized around the Oregon Conference, others polarized around the Stanberry (Mo.) Conference, and yet others polarized around the Salem (W.Va.) Conference.

Some people polarized around Herbert Armstrong, and others polarized around Ted Armstrong.

People are polarizing around Gerald Flurry, Rod Meredith, the council of elders of United, David Hulme, Dave Pack, Rob Elliott, Ron Weinland and others.

Coercive authority

Someone could ask: Is it wrong for people to organize in religious groups?

My response: No. Organizing is good, as long as there is no coercive authority in the system.

Someone could ask: Is it wrong for a religious system to have leaders?

My response: No. Leadership is good, as long as the leaders are not using coercive authority in the system.

Let me give you a common progression of how coercive authority affects a physical group.

• Coercive authority often begins with the belief that a physical organization is the embodiment of the Body of Christ. Members of the organization believe that their physical entity is the spiritual church. They believe they are the one true church.

Seems harmless enough.

• Coercive authority gains momentum with the belief that the physical organization is God's government on earth. Members of the organization believe if you do not follow their leaders you do not follow God.

Not so harmless anymore.

• Coercive authority takes deep root when members of the group believe that their leaders have dominion over their faith (which is contrary to 2 Corinthians 1:24). They connect a relationship with God to a relationship with men.

That is a dangerous idea.

Horrible effects

One obvious result is that people pledge too much allegiance to men instead of to the Father and the Son.

A second result is that people pledge too much allegiance to their physical church group, which often affects their treatment toward other members of the Body of Christ who are not members of their physical organization.

There are many people in church groups who look down their noses at other people not in their group, because they view themselves as the superior people of the so-called Philadelphia era of God's church.

There are many people in church groups who will shun people who are a part of a different branch of the Church of God.

They will even shun their family members just because their family members are a part of a different branch of the Church of God.

Do you recognize how tragic this is?

People violate the Fifth Commandment to give their allegiance to a church organization. (Consider the parallels of Mark 7:7-13.)

Personal responsibility

Who deserves the greater blame for the schisms, the leaders or the people?

While it may be tempting to blame church leaders for the poor way they may influence you, the ultimate accountability for our decisions rests with us.

Let's go back to Corinth.

• Were Paul, Apollos and Peter all trying to get people to polarize around them?

In one sense it doesn't matter.

Even if Paul, Apollos and Peter were trying to get people to polarize around them, the believers were responsible for their own actions.

Let's ask the same questions in our modern age.

• Were Herbert Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong trying to get people to polarize around them?

As we said about Paul, Apollos and Peter, it doesn't matter. Remember that leaders give account for how they influence people, but believers give account for their decisions.

Therefore, even if Herbert and Ted were trying to get people to polarize around them, the believers were responsible for their own actions.

Stop the polarization

It is high time for believers to quit causing schisms among the Body of Christ by their polarizing around church leaders.

The church leaders can lead you to water, but they can't make you drink. They have no power over you, unless you give it to them.

The pope claims to be the vicar of Christ, but you don't look to him in the place of God, do you?

See how easy it is for you to keep the pope out of the place of God? You can do the same thing with Herbert Armstrong or any of his numerous successors.

Are you still polarizing yourself around either Mr. Armstrong or his successors even though he and some of them are deceased? Do you allow their written edicts of the past to influence you to have schisms with believers?

Have you transferred your habit of polarization to one of Herbert Armstrong's many successors? Do you allow his edicts to influence you to have schisms with believers?

God is so patient that He will endure idolatry for quite a while. But, remember, He is also a jealous God.

Positive influence

It is high time for church leaders to be a positive influence against the schisms. How? They can clearly tell people to stop rallying around them.

Some church leaders could say: I never tell people to rally around me. I point them to Christ.

My response: How effectively are you denouncing the theories that influence people to remain emotionally trapped?

Let me show you what I mean.

• I, Dave Havir, believe that the theory of church leaders claiming to be God's government on earth is a faulty theory that creates schisms within the Body of Christ, and I regret my teaching and enforcing that theory years ago among the Body of Christ.

• I, Dave Havir, believe that the theory of church leaders claiming to have dominion over the faith of believers is a faulty theory that creates schisms within the Body of Christ, and I regret my teaching and enforcing that theory years ago among the Body of Christ.

See how simple it is?

My comment to church leaders: You will feel great knowing that saying the above words may help some of God's flock. But, even if saying the above words doesn't help too many of God's flock at this time, you will have the fulfillment of knowing that you planted seeds of truth. God will give the increase of knowledge to His children.

What about you?

Whether church leaders are willing to admit their participation in faulty theories that cause schisms in the Body of Christ, the responsibility of avoiding party-cries rests with you as a believer.

While it may be tempting to blame church leaders for the poor way they may influence you, the ultimate accountability for our decisions rests with us.