The World A Reflection of the Church

In this column of Dew, we bring to light those things that the religious man in all of us would rather see left hidden. We point out the similarity of the conditions of the world and the system which has been given the name "church." Those of you who have received the tape The Origin of the Word, Church know that the word "church" comes from a Greek word "circe." Circe was a Greek mythological Goddess who had the power to turn men into animals. We find it rather amazing that in the 2000 years Christendom has been in existence, this myth seems to have a ring of truth to it.

In this issue we will talk about a little about the deceptive use of words. Those of you who follow politics, advertising, etc., know that people often do not say what they mean. It is not that they do not know how to communicate, but that they purposely mislead. They know what they are doing, but feel they will get away with it or that it is somehow justified.

In politics, the key is to make as many people feel you agree with them as possible. Words and phrases have to be used that can mean different things to different people. The object is to gain their voter confidence.

Once a politician is in office, he or she will again manipulate words to make it appear they are doing your bidding. The objective is to win the majority confidence of the people.

Words are very powerful. They can leave images in our minds which will never be erased. Political leaders hire professional writers who know how to paint pictures with words. They also know the kind of things a leader should do which will project the right image. Since our society is divided into many different interest groups at war with each other, it takes a great deal of time and study to manipulate an image which will get the vote and keep the office. I am glad I am not a politician.

There is a word that has been coined to define deceptive use of words. It is called "doublespeak." There are even awards given to those in society who are masters at "doublespeak." The real danger behind "doublespeak" is that its purpose is to project a "good spirit" when in fact it is a "deceptive spirit." The examples below give an idea of what I am talking about.

These examples of "doublespeak" come from a book entitled Doublespeak written by William Lutz published by HarperCollins in 1989. The Reagan Administration didn't propose new taxes, just "revenue enhancement" through new "user's fees." The U.S. Army doesn't kill anymore, they just "service the target." Blasting the hell out of a specific area, killing and destroying everything possible in that zone becomes "surgical bombing" in the "theater." Lawyers speak of "involuntary conversion" instead of "theft." Laying off 5000 people from their jobs becomes "initiates a career alternative enhancement program." Doctors losing their patients don't really lose them, they have a "negative patient care outcome." When the Pentagon attacks the enemy first, it is called "pre-emptive counterattack." "Backloading of augmentation personnel" means "retreat!" The invasion of Grenada in 1983 was made not by our military, but by the "Caribbean Peace Keeping Forces" and it wasn't really an invasion but a "predawn vertical insertion."

The Nazi government was an expert in using "doublespeak." "Resettlement" meant deportation, "Special Action Groups" were units that conducted mass murder, "action" meant murder, "selections" meant gassing, "shot while trying to escape" meant deliberately killed in a concentration camp.

Nearly all organizations use "doublespeak" to project images which falsely make them appear one way, when in fact they are not that way at all. The advertising industry, in which I once earned a living, is basically corrupt to the core. Truth is a meaningless word in this industry. The advertising\public relations business has steered so far from honesty that Americans have become accustomed to being lied to and as a result have become very cynical. Our language is falling apart because of the misuse of words by all of the professions including politics, law, education, business, medical, religion, etc. This will eventually cause the people to lose faith in these systems, which will lead to anarchy.

I don't think I need to give more examples of how the leaders of our institutions have used words to mislead us. The book mentioned above gives many dozens of examples of "doublespeak" from various quarters of our society. We want to briefly touch upon the part of society which has used "doublespeak" for centuries, a branch of society which claims for itself the title of the "guardian of life"--religion-- which in American is essentially Christianity.

As we touch this sacred cow, please understand that my purpose is not to undermine one's faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. It is not to tear apart the Redeeming love of the Savior of the whole world, the Messiah, who gave Himself a ransom for all. The message of the Christian Bible is true, if one can get past the "doublespeak" of the various sects who have pawned themselves off as the sacred "Defenders of the Faith." We are just going to briefly touch a few examples of Christian "doublespeak." In future issues of Dew, Father willing, we will point out many more examples of how the leading sects of Christendom have twisted words to the destruction of millions of lives.

The very word Christianity has become a "doublespeak." What is Christianity? Ask a Roman Catholic priest, a Greek Orthodox priest, Baptist, Pentecostal, Jehovah Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, Disciples of Christ, or Presbyterian "what is Christianity?" and you will get one answer for the public and an entirely different answer behind closed doors. Isn't it amazing how unified they try to appear when the press talks to them? They talk about praying together, evangelizing together, not proselytizing others members, presently a solidarity of morality. But when one goes behind the closed doors and inquires about what Christianity is, the definitions vary greatly from one sect to another. How one becomes a Christian, what one must do or not do to maintain their standing as a Christian, and what one must do to avoid their concept of hell varies greatly. The Pentecostal will sit on a board with 50 different other sects of Christendom to portray a unity of the faith and then turn around, behind closed doors and tell a young person that denominations who do not speak in tongues are not truly "born again" and therefore are not really Christians. A Roman Catholic Pope will travel the world telling other religions their ways are perfectly acceptable to God knowing that the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church clearly states that no one outside the Roman Catholic Church has salvation.

