WHY I DEFECTED THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT

[Reformer]

Why I Defected The Religious
Establishment 
 [Part I]

BUFF SCOTT, Jr.

     The need to clarify and specify never ends. Ideas, views, issues, and philosophies are not always communicated effectively. This venture is to define my position on several questions and to include a little background along with it.

    As a whole host of problems within the Christian commonwealth may be laid at the feet of poor and ineffective communication, I hope to be able to speak clearly and distinctly during this experience with words. I'm not sure I can satisfy my critics. My eagerness to do so finds solace in the maxim that no man is able to appease all of his critics. If my approach to these matters makes for greater understanding and brotherhood, my efforts will not have been wasted.

RELEASED FROM SLAVERY
A few decades ago, I was set free from partisan religion. The experience was invigorating! As I sought freedom from spiritual slavery—"churchitis"—the Lord operated upon my heart and modified my course. It was a simple but serious procedure. The only prerequisites were that I cast aside my sectarian, partisan shackles and open my mind and heart. In essence, I was deprogrammed.

    Did I leave Messiah Jesus when I abandoned organized religion—the institutional church? Goodness, no! He and I are closer now than ever before. As a result of my surrendering institutional religion in favor of freedom, I am now a "believer at large," free-thinker, and  one  of God's instruments for reform. No human being and no partisan group or church does my thinking for me any longer. I arrive at conclusions after careful evaluation, study, and prayer. Simply stated, I have cast aside the chains of religious orthodoxy and abandoned the Establishment's status quo.

     I'm not formally identified with any church or religious party. I'm a free man. With the Spirit's direction, I think independently, and I arrive at my conclusions independently, regardless of what Calvin, Campbell, Wesley, Luther, Pope John Paul II and all the others taught. Neither man is my polar star. My Polar Star is Jesus—none other. Consequently, no one may preside over my concepts and teachings insofar as dictating my walk with the Lord.     

    I will gladly absorb and happily accept advice from godly men if it coincides with what I conscientiously believe is truth and understand as heaven's grace. But I will no longer bow my knees to the "powers that be" of the religious bureaucracy. I will no longer be enslaved by the institutional church or religious Establishment or organized religion.

    Organized religion? Yes, but let me explain. I believe in an organized life. I believe all believers should have their priorities organized. I believe in an organized mind and an organized schedule. Organization, of itself, is gratifying and necessary. But I have problems with organizational structures and programs and projects within the body of believers that have supplanted the simple, informal but serious life depicted in the lives of early believers.

    Literally, and in this vein, we have organized ourselves out of practical existence. Overall, our programs, projects, and organizations have deflated our capabilities and our  enthusiasm to reach the unreached. "Jesus said to get out and go, but we have come in to stay" (W. Carl Ketcherside, Mission Messenger).

    In essence, we have permitted our internal organizations and materialistic projects to strangle us. There's no room, no time, and no money for the resurrection message. Our fancy edifices, palaces, polished organizations, and programs are symptoms of our pride, digression, and apostasy. Hundreds of millions of dollars are wasted on "materialistic evangelism" while millions of the world's poor go hungry, not only for food but also for the message of salvation. Our priorities are abused and misplaced. We have taken the simple arrangement of communicating the Good News to others and developed it into a complicated mess. [Please look for Part II soon.]

[johntwayne]

What Reformer actually did was cut himself off from the oversight of godly elders who tried to gently correct his silly views years ago.

[Texas Conservative]

Changed the title to make it more accurate.

[yogi bear]

wonder if he assembles with any other group of brothers??

[Jaime]

wonder if he assembles with any other group of brothers??

Probably, just no haughty edifices and such.
 

[Texas Conservative]

Probably, just no haughty edifices and such.
 

Not on the regular I bet.  Doesn't want to "now his knees" to the "powers that be"

[Reformer]

What Reformer actually did was cut himself off from the oversight of godly elders who tried to gently correct his silly views years ago.

Keep reading, fellows - all of you, and you may be more enlightened.

[Reformer]

Why I Defected The Religious
Establishment

 

[Part II]

BUFF SCOTT, Jr.

TESTIMONY OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS

The sect-ridden system called "The Church"—Catholic and Protestant—is no longer influential or impressive. She has lost her ability to relate to the human predicament. Abraham Lincoln relied heavily on God but leaned away from the Religious Establishment. He described his relationship with contemporary religion by saying, "Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long complicated statements of Christian dogma." 

  Thomas Jefferson had an insightful view of the whole mess when he scribed, "The greatest enemies of Jesus are the doctrines and creeds of the church. It would be more pardonable to believe in no God at all than to blaspheme Him by the atrocious writings of the [church] theologians." He further announced, "I have sworn upon the altar of  God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Needless to say, Jefferson included the various institutions of religion when he referred to "tyranny over the mind of man."

    John Adams alluded to the religious order as so much "baggage" when he wrote, "Nowhere in the Gospels do we find a precept for Creeds, Confessions, Oaths, Doctrines, and whole carloads of other foolish trumpery that we find Christianity encumbered with." 

