Word of Faith Movement

[thomas]

.... to accept what you have, but you never do it if you expect to get something for free tomorrow. It’s like a gambling addict thinking he will hit the next jackpot, but he only gets deeper into debt.

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Exactly, and of course, every area of life is affected. You cannot deal with pain, you cannot make realistic plans for your life, you cannot be resonsible in your financial decisions etc.

 

That, or Danish or Finnish, I've never heard it in Sweden.

 

I have never heard of it in Denmark. Finnish would be my guess.

[Lilith]

Exactly, and of course, every area of life is affected. You cannot deal with pain, you cannot make realistic plans for your life, you cannot be resonsible in your financial decisions etc.

Truer words were never spoken...

 

I have never heard of it in Denmark. Finnish would be my guess.

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Yea....I think y'all are right.....Finnish. I could find out for sure next time I talk to my mom. Limpi may have been a nick-name too....shortened from her full name. I never knew her, but I have the fondest memories of her husband, my great-grandpa Roy. (Not sure if "Roy" was his given name. He was most certainly Norweigian).

[Lilith]

So...can anyone else tell my why WoF'rs are such heretics? I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now.

 

Is it simply because so much stuff is taken out of context? Or do WoF people really have a heretical theology?

[Ouroboros]

So...can anyone else tell my why WoF'rs are such heretics?  I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now.

 

Is it simply because so much stuff is taken out of context?  Or do WoF people really have a heretical theology?

 

What do you mean? Is your question why we consider them heretics or you don't understand why the rest of Christianity thinks so?

 

Well, we of course, don’t see them as heretics, because all Christians are!

 

To answer why Christianity in general think so, WoF do just like every other version of Christianity does, take a part here, another here, put it together, skip some parts, and voila, you have a new denomination. And just because they took different parts and made a different flavor of the soup, then it’s heretic. Every movement in Church history has been heretic to the rest of the “Body of Christ”. Lutherans were abolished and condemned by the Pope.

 

Some examples:

 

For instance: Jesus died a spiritual death (whatever heck that really means?) and went to hell and fought the Devil, won and then came back with some demon heads hanging by their hair from his belt. And that’s how he won over death.

 

Or healing and success only comes through faith, and if you are sick and fail in life, it’s because you don’t have faith. And faith comes through hearing the word (brainwashing) and reading the word, and build up your faith that way.

 

Another idea is that socialism comes from the Devil, because it’s an atheistic philosophy.

 

You cannot speak doubt; every word you say is counted and will either help you or mess up your life. So if you sick and tired and stressed and depressed, don’t ever say it, keep it in, keep a smile, and lie about “how wonderful your day is.”

 

That’s just a few pointers.

 

But I thought you came from a WoF movement?

[Lilith]

What do you mean? Is your question why we consider them heretics or you don't understand why the rest of Christianity thinks so?

The rest of xianity...

 

Well, we of course, don’t see them as heretics, because all Christians are!

Naturally.

 

To answer why Christianity in general think so, WoF do just like every other version of Christianity does, take a part here, another here, put it together, skip some parts, and voila, you have a new denomination. And just because they took different parts and made a different flavor of the soup, then it’s heretic. Every movement in Church history has been heretic to the rest of the “Body of Christ”. Lutherans were abolished and condemned by the Pope.

Surely not every denomination sees the other as heretical. There are "given" (your-not-really-a-xian) denominations, such as Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses. There are also (well-you-might-be-but-its-shady) denominations such as 7th Day Adventists.

 

Then there is Word of Faith.

 

Nearly anyone that I spoke to that considered themselves xian, that wasn't WoF, considered WoF in that "your-not-really-a-xian" group. I could never quite figure out why.

 

Some examples:

 

For instance: Jesus died a spiritual death (whatever heck that really means?) and went to hell and fought the Devil, won and then came back with some demon heads hanging by their hair from his belt. And that’s how he won over death.

 

Or healing and success only comes through faith, and if you are sick and fail in life, it’s because you don’t have faith. And faith comes through hearing the word (brainwashing) and reading the word, and build up your faith that way.

