Here is an Example of Fake Scare Tactics to Stir Emotions from Jack Price:
Many years ago we knew a young teenage girl who came to our meetings. Her parents didn't come to those meetings. That teenage girl was really moved by those meetings. One night there was a 'dance' the same evening as our gospel meetings. Her parents told her she had to go to that dance. She left her home that evening and she didn't know what to do, because she wanted to go to our meetings. There was a "Y" in the road. But she didn't want to disobey her parents either so she went to the dance. It was warm in the building where the dance was held, and she got overheated and she went outside in the cool air and she came down with pneumonia. Those unsaved anxious parents called us with the News of their daughter. They told us she was dying. She was heard crying, "I'm dying and I'm not saved." Parents, we would like to remind you that you are responsible for your children.
- - -COMMENTS- - -
My main issue with that church has always been the level of religiousness and unwritten laws. And the mind control bugs me because you can only push so far before they start to break down emotionally or become very aggressive.
Very rarely can you speak objectively with professing people or preachers as they reject all documentation prefering to quote vague poems and nonsense philosophy. They can't even stand to question their faith because they truly believe it is blasphemy, therefore there is no mechanism for them to gain knowledge.
The other thing is that they skip all over the bible making up associations - they are the kings of conjuring up their own analogies and parallels - and people just suck it up, all excited because they have something new to quote in their next Wednesday night study meeting which is just how all the crap just churns around and around and around. In fact if you go to a convention you'll hear more people quoting personal stories, hymns and poems than the actual scripture itself.
I remember one story that went around at one convention about a little girl that was told to fill up a basket full of water by her mother and after several attempts (water leaking out of the basket) gave up and and was upset but the mother said, 'Don't worry if you haven't filled the basket up, because now it is clean.'
The analogy is: don't worry if you don't understand or take anything away from convention, but make sure you attend and you will leave clean. Therefore promoting attendance more than understanding.
Now what sort of rubbish is that promoting faith without knowledge?????
Australia
February, 2008
I was at Colombo, Sri Lanka convention in 1995 or 1996 where I regurgitated that story myself at the age of 16 when I was 'professing.'
I must have heard that story as early as 1989 when I was in grade 6 or 7 primary visiting _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ convention in Brisbane.
There are plenty more of those sorts of stories.
There were scare tactic stories of how you must come to meetings and profess. Heaps of stories about how people get saved by the skin of their teeth by professing just days before they die in a freak accident.
Then there were the inspirational stories of how a very old lady might travel by miles on foot just to attend the meetings.
All sorts of stories with different tactics to pressure you into attending.
Because you see it's all about attendance................
Here's a story:
I remember once my family and another non-professing christian family (born again) went travelling with us around _ _ __ _ _ _.
Now although it's not traditional, we had no choice but to let this family come along to a Sunday morning meeting, usually only reserved for those who have been invited 'offically' by a preacher or elder after attending several meetings.
Can you believe my parents told the visitors beforehand to not share in the bread and wine, and not pray and not to contribute in any way under any circumstance?
The visitors were so puzzled & even insulted, and that has always stuck in my head.
Australia
February - 2008
Greetings All,
My mother was visiting some "friends" in another part of Australia recently, and they told her a "true story" about another church which, I suspect, may be a rather tall-tale to illustrate the 2x2's as the "only true way."
I will leave blanks as to the location and church denomination, but if you have heard this story, could you please respond as to your version, the location and church denomination?
It goes like this:
An outsider came to ___________ convention and was most impressed by all that he saw there, how smoothly everything ran and how wonderful it all was. He said "our church should do this!"
So, he went back to his own denomination, __________________ , and tried to arrange a convention just the same. He got it all organized and the whole church came.
But it only lasted ONE DAY!!!
By the end of the first day, everyone became disgruntled when they realized they would not be paid for their efforts, and they did not wish to participate anymore. So they all went home!
MORAL OF THE STORY: a 2x2 convention CANNOT succeed in any other church because they are all false.
The person who told my mother this story is absolutely convinced of its accuracy. I suspect the story may be a myth that has been told with different distinguishing details each time. I would appreciate hearing from anyone else who may have heard a version of this story.
Maybe we could publish another book..........URBAN LEGENDS of the 2x2's!!!!
Regards to all,
Elizabeth - 01-05-01
Response to the above post:
Hi Elizabeth,
I smell a rat! I grew up hearing about the "miracle" of the convention, how everyone volunteers to make it all work so smoothly. Well, then I started attending another (large) church.
I came to the conclusion that "convention" ran throughout the week there.......EVERY DAY AND EVERY WEEK OF THE YEAR!!!!!
All the child care, classes, Bible studies, food needs, music....every imaginable need..........almost exclusively done by cheerful volunteers. The biggest myth is that the work in "organized, false churches" is all done by paid help.
IT JUST ISN"T SO!!!
So many of those church volunteers put SO much more time and effort into the ministry they do on a REGULAR basis than the friends do for a few weeks in order to hold a convention once a year.
