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The Status of Message Believers: Difference between revisions

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The comments below simply reflect some of the main obstacles that people will face in balancing Christianity with their belief in William Branham's role, policies, prophecies and doctrines.
The comments below simply reflect some of the main obstacles that people will face in balancing Christianity with their belief in William Branham's role, policies, prophecies and doctrines.


==The Abuse of Message Believers by Ministers==


We have been shocked by the number of former message believers that have contacted us and have clearly been abused by their former pastors while in the message.  While that is clearly '''not the experience in all message churches''', it certainly occurs in enough churches to represent a significant problem within the message.  Additionally, message ministers when they become aware of abuse in other churches rarely say anything and avoid criticisms of any other ministers, regardless of how abusive they have become or how questionable their personal conduct.


==Heretical Teaching==
==Heretical Teaching==


Some message churches teach a distorted, heretical, view of basic truths that most would assume have to be believed properly in order to be a Christian.   
Some message churches teach a distorted, heretical, view of basic truths that most would assume have to be believed properly in order to be a Christian.  We have compiled [[Condensed List of Issues with the Message#Doctrinal/Biblical Issues|a list of all of the doctrinal issues that we have identified to date]].  Many of these doctrines are heretical or non-biblical.


For example, '''is it possible for a person to be saved if they do not believe that Jesus Christ was God in flesh''' (Matthew 1:23)?  Certain followers of [[Vaylism|Lee Vayle]] hold to a heretical view of the Godhead – that Jesus Christ was not deity.  Such doctrinal beliefs are against the plain teaching of scripture (John 20:28), and therefore put those who believe such teachings at risk of missing the basic tenets of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
For example, '''is it possible for a person to be saved if they do not believe that Jesus Christ was God in flesh''' (Matthew 1:23)?  Certain followers of [[Vaylism|Lee Vayle]] hold to a heretical view of the Godhead – that Jesus Christ was not deity.  Such doctrinal beliefs are against the plain teaching of scripture (John 20:28), and therefore put those who believe such teachings at risk of missing the basic tenets of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
[[File:MessageWarning.jpg|500px|thumb|right|450px]]
[[File:MessageWarning.jpg|500px|thumb|right|450px]]


Others view William Branham's message as being superior to the Bible.  How can one really be considered a Christian when they hold William Branham's teachings as superseding those of the Bible?
 
Most message believers [[The Message#William Branham's message > the Bible|view William Branham's message as being superior to the Bible]]Can one really be considered a Christian if they hold William Branham's teachings as superseding those of the Bible?


==Lukewarmness==
==Lukewarmness==
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Those in the message will state that "love is corrective" which is simply an excuse for clubbing people over the head with their "revelation".  However, true corrective love can only come out of relationship.
Those in the message will state that "love is corrective" which is simply an excuse for clubbing people over the head with their "revelation".  However, true corrective love can only come out of relationship.
==The Abuse of Message Believers by Ministers==
We have been shocked by the number of former message believers that have contacted us and have clearly been abused by their former pastors while in the message.  While that is clearly '''not the experience in all message churches''', it certainly occurs in enough churches to represent a significant problem within the message.  Additionally, message ministers when they become aware of abuse in other churches rarely say anything and avoid criticisms of any other ministers, regardless of how abusive they have become or how questionable their personal conduct.


=The Main Problem=
=The Main Problem=