- Topic
When I was a member I remember feeling like my faith was constantly being tested by the group. By this I mean that I often felt as though I had to choose between the WMSCOG and my family (or my "physical family" as I was enouraged to call it back then). I remember that the WMSCOG claimed that Thanksgiving was a pagan holiday. They would instead replace the holiday with a "prayer service" in the church. During one of the services, the pastor explained that the meal that my family ate on Thanksgiving was "food sacrificed to idols" since there would be a prayer of thanks said over the meal to "a different Jesus". Recently I decided to look at his claims a little bit more closely.
What does it mean to sacrifice food to idols? In the Old Testament, animals were killed and burned as part of a religious ceremony and offered to God at the altar by the high priest. I have never seen my family go out and kill a turkey and shed its blood as part of a religious ceremony on Thanksgiving (or any other day for that matter). So why would the WMSCOG consider Thanksgiving dinner to be a sacrifice to an idol? Is it just because my family prays over the food before we eat it? We do that every day. Why would this meal be different? It isn't.
But it seemed to me that the WMSCOG wanted me to choose between spending time with my family and spending time with them. Thanksgiving was painted as evil, therefore there was no other choice but to spend it with other members of the organization. I remember choosing to spend time with my family despite their claims and being treated like a lesser being for it. When I got together with my family on Thanksgiving, I was considered to have celebrated the so called pagan holiday. Aren't WMSCOG members "celebrating" the holiday as well when they get together for the prayer service? The WMSCOG doesn't typically hold prayer services on Thursdays, so how would getting together with other members on that day have been any different than what I did with my family? It wouldn't have.
For those readers that are not aware, the WMSCOG replaces Christmas and New Year's Eve with a prayer service as well. So for those of you that have a family member in the WMSCOG, do not be surprised if you don't see them during these holidays either. As you can see here, WMSCOG members deny the organization's efforts to separate members from their families while at the same time attempting to justify their actions by taking Scripture out of context. I sympathize with you all as I have experienced, and will continue to experience this holiday season, similar heartache because of my family member's choice to spend all of their time recruiting for the WMSCOG.
I really haven't had many questions my only unanswered question really seems to apply in most churches anyway regarding segregation of gender. I have yet to go to or here of a church that does not do this and they all use the same answer, even the nonWMC churches speak of Satan distracting you.
as for the answer to: Did you ever observe any of the members behaving in a way that doesn't really mesh with what they preached?
What I was saying was no one is perfect save God, therefore no matter how much one may believe something their abillity to practice it will be imperfect so if I expected perfect adherence to a faith I would never be able to accept any church anywhere ever.
shimon wrote:
really seems to apply in most churches anyway regarding segregation of gender.
which churches have you seen that do this?
Pretty much every church where I am from both originally (SF Bay Area) and now(Wyo) advertises segregated events.
Neither WMC nor most other churches are fully segregated, I just find any segregation a bit odd.
shimon, I'm confused about what you said concerning gender segregation at other churches. I have not attended any mainstream Christian churches that segregate genders for services (or most events, really). But all churches I've been to have men's ministries/events and women's ministries/events because men and women have different needs (not because of any distraction). I go to a women's Bible study weekly, and it's for women only because we want to talk about personal things without having to hold back because of having men in hearing (and do men really want to hear about our girl problems?). The men at my church have a monthly men's meeting, and we women don't care to go and hear them talk about men's issues. It's nothing about Satan distracting with the opposite sex. And in fact, if I went to church services (especially as a visitor) and was not allowed to sit with my husband, I'd find that distracting.
and when you said, "What I was saying was no one is perfect save God, therefore no matter how much one may believe something their abillity to practice it will be imperfect so if I expected perfect adherence to a faith I would never be able to accept any church anywhere ever."
I agree with that. That's why I like to look at what a church teaches more than how well the members are able to follow what is taught. And if I'm upset at the actions of the members when they are following the church's teachings, I find the fault weighs more heavily on the church than the members.
To me segregation on gender for any reason it kinda stupid and noone can really convince me otherwise. And I see no difference between how WMC does it and other churches I have attended to it so there is nothing there for me to question I wouldn't question everywhere else.
Hailey Stevens wrote:
When I was a member I remember feeling like my faith was constantly being tested by the group. By this I mean that I often felt as though I had to choose between the WMSCOG and my family (or my "physical family" as I was enouraged to call it back then). I remember that the WMSCOG claimed that Thanksgiving was a pagan holiday. They would instead replace the holiday with a "prayer service" in the church. During one of the services, the pastor explained that the meal that my family ate on Thanksgiving was "food sacrificed to idols" since there would be a prayer of thanks said over the meal to "a different Jesus". Recently I decided to look at his claims a little bit more closely.
