In Reply to: simpllistic idealistic vulnerability posted by MG on October 24, 2003 at 23:20:22:
It's true (as Miguel says in this thread) that Berg was always ready to lay burdens on us that he was unwilling to lift himself (Mt. 23:4). There's a thread on Bible Search right now about how leaders in the Family make use of doctors, but average members are accused of a lack of faith or of some secret sin if they have health problems that don't respond to prayer.
But in another sense, Berg's miserable theology told him that God was fully prepared to be as harsh and cruel as He needed to be to get the job done, and he thought he would have been remiss not to use every means to get us to conform to "God's will".
I don't say this to let Berg off the hook, but to show the ripple effect that bad theology can have. Many of atrocities committed thoughout history -- and national policies today -- can be traced to wrong understanding of Scripture.