The very basic words of Christianity have become "doublespeak." We will not go into many of them in this article, but let us look at a couple more to show how deeply rooted this misuse of words is in the church system.

Perhaps the central goal of Christianity is to receive "eternal life." What is "eternal life?" The word "eternal" in modern English can mean without beginning or end, without end, or a state of existence apart from time, space, and matter. How does one receive this life? How can we be certain we have this life? Most denominations will give you a procedure of some sort which will let you know you have passed into the camp which has eternal life, but then we discover there are some who were in the camp who once had the "eternal life" but due to leaving the denomination or committing certain "sins" no longer have it. How can one lose life that is supposedly eternal. Can "eternal life" become un-eternal again? This may sound silly, but the fact of the matter is the vast majority of Christianity teaches that one can receive "eternal life" and then give it up or lose it. How eternal was it in the first place if it can end as quickly as leaving their organization?

Take 50 different priests and ministers and ask them to give to the world the Biblical definitions of the following words: salvation, justification, sanctification, glorification, born-again, church, gifts of the Holy Spirit, priest, tongues, cross, baptism, sacraments, heaven, hell, purgatory, revelation, love, relics, Lord's supper. How well do you think they would fare in coming to a unified set of definitions of these very basic Christian words?

I remember one book given to me about sanctification written by one of the Protestant greats from the turn of the century. The book was several hundred pages long about one English word, sanctification. After reading it, I was no closer to understanding what sanctification was than before reading the book. Is Christianity this complicated?

It is always to the advantage of those who desire to control others to keep things complicated, and confusing. Most of us do not want to spend the time to solve difficult problems and so we hire someone to solve them for us. Much of the problem in the legal profession is the fact that lawyers have created a language which no one can understand except themselves. Therefore, one cannot defend themselves in that system because we haven't learned the language. The same is true with religion. The Priesthood has made the language of God so complicated that we feel we cannot approach Him ourselves, we need a mediator who knows the insides, one who can present our case to God. The Priestcraft is well paid for their services as are most of the professions in Western society. The "church," as a whole, is the richest organization in the world. Although these various sects differ substantianlly with one another in major points of doctrine, they make every effort to give an appearance of unity to the public and press. Trade associations are made up of competitors who unite for certain purposes such as lobbying the government on behalf of certain issues which will benefit them all. Religion has also created many "trade" type organizations to promote the institution of religion and protect it from government interference such as taxes. One would be shocked to find out how much of the major cities in the United States is owned by churches who receive many tax advantages as a result of good "lobbying" and good public relations programs.

Now I don't want you to get the idea, that I am saying there is no need for fellowship or leadership. By no means. I am also not saying a group cannot rent space for meetings or buy a piece of property and use it for various activities the assembly chooses to provide for itself and the community. I am not saying a Christian assembly cannot have paid personnel. The Bible in the Old and New Testament clearly show positions of leadership and that it is possible for a good Christian leader to be paid double. (1 Tim. 5:17) But I am saying that much of what has gone on in the name of Jesus Christ has been done in the wrong spirit, the spirit of this world and I do not hesitate to say that it stinks, that it is a mockery and that it keeps many away from coming to really know the Creator personally, one on one. The Priestcraft has again become a profession which has abused its rights and privileges. As judgment came upon the Jewish Priestcraft at the end of its age, so shall judgment come upon the Priestcraft of Christendom. One should study the historical book Josephus. I think it gives a good preview of what lies ahead. Some of this is covered in one of our tapes entitled O Jerusalem, O Church.

The body of Christ needs good leaders and teachers. Pray that He gives you the teaching you need. He will send you the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth who will guide you into all truth. (John 14:16,17; 15:26; 16:13) He will also bring people into your path to teach you and be an example for you. If He so leads, do not be afraid to be sent into the wilderness as were Moses, David, and Paul. But also, do not be afraid to receive guidance and instruction from another brother or sister whether she or he has a title with their name or not. Remember always that you will know His disciples by their love for one another. Not that sticky stuff we all can mouth on Sunday morning when we put on our best for people because we are in the "house of the Lord," but that love that will endure through the hard times. God is love. This is the foremost truth and reality. All else falls but into the shadow of His love. Seek to manifest His love and everything else will easily fall into its proper place.