What does it mean to sacrifice food to idols? In the Old Testament, animals were killed and burned as part of a religious ceremony and offered to God at the altar by the high priest. I have never seen my family go out and kill a turkey and shed its blood as part of a religious ceremony on Thanksgiving (or any other day for that matter). So why would the WMSCOG consider Thanksgiving dinner to be a sacrifice to an idol? Is it just because my family prays over the food before we eat it? We do that every day. Why would this meal be different? It isn't.
But it seemed to me that the WMSCOG wanted me to choose between spending time with my family and spending time with them. Thanksgiving was painted as evil, therefore there was no other choice but to spend it with other members of the organization. I remember choosing to spend time with my family despite their claims and being treated like a lesser being for it. When I got together with my family on Thanksgiving, I was considered to have celebrated the so called pagan holiday. Aren't WMSCOG members "celebrating" the holiday as well when they get together for the prayer service? The WMSCOG doesn't typically hold prayer services on Thursdays, so how would getting together with other members on that day have been any different than what I did with my family? It wouldn't have.
For those readers that are not aware, the WMSCOG replaces Christmas and New Year's Eve with a prayer service as well. So for those of you that have a family member in the WMSCOG, do not be surprised if you don't see them during these holidays either. As you can see here, WMSCOG members deny the organization's efforts to separate members from their families while at the same time attempting to justify their actions by taking Scripture out of context. I sympathize with you all as I have experienced, and will continue to experience this holiday season, similar heartache because of my family member's choice to spend all of their time recruiting for the WMSCOG.
sounds like they were looking for separation. if you hang out with family & friends, that will bring back memories and laughs and that could make a person loose focus and turn worldly. Sharing dinner with your family and friends is not worldly, it's called quality time. Family should be important and you should want to spend time with them regardless of their religious views.
and if they do keep their members away from their families but they themselves have an activity that day, then yes it seems to me as though they want to replace your family and keep you busy so you wont miss it. Sad
maybe everyone should spend this thanksgiving with their families and friends since the world ends in or around December.
With more current WMS members posting recently and the holidays rapidly approaching I felt like this post needed to come back out to the forfront.
yes, as someone who posted in this thread before. I still think that if a family doesn't want to get together for a holiday that is their right, but if a family chooses to do so how can it be sin? It may not be a sacred day from the Bible, it may not be the day Jesus was born, well it certainly cannot be the day when you read the scriptures, BUT that is hardly the point. I have come to realize looking back at how we would be encouraged to go to zion instead of being with families on those days, we were being forced into hypocricy turning a so called pagan day as a day to serve "father and mother." If they were god wouldn't that be the same as the mainstream Christians serving Jesus celebrating Christmas, Easter, and Halloween etc.?
Simon wrote:
yes, as someone who posted in this thread before. I still think that if a family doesn't want to get together for a holiday that is their right, but if a family chooses to do so how can it be sin? It may not be a sacred day from the Bible, it may not be the day Jesus was born, well it certainly cannot be the day when you read the scriptures, BUT that is hardly the point. I have come to realize looking back at how we would be encouraged to go to zion instead of being with families on those days, we were being forced into hypocricy turning a so called pagan day as a day to serve "father and mother." If they were god wouldn't that be the same as the mainstream Christians serving Jesus celebrating Christmas, Easter, and Halloween etc.?
I totally agree with you Mr. Simon. It's also a control issue. They are scare you will realize true love around your family. That your family the one you have neglected still loves you and will be so happy to have you around.
I heared that when they know members will not show up to zion, they are encourage to preach to their family members, double standard uh!
The members actually dont have any breakfast, lunch or dinner with their families. Many just call their families once a week but even if you talk to your Mom everyday that is not the same as seating with your Mom and have a cup of coffee with her or cook a meal with her. When these celebrations come to place is the only chance these families have to see their loved ones and share quality time with them. The families have hope that they will see their love one but instead the members are put in the possition of breaking their families heart or breaking "Heavenly Mother's" heart and thats when is hard to choose after believing in her. Everything that you would like or preffer to do as a non cult member is placed in a balance were in one side is "Heavenly Mother aka God" and in the other that one thing that is what you want. Since you are taught that what you want is not always what is good for you and that your "Heavenly Parents" are the ones who know the best for you….that is when it gets hard. The leaders of this church call this "spiritual battle"…
I was always encouraged to do stuff with my family just not on Christmas Easter Halloween etc
Yes that started to happen when families started to complain to autorities and to avoid to attract more attention they will tell you on mothers day to go and see your family as a way to preach to them or on dathers day•
I dunno if it is a temporal change or a regional variance
Just wanted to bump this, as myself and many others here might not not have joy of sharing Thanksgiving with their love one.
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