“God Told Me” Tyranny Dressed in a Freedom Cloak
Yesterday I wrote a post about the individual’s responsibility to use reason for judging truth. No person has valid authority to compel us to believe or do anything that violates personal conscience. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, makes it clear that God’s people are to be persuaded through edification until they are “convinced in their own minds” and are never to violate personal conscience. Paul stated that violation of personal conscience is “sin” and “not of faith.” The church’s claim of authority is problematic on that point alone.
But beware of tyranny dressed in individualism. Valid epistemology must include personal freedom AND reason. What am I talking about? Primarily, mysticism. Let’s look at a definition:
belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender.
Mysticism presents itself as ultimate individualism apart from authority, but the opposite is true. If God tells me something directly, who are you to argue, right? There is no truth based on authority absent on this wise. This is my beef with most of the home church movement. They boast of a freedom to “worship” apart from any authority while in reality these are mini-conventions of individual despots. Direct conversations with God is the ultimate authority experience. While God or Christ never showed up at any church counsel, He met with you personally; well, isn’t that special? And if He told you something directly, any discussion is immediately shut down. If I display doubt about the revelation, I am calling you a liar.
“But Paul, if the revelation matches Scripture, doesn’t that make it ok?” No. Obviously, in regard to reason, the contradiction you may perceive must be wrong since God has stated otherwise, and coincidence is not a valid epistemology. If the revelation happens to match Scripture that’s icing on the cake, but if it doesn’t, you are “leaning on your own understanding.” Oh my, we can’t have that!
While this despotism shows itself as arrogance in social gatherings, and in many cases chaotic amusment, the individuals themselves will practice their tyranny in family settings and work venues. After all, if God speaks to them personally, are they not of the spiritual upper crust? Ironically, individuals who claim direct revelation from God through dreams or other conduits have come to Susan and I for counsel on various issues. Huh? If they speak directly with God, what do they need us for?
By the way, mystics are some of the more vicious despots known in human history. The Nazi party was predicated on mysticism. The Nazis had many mantras that disparaged human reason and individual intellect. As an aside to those dating, if a potential spouse speaks directly with God and you don’t, how is it possible that this person will not view you as lower in the spiritual pecking order? How is it possible that they will not be incredulous that you will not obey them in regard to every issue? After all, God told them this and that, so your rejection is tantamount to rejecting God. And if you both have direct revelation from God, read 1Corithians and what Paul was addressing because that will be your marriage. So, am I telling you to run like hell and don’t look back? That’s exactly what I am telling you.
And likewise regarding church authority and free-for-all home churches. One is authority as truth as much as the other. The only difference is orderly authority as truth in a group setting versus a public competition of chaotic despotism.
In both cases, edification is circumvented.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Paul, Protestantism (including every smell in there) and mysticism are joined at the navel. The “God- told-me-so” people “appeal” to God, so who are you/me to contradict the sawvrin’ gawt almighty, unless we want boils on our tongues and foreheads? And they appeal to God despite the idiocy/contradiction it presents. A Protestant (of the Calvinist smell) once told me that God had told her to apply at a certain place for employment. She did not get the job and was mad at ‘god.’ I had told her before the time she was not suitable for it, but “God” (and her fake elder) knew better. Oh, well.
Seriously, mysticism is deeply ingrained in Calvinism/Reformed nonsense. Augustine, the so-called saint, was trippin’ big time . . . and it was not on acid.
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Praying and asking God for “signs” is another big thing with people, like this guy last night on America’s Got Talent. It is nothing more than an other twist on a determinist metaphysic. Why think or make any life choices based on rational conclusions when God can just show you a sign?
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Oh, good Lord. New Agers call “signs” synchronicity. Andy, this guy is a living cliché . . . I cringed throughout this clip. Please don’t do this to me again. These “reality” TV shows are even worse.
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I am going up both of you one: https://www.facebook.com/60SecondDocs/videos/1521123797985741/UzpfSTE1NjY0NTI0Njg6MTAyMTE0MzczODAyODEzMDA/?hc_ref=ARRHa4Yv2nv5eOVFLf07yg2apErzU7tl6h3QxEUcbVQocpBs-ULJD-HUy2FKwghPJ4I&fref=nf
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Paul, it is now official (again): Most people are brain dead. Wait, the longer I gaze at Braco, the lon—
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Braco has a genius for an agent.
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but god really does tell me stuff. Now what am i gonna do?
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Hmm…start a cult maybe? LOL
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I’ve already been accused of that . . . multiple times. LOLOL
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John Immel, “record” your voice (the “voice” of gawt, and change it with software so gawt sounds like Rob Zombie or Marilyn Manson but never, ever like Michael Jackson or Prince!). And then play it in the middle of the 20-minute long sermon about tithing, using only Malachi chapter 9. And make sure you have free wi-fi and a snazzy coffee bar with a real, real barista and a dark corner in the coffee shop where people of the opposite sex can get acquainted, exchange emails, mobile numbers, and addresses afterwards — whether they are married to one another or not, as that wormlike sin will be dealt with next Sunday, after the massive income. Halla-allah. (Now, remember, gawt must be very stern on the tithing thing. Change “robbing me” to something like “suffocating me; blackening the holy forefathers like Calvin and Luther and the current prophets like Lecrae and Kanye West.”)
You’ll be the number one pastor, prophet, and ten times bigger than Oprah has ever been (I know, it sounds impossible, hey? Maybe visit Burger King twice a day for a couple of weeks?) in the USA within three weeks. Guaranteed. You’ll be so rich, you’ll drive the latest Benz to check your post.
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dude . . . i knew we could be friends. LOL . . . I like it. the template for mega church success. and the tithing thing. OMG! How lucrative! I want my own jet. Just think if I’d taken Robin Boisvert up on his invitation to start my own cult –opps — church just think where i could have gotten by now. (sad face)
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