Then, as others have mentioned, most churches already regularly hold church camps or retreats. They wouldn't have any need to start up "conventions" because they already have a working system in existence or available to them. Though some of these camps have staff, there is still MUCH work that is always done by volunteers. To suggest that Christians are only willing to work if they are getting monetary reimbursement for it (or any earthly, temporal reward) is ludicrous.
Nope, I'm not buying it, Elizabeth!
Prayers,
Connie Jacobsen
Another response:
Hi Elizabeth,
I have heard this tale at least three times during my fifty years in the 2x2's. It is usually the same - the denomination is never mentioned.........the location is always fuzzy..........and the date is vague.
Jack Jackson's version (around 1955....said that they hired people to do the work) and the convention ended up in debt. He thought it was very funny, and emphasized that only "God's people could hold a true convention."
Orin Taylor has a slightly different story (around 1948). Some Southerners had used slaves to do the work, but the white religious people did not want to be associated with them, and the convention was a flop.
Jimmy Patrick had another version (around 1953). This time it was in Ireland and the denomination had hired many Catholics, and when the congregation (which was non-Catholic) discovered it, they walked off the grounds.
It is many years since I have heard this TALE. Apparently, it is being revived. If so, it won't last long with the speed with which information spreads today.
Leigh Townsend
During meetings and conventions, workers have always played on people's emotions by describing someone persecuted by an non-professing spouse. Like an early professing lady in _ _ _ _ _ _ that would walk to meetings when her husband wouldn't let her ride the horse and buggy. He would whip her feet while she walked to meetings!
OK...........that man was a madman. But “MOST” non-professing spouses “DO NOT” react in such a controlling way. Yes, some men have threatened the lives of their “professing” wives if they went to meetings but that is the exception and not the rule, I am sure. Yet workers can cause the congregation to sit up and listen when such events are mentioned during sermons of the main speakers!
Effective really!!
Posted on October 29th, 2000
A non-professing man was giving his wife a hard time about going to meetings. His wife remained faithful and true despite all of his criticism. The day of convention, he asked his son if he wanted to go with his mom to convention or with him on a boating trip. The son chose to go with his dad.
On the boat, the boy fell out of the boat and drowned. The man feels bad and blames himself!! So the last day of convention, he testifies, thanking his wife for being true and an example. He said during his testimony, that he wanted to be a part of the kingdom of God again. The worker mentioned how experiences soften us and cause us to turn to God again. The faithfulness of this man's wife enabled him to return to the “Truth” again!!
Posted on October 29th, 2000
There was a young lady that had lost her husband.............her children were very rebellious. In her despair, she threw herself across the bed and asked God if he had a true church in this world...........to show “it” to her. The next day, she got a card from Lloyd Wilson and Al Goff. They were having tent meetings in town. The lady professed and remained true until her death. She was a pillar in the little church and a light in her community!
I am sure we have all heard such stories in meetings all our lives. FWIW
Posted October 29th, 2000
Someone wrote that they thought that if they "messed up" in some way, that God would immediately punish them.............with a disease or an accident, or some other misfortune. They lived in fear of this.
It has also been mentioned that many of us were threatened with illness, great bodily harm, even death............"IF" we didn't "come back to God's one true way." I have heard the workers tell "stories" of terrible things happening to people just after they stopped going to meetings..............now I wonder why they would share such a story??? You don't have to be much of a mind reader to figure that one out!!!
I hope all of you out there are learning to be kind to yourselves...............and learning, too, that God loves you just like you are, and He always has.............I've had to entirely relearn what God is really like.
Love to everyone,
Rosalie
Posted July 28th, 1999
Worker Scare Tactics in Meetings
Some workers like to scare teenagers and little kids into professing. Never mind that these unhappy little kids will someday be bitter toward the meetings. Here is a similar story a worker might use to scare people in meeting:
Once upon a time, a young man with faithful parents decided he wanted to have a little taste of the world. He mentioned it to the workers who encouraged him to stay inside the fold. He said he wanted to enjoy the world for a little while and then profess. Let me warn you young people about that man. One day he and some worldly friends were driving in a car from a place that a child of God should not attend. His car struck a big truck and he was killed!!! He died outside the "truth!!!" Young people, you may think you can sow your wild oats and then profess when you get older!! You may never get another chance. If you are thinking about leaving the fold, think about this story. Do you want to be lost for all eternity? That young man never got another chance. I tried to comfort his family during the funeral but they all knew he had gone to a lost eternity!!! Young people, stay in the center of God's way!!!! The world can offer amusement and entertainment but what is it worth when you breathe your last breath? Stay in the center of God's will and enjoy fellowship with His servants and people............!!!!"
Does that sound familiar? How many times have similar stories been uttered by main speakers at conventions?? They are a time filler and scare young people into professing and current professing people into guilt!! "BUT" do such stories really feed the hearts of God's people?? You figure it out!!
Name Withheld
Posted April 6th, 2000