    James Madison spoke of the "fruits" of orthodox religions as ignorance, arrogance and servility in the laity, superstition, bigotry, and persecution. But long before our founding fathers came upon the scene, Martin Luther, the Catholic defector, insightfully concluded that the "greatest threat to the cause of Jesus always arises from those who lay claim to being his children." Gandhi of India proclaimed that "Christianity is the greatest enemy of Jesus Christ." (Lifted from Google under "Quotes on Religion from our Founding Fathers").

    Regardless of the religious persuasion or spiritual status of these men, the underscoring factor is that our founding fathers—plus other leaders—looked upon the splintered estate of partisan religion with discontent. Judging from their words, they must have felt that the schismatic plight, the endless and ghostly rituals, the never-ending symbols, and the clerical jargon of sectarian religions had no meaningful message for a troubled world. If Lincoln could have had his way, he might have re-shaped, reformed, and even reversed "Christianity" in an effort to rid it of excess baggage.

IMPACTING THE WORLD
The early believers won the world without theological seminaries, missionary societies, clergy, Roman Catholics, Protestants, or  any of the other "artifacts" and baggage that burden us today. They changed lifestyles without throwing a rock, burning a building, drawing a sword, or parading down Main Street in Jerusalem with weirdoes, long-haired losers, homosexuals and lesbians.

    Their resurrection message to the unregenerate was simple, "Repent, and turn to God!" The new reign welcomed everyone—yes, even homosexuals and prostitutes and drunkards and thieves and swindlers. In the congregation at Corinth, there were recovering homosexuals, prostitutes, thieves, drunkards, and swindlers (I Corinthians 6:9-11). They had been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus.

    If we intend to influence the world with the message of salvation, we must abandon our sectarian establishments—both Catholic and Protestant. To go forth as an "Unholy See" or as a "Protestant Crusade" is to face defeat before we "fire the first shot." But let me clarify: We can defect the Religious Establishment without rejecting our brothers and sisters who are still entangled in the partisan "system." They, too, need to be "rescued"—as many of us have been. Meet with them, encourage them, and share the Good News of freedom with them!

      But understand that the Religious Establishment couldn't be any more warped if the Lord had commanded it. The world will not nor cannot be won to Messiah Jesus as long as she is the cause instead of the solution. Nor can the world be conquered for the Captain of our salvation by exerting most of our efforts parroting the party's clichés or adding more theological waste to our partisan rostrums. The slate must be cleaned, reformed, renewed, and reshaped before receiving our marching orders. Then and only then will we be able and ready to give the battle cry! [Please look for Part III later]

[Texas Conservative]

So you follow Thomas Jefferson who was a deist? 

Thomas Jefferson believed Jesus's message was corrupted by the Apostle Paul, and the Gospel writers. 

He believed that Jesus was not divine, but "a Teacher of Common Sense."

John Adams was also very similar.  Didn't believe in the divinity of Jesus.

Very poor logic Buff.

[Texas Conservative]

Instead of looking for the edifice boogeyman, perhaps you should focus on the positive.

I submit Carl Jackson with Doyle Lawson on mandolin, and Paul Brewster singing backup.

[Reformer]

So you follow Thomas Jefferson who was a deist? 

Thomas Jefferson believed Jesus's message was corrupted by the Apostle Paul, and the Gospel writers. 

He believed that Jesus was not divine, but "a Teacher of Common Sense."

John Adams was also very similar.  Didn't believe in the divinity of Jesus.

Very poor logic Buff.

Read me again. "Regardless of the religious persuasion or spiritual status of these men, the underscoring factor is that our founding fathers—plus other leaders—looked upon the splintered estate of partisan religion with discontent."

[Texas Conservative]

Read me again. "Regardless of the religious persuasion or spiritual status of these men, the underscoring factor is that our founding fathers—plus other leaders—looked upon the splintered estate of partisan religion with discontent."

Poor logic, and poor examples to make your point.

How about some more positivity!

[Reformer]

Why I Defected The Religious
Establishment
 

[Part III]
Buff Scott, Jr.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN

If apostles Peter and Paul had endeavored to spread the message of the risen Christ while working with and furthering the sects of their day, the new movement would have become stalemated and stagnated. If Martin Luther had burdened himself with the ecclesiastical anatomies of his time and had attempted to advance reform while clinging to their bosoms, his towering crusade to rid Catholicism of its corruptions would not have gotten beyond Wittenberg's city gates. His famous words before the Imperial Diet at Worms, Germany in April, 1521 are descriptive of his restless, truth-seeking spirit of reformation.

    "Unless I am refuted and convinced by testimony of the Scriptures or by clear arguments...my conscience is bound in the Word of God—I cannot and will not recant anything."

    Luther escaped the hands of his enemies on this occasion, but the "Unholy See" hounded and hunted him for decades. It was Luther who begged his followers not to call themselves "Lutherans" but simply Christians, saying that he had not been crucified for them. And because his disciples did not heed his advice, the Lutheran sect has become an integral part of the divisive dilemma within the Christian community.

