Nigeria | Church of the Brethren This is a link to the assault on Christianity on going in Nigeria where Christianity has had an explosion of growth and gaining memberships for several decades and where there are more members in Nigeria than in the USA. Now comes word that the assault by those who do not respect others right to have freedom of religion have forced the closure of the Bible College there. While most of the world focuses on wars for one reason or another around the world, my opinion is that there is real fear of Christ and Christ's teaching of basic freedoms is a real threat to those who want to control an enslave others. Whether that be a group hiding behind a religion or big business taking on those whose faith would call them to speak out against any kind of evil in whatever form it may manifest itself.
Is it a fanatical group of a religion that teaches in the end times all will believe as they do? Or does the international cabal of great wealth and power able to use those of such a belief and persuasion to get rid of any group that preaches freedom and respect for the individual. Often, its Christianity's basic teachings that will be at odds with evil itself.
Not that any sect of any faith cannot go astray and become evil in itself and many horrific things have been done in the name of Christianity over the last 2000 years and why in 1703 a small group in Germany led by Alexander Mack decided that war itself was a sin against Yahusha whom we Christians call Christ Jesus and came under persecution for taking the stand that was not popular in Christianity at the time.
Like many groups they found their way to the new world that became known later as the USA.
Alexander Mack and several others of the original members are buried in a section of Philadelphia in the cemetery behind the Germantown Church of the Brethren where I spent part of my seminary years doing an internship.
Its known as a historical site as a branch of the Underground Railroad as well as in the 1700's what later became the parsonage was a HIGH SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN OF COLOR.
This sect of Christianity never accepted slavery as acceptable human behavior.
The sect has had its problems over the years, as has others. But one of the bright spots in the evangelizing of the Gospel in the later 20th century was in Nigeria through the spread of informal house churches..
This is not just an assault on one sect of Christianity but an assault on an example of where the philosophical principles of Christ has blossomed while in most of the western world, church attendance has declined. Maybe , because we got too lazy and comfortable in the freedoms that the USA has had under the US Constitution and other nations have gained those also.
The core belief of this one smaller sect of Christianity holds that Christ is the creed and although there are consensus opinions voted on by the church body and representatives, it is not a set creed as many others have. Each one is called to read and study and search for answers for themselves and in the body of the church is where we discuss and learn how and to what degree our personal conclusions and opinions mesh with others and we continue to learn from each other and respect each other's diverse opinions.
Each local group has much self autonomy and votes on whom they wish to be their leaders and pastors. Its not always the perfect model, but it was a model that allowed a spurt of growth for Christianity in an area of the world that worked with the cultures of the area like in Nigeria and it even survived the Communists somewhat in China.
CHRISTIANITY IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A THREAT TO ANY GROUP THAT WANTS TO ENSLAVE ND CONTROL AND RULE OVER OTHERS WITH LITTLE REGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL. THAT MIGHT BE A RELIGIOUS GROUP IMPOSING THEIR PERSONAL BELIEFS ON OTHERS, OR IT COULD WELL BE SOME THAT HAVE GAINED POWER AND WEALTH THROUGH NEFARIOUS MEANS AND DO NOT WISH TO STAND BEFORE ANY COURT OF JUSTICE.
Christianity holds much in common with Judaism and with other faith around the world in this philosophy of how human should treat each other.
Another reason, I personally believe, was that left with out sectarian controls, the spread of Christianity in China has also been occurring for the last few decades as the good news spreads informally after being introduced in the early part of the 20th century and then kicked out by the Communists. The teachings of their ancestors do hold much common wisdom.
Christianity got way off base for a hundred years trying to impose cultural values along with the sharing of the faith. And it caused problems around the world and even in the USA with the Native American population and we hold our own horror stories of terrible things that were done that Christ, I am sure, would never have approved of.
In the mid 20th century, there was an awakening that sharing the Gospel did not mean we have to go force our culture on others first. Some forget to read their Bibles where in the early church the controversies when the good news was shared with non Jews and the consensus of the leaders was that one did not have to become a Jew first, but could go straight into Christianity. Nor did each group have to do things exactly as others did them, either. The presence of the Holy Spirit was to lead them to do those things that were a manifestation of love for one another and life and love overcome the tenets of evil wanting death and destruction
And the faith took off and eventually over came the Roman Empire to the point that Caesar Constantine either joined or succumbed. Unfortunately making Christianity a state religion where all had to believe and things exactly the same and individual freedoms of thought, etc. got squashed caused the faith to not spread as it is inherently supposed to do through freedoms of thought and person to figure out what is the better way of life for humanity.
It is my personal opinion, in light of recorded history I have read and studied that Islam filled a void created by everyone having to believe the same or not be part of the known world. In the area where Islam came from was some variations of the nature of Christ and differences of opinion as to how things should be done in the faith. Today, thankfully, these would not create such a schism, but it left many areas excluded from the group and that is never a good thing for humans created to be social beings and part of the whole.
Just my take on things from the past we are dealing with now.
THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST ARE A THREAT TO THOSE WHO WOULD DENY ANY ONE OF US OUR BASIC RIGHTS AS OUR US CONSTITUTION OUTLINES SO WELL AND PROVIDES FOR CHECKS AND BALANCES TO STOP ANY ONE OR GROUP THAT WOULD DENY US THOSE RIGHTS IN A LEGAL AND PEACEFUL PROCESS. IT WILL NOT WORK UNLESS WE ALL PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS AND VOTING IS THE FIRST STEP OF PARTICIPATION. 95% voting for 10 years, and my firm belief that we will bring back the ideals of what our founders dreamed of even though we did not share the participation with all at the beginning. We grew and learned and did. Only to sit down and let ourselves be overthrown by individuals and groups that do not hold the same dreams of freedom for each. I am in a life and death struggle and so are too many others right now caught in the overthrow of this nation that began several decades ago and reach the peak of fruition soon after 9/11/01 and hidden from view was a systematic step by step take over along with theft of our precious tax dollars that were to be used for us and no one seems to know; WHERE IS OUR MONEY?
For those not of the Christian faith, the basic teachings of Christ are common wisdom of what humanity is to do and be like and when we do not follow that, we find ourselves in all kinds of horrible scenarios and too often those leading the evil is some behind the scenes pulling the puppet strings of the visible leadership .
EVIL DOES NOT LIKE BEING EXPOSED. HUMANITY WAS CREATED WITH THE BRAINS TO KNOW EVIL WHEN EXPOSED AND WE DO NOT LIKE IT TO CONTINUE.
Linda Joy Adams 9/7/14
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