Deceit in recruitment: Difference between revisions
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==Breaking down the deception== | ==Breaking down the deception== | ||
The Voice of God Recordings websites states the following: | |||
:''Voice Of God Recordings is not affiliated with any denomination and is not supported by any governing church body. We do not subscribe to any man-made creeds and our only “doctrinal statement” is our belief in the absolute authority of the Word of God. We acknowledge only the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ. | :''Voice Of God Recordings is not affiliated with any denomination and is not supported by any governing church body. We do not subscribe to any man-made creeds and our only “doctrinal statement” is our belief in the absolute authority of the Word of God. We acknowledge only the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.<ref>From Branham.org/About, retrieved February 24, 2018</ref> | ||
While this seems mildly innocuous to both outsiders and insiders, the deception hinges on redefining all three crucial terms of the paragraph: "Word of God," "Lord Jesus Christ," and "man-made creeds." | While this seems mildly innocuous to both outsiders and insiders, the deception hinges on redefining all three crucial terms of the paragraph: "Word of God," "Lord Jesus Christ," and "man-made creeds." | ||
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William Branham and his followers call him: | William Branham and his followers call him: | ||
Jesus Christ Made Flesh | *Jesus Christ Made Flesh | ||
The Voice Of God | *The Voice Of God | ||
God's Prophet to this Age | *God's Prophet to this Age | ||
The Seventh Church Age Messenger | *The Seventh Church Age Messenger | ||
====What would be a truthful statement?==== | |||
We believe William Branham to be sent by God as The Messenger, The Prophet, the Seventh Church Age Angel, and God's Voice to our age. | |||
===Term 3: Man-made creeds=== | ===Term 3: Man-made creeds=== | ||
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To see more egregious examples of deception and doublespeak, browse themessage.com, Voice Of God's recruitment site. The first FAQ entry, among others, is deliberate deception. | To see more egregious examples of deception and doublespeak, browse themessage.com, Voice Of God's recruitment site. The first FAQ entry, among others, is deliberate deception. | ||
:''We would say that our “official” church doctrine would be the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Our statement of faith can be summarized like this: No creed but Christ; no law but love; no book but the Bible. | :''We would say that our “official” church doctrine would be the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Our statement of faith can be summarized like this: ''No creed but Christ; no law but love; no book but the Bible.''<ref>From http://themessage.com/faqs, retrieved February 24, 2018</ref> | ||
{{Bottom of Page}} | {{Bottom of Page}} | ||
[[Category: | [[Category: Guest articles]] | ||
Latest revision as of 05:05, 25 February 2018
This article was written by Nathanael Jones.
Cults need a safe-looking front to recruit followers effectively.
Most cults in the U.S. present themselves as Christian groups, and most exploit an ancient or confusing translation of the Bible to grant their charismatic leader(s) authority and set newcomers on their path towards the group's "Absolute Truth."
Example: Voice Of God Recordings - "About Us" page
| Marketing | Reality | |
|---|---|---|
| Doctrinal statement: | The Bible is our Absolute Authority | William Branham is our Absolute Authority |
| Leader: | Jesus Christ | William Marrion Branham, a.k.a.:
|
| We reject: | Man-made creeds | Mainstream and orthodox Christianity |
Breaking down the deception
The Voice of God Recordings websites states the following:
- Voice Of God Recordings is not affiliated with any denomination and is not supported by any governing church body. We do not subscribe to any man-made creeds and our only “doctrinal statement” is our belief in the absolute authority of the Word of God. We acknowledge only the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.[1]
While this seems mildly innocuous to both outsiders and insiders, the deception hinges on redefining all three crucial terms of the paragraph: "Word of God," "Lord Jesus Christ," and "man-made creeds."
These redefinitions are woven into "The Message," and occur gradually in followers' minds as they progress through the audio-based thought reform.
Term 1: Word Of God
What this means:
- To outsiders - "Word of God" means the Bible.
- To insiders - "Word of God" means William Branham's sermons.
Insiders are taught to say "The Message and The Bible are the Word of God." This obscures the fact that only portions of the King James Version hold authority, and then only as modified by William Branham. Strikingly, even verses emphasized by William Branham (such as Deuteronomy 18:20-22) are discredited to preserve William Branham's status.
What would be a truthful statement?
We believe William Branham's words and his revelations of The Bible to be the Word Of God and Absolute Truth. This doctrinal statement is taken from William Branham's sermons.
Term 2: Lord Jesus Christ
What this means:
- To outsiders - "Lord Jesus Christ" means precisely that.
- To insiders - William Branham's words supersede Jesus Christ's, and the two are regularly conflated (confused for one another).
William Branham and his followers call him:
- Jesus Christ Made Flesh
- The Voice Of God
- God's Prophet to this Age
- The Seventh Church Age Messenger
What would be a truthful statement?
We believe William Branham to be sent by God as The Messenger, The Prophet, the Seventh Church Age Angel, and God's Voice to our age.
Term 3: Man-made creeds
To obscure the truth even further, they state "we do not subscribe to any man-made creeds." Outsiders would rightly consider WMB's Message a man-made creed, but to insiders, it is the "Recorded Voice Of God."
What this means:
- To outsiders - WMB’s Message follows directly from the Bible, not changed liked some denominational doctrines.
- To insiders - It is the “Recorded Voice of God”, so redefinition of the Bible is done by God and therefore justified.
What would be a truthful statement?
Although all major branches of Christianity consider our doctrines dangerous and heretical, we embrace the Words spoken through William Branham as our creed.
These three redefinitions combine to give outsiders a deceptive and false view of the group.
To see more egregious examples of deception and doublespeak, browse themessage.com, Voice Of God's recruitment site. The first FAQ entry, among others, is deliberate deception.
- We would say that our “official” church doctrine would be the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Our statement of faith can be summarized like this: No creed but Christ; no law but love; no book but the Bible.[2]
Footnotes
- ↑ From Branham.org/About, retrieved February 24, 2018
- ↑ From http://themessage.com/faqs, retrieved February 24, 2018