    But this is the history of all noble movements that become entangled in partisan, rival affairs. Their affections are no longer centered on the resurrection account but on building up the party. The world drifts farther into a state of darkness while institutional religion organizes, plans, scrutinizes, and develops new ways to increase the size of her sects and enlarge her church coffers.

    If we hope to achieve reformation, we must reach beyond the established order and ecclesiastical structures. We must bypass religious sculptures, theological systems, clerical institutions, religious symbols and rituals. The activities, movements, and  efforts of the first believers were unskilled, ordinary, unsophisticated, and informal—although serious and edifying. Our contemporary arrangement is perplexing, rehearsed, organized to the brim, ritualistic, formalistic, and boring.

    As most everyone is elected to some church office, there's no one left to enhance the practical aspect of the program! So the officers go around in circles, involving themselves in paper work, organizing meetings, filling speaking engagements, and otherwise doing nothing to convert the world. The world keeps hanging, if only by a thread, waiting for "Christians" to toss it the lifejacket of salvation.

    But no! Institutional religion is too busy keeping her churches and organizations afloat to bother with the Great Commission. Millions are waiting for someone to bring them the message of salvation, but she sits around creating more organizations to implement the ones that have already become dormant and stale. Until the modern church becomes more interested in more people, she will remain out of the people business. She will eventually self-abort.

HOW MAY SHE BE AWAKENED?
Who can motivate the Religious Establishment? She will not be aroused until she discerns the urgency of the times and gets off her butt and out of her organizations and into the world, where Jesus said to go. Her elaborate church palaces stand as monuments to her failures and complacency. Her comfortable pews have weakened her, and her Reverends and Pastors and Priests have wrecked her. She demands to be spoon-fed by professional functionaries, even though she has had ample time to acquire the gift of mutual ministry. Where will it all end? The  whole mess will culminate in the trash-heap of bygone religions unless the entire system is reformed.

    It was individual Christian action that brought results 2,000 years ago, and it will take individual Christian action today to achieve the same results. When we, too, begin where the early believers began, we will turn the Religious Establishment and her "Pharaohs" upside down, just as the early believers turned the first century Establishment and her Pharisees upside down. We can do likewise by abandoning our comfortable pews, ceasing to demand that professional ecclesiastics spoon-feed us with their warmed-over "sermons," and "going out into the byways and highways." [Look for [Part IV soon.]

[Reformer]

Why I Defected The Religious
Establishment 
[Part IV – Finale]

Buff Scott, Jr.

GOING WHERE THE ACTION IS

Instead of trying to get the world into our church palaces, let the Good News of the resurrection take believers out of our church structures and into the world. The "world" is next door, down the street, over the hill, at the supermarket and office, and on the bus and plane. Wherever people are, there we will find the "world." As it is not necessary to be specially trained and schooled to go next door to tell a neighbor about gardening, it is not required that one be specially instructed and educated to tell the same neighbor about the Man who came forth from the grave after three days.

    Those common, uneducated saints who fled Jerusalem in the face of persecution "went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:1-4). They had a simple but stirring story to tell, and they told it! If Jesus' special envoys, the apostles, had insisted that they first attend a school of theology, the message would have stopped dead in its tracks—as it has in our current age. The early believers were already enrolled in the school of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection was their theology! Everyone  was  a priest and minister in the "academy" Jesus and His special envoys founded (1 Peter 2:9).

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
I will not play the fool by asserting that nothing good or heavenly exists within the institutional church. Although many pockets of good can be found in most churches, overall they're a divisive mess. A religious, churchy relationship may offer a few temporary merits, but something far greater is needed to finalize our journey to heaven. Only the man Jesus is the answer, the key, and the "lifejacket." Without Him, all is lost.

    The greatest man who ever walked the earth lost His life at the hands of the professional clergy. "But the chief priests and the elders [clergy] persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed" (Matt. 27:20).

    It would be no different if Jesus were to return in the flesh today. Man's aversion to and hostility toward reformation has not changed. The Religious Establishment is the enemy of reformers and the adversary of change. But that does not discourage us from vying for reform.

If a brighter day lies just over the horizon, it will be because reformation made its mark upon the divisive religious scene. For without reformation within the Christian community, Christianity will die on the vine. Death symptoms abound. But with God's help, we will survive and revive.

[Thanks for reading me.]

[Alan]

No one actually cares, for the majority of box checking Christians, it's much easier to go to a place on Sundays where a good natured chap shouts out the dos and don'ts coupled with some cool worship tunes, drop $10 in the box and that tides them over until next Sunday.  

[Reformer]

No one actually cares, for the majority of box checking Christians, it's much easier to go to a place on Sundays where a good natured chap shouts out the dos and don'ts coupled with some cool worship tunes, drop $10 in the box and that tides them over until next Sunday. 

Right on, Alan.