 

Another idea is that socialism comes from the Devil, because it’s an atheistic philosophy.

 

You cannot speak doubt; every word you say is counted and will either help you or mess up your life. So if you sick and tired and stressed and depressed, don’t ever say it, keep it in, keep a smile, and lie about “how wonderful your day is.”

 

That’s just a few pointers.

Hmm....I suppose I see your point. We used to say that those xians who were not of a charismatic background were the "Frozen Chosen." We still considered them to be part of the family, just lost in their walk.

 

But I thought you came from a WoF movement?

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I did. I was "born and raised" a Lutheran, got saved at age 15; Spirit-filled a month or so later. Fell head-long into WoF when I married my current husband. Deconverted just over a year ago.

[Ouroboros]

I think I get your point too, that WoF isn’t so totally out there that they really deserve to be called heretic. A heretic group would say believe Bobba Hobba is the prophet, and should be considered on the same level as Jesus, and the teaching is based on his books rather then the Bible. WoF is extremely fundamentalistic in its views and want to base everything on Biblical quotes, so really, WoF is less heretic than most regular organizations. That brings to question why they should be considered heretic, and not just very cultic fundamentalists.

[Lilith]

I think I get your point too, that WoF isn’t so totally out there that they really deserve to be called heretic. A heretic group would say believe Bobba Hobba is the prophet, and should be considered on the same level as Jesus, and the teaching is based on his books rather then the Bible. WoF is extremely fundamentalistic in its views and want to base everything on Biblical quotes, so really, WoF is less heretic than most regular organizations. That brings to question why they should be considered heretic, and not just very cultic fundamentalists.

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Exactly. Thank you.

 

Any ideas, anyone? Fear, perhaps? (Could it be that simple?)

[Ouroboros]

I think I said something earlier about that every new movement in Christianity, every new "revival", always was considered non-streamline, and therefore heretic. Until 10-20 years later, then the movement have cooled down, adjusted and become part of mainstream.

 

Just wait and see. WoF will be considered regular Christianity within 5-10 years. It already has started somewhat in Sweden.

 

I'm more worried about the next wave; the neo-cons seem to be the new revival. It would be Christianity through Politics and Demand Obedience.

[Lilith]

I think I said something earlier about that every new movement in Christianity, every new "revival", always was considered non-streamline, and therefore heretic. Until 10-20 years later, then the movement have cooled down, adjusted and become part of mainstream.

 

Just wait and see. WoF will be considered regular Christianity within 5-10 years. It already has started somewhat in Sweden.

 

I'm more worried about the next wave; the neo-cons seem to be the new revival. It would be Christianity through Politics and Demand Obedience.

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This neo-con movement is based out of WoF and other charismatic movements.....

[Ouroboros]

This neo-con movement is based out of WoF and other charismatic movements.....

 

I didn't know that. It doesn't seem to have the same attributes, but you might be right that some of the woffers are the ones started the trend.

[Lilith]

I didn't know that. It doesn't seem to have the same attributes, but you might be right that some of the woffers are the ones started the trend.

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All I can speak from is experience here. I remember when the first inklings of "We must take back our government!!" began. The rally cry has been on an every-increasing scale each year, though I think the growth has slowed some. Not every WoF is politically involved and not every charismatic church is lacking in some sort of WoF (woof!) doctrine. There is a lot of cross-over out there.

[Ouroboros]

So you're saying that parts of the Woof theology have been impregnating the streamline Christianity? It doesn't surprise me. It does have a powerful attraction.

[Lilith]

So you're saying that parts of the Woof theology have been impregnating the streamline Christianity? It doesn't surprise me. It does have a powerful attraction.

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Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. The beauty of it is that streamline xianity doesn't even know it.

[Ouroboros]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.  The beauty of it is that streamline xianity doesn't even know it.

 

Oh that sneaky woof movement.

 

You know what, I think I went to a meeting once with some crazy preachers that made all this crazy sounds, maybe they took the woof part a bit too far?

[Lilith]

Maybe it is because they are saying that God's word works, and it is obvious that it doesn't work. 

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I know you were being funny here, but you actually have a good point.