In Reply to: Are you aware you sound just like Berg? posted by Wondering on January 16, 2004 at 22:33:05:
You seem to have the attitude that if anyone quotes scripture to support their beliefs, then they "sound like Berg" and are giving a "canned response." Your attempt at comparing me to that perverted false prophet is offensive.
I did not write that Berg was a religious relativist. My use of the term was in response to a poster's assertion that the validity of someone's doctrine could not be determined. I wrote that this sounded like a form of religious relativism, which holds that truth is relative, and that there are no standards or absolutes by which to judge what someone is teaching. I also offered just one example where Christ told us that we could discern who is a true teacher or prophet by examining their fruits:
Matthew7: 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
I think Christ made it fairly clear in the above passage, that Christians do have the God-given ability to discern false prophets and their teachings. I have no problem applying this concept to Berg. His false doctrines produced all sorts of bad fruit, including incest, prostitution, child abuse and suicide. You seem to be scoffing at this biblical concept, and I think that is an unfortunate attitude for an exer.
I referred to Berg's writing in which he complained that knowledge of scripture hampered his ability to get members to swallow his false doctrines. This is a perfect example of why reliance upon the Bible is essential if one wishes to avoid being deceived by false teachers.
I'm sorry you are bothered by exers who are more certain about their beliefs than you are about yours. I can empathize with your uncertainty. When I left the COG back in early 1974, I didn't know what to believe anymore. My faith had been shattered, and as a defense mechanism, I turned my back on religion in general and Christianity in particular. It took a near-fatal encounter with an 11 1/2 foot alligator to bring me back to Christ.
I don't claim to possess perfect knowledge, nor do I have access to the Lamb's book of Life to know whose names are written therein. I'm not perfect, and God is still working in me. Of two things I am certain: Jesus is Lord, and he has given us the Bible to guide our lives.
Finally, your description of Berg's writings and teaching don't apply to the Berg of later years. The farther off-track his doctrines got, the more he avoided use of the Bible to try and support hhis false doctrines. In fact, Karen Zerbe has recently taken the dismissal of the Bible one step further, by saying that it will no longer apply to the TF.