Let's talk about the word "standards"

[ALAYMAN]

It was a firm statement because a musician said it was. Therefore everyone else with long hair or a beard or wire rimmed glasses or... well they agreed with said musician by wearing the style of the day, thereby confirming their guilt by association.

For whatever it’s worth, speaking anecdotally, both my wife and mother have vestiges of expectations that they ought to wear a dress to church. Neither grew up IFB, nor gleaned it from their time in an IFB church. It’s related to cultural norms of that era more than any explicit doctrinal teaching.

 

[Bruh]

How are you defining the word “cult”?

Us verses them
Don’t question authority
Control
Cannot challenge the pastor
Using fear to control
Black and white thinking about issues that are not in scripture
Discouraged to have close relationships with people outside of the church

I know, I know, your church doesn’t operate this way. My wife’s side of the family are all still IFB. And they all say that their church doesn’t operate like this. But sit and talk to them for 2-3 hours and they actually operate this way.

 

[subllibrm]

For whatever it’s worth, speaking anecdotally, both my wife and mother have vestiges of expectations that they ought to wear a dress to church. Neither grew up IFB, nor gleaned it from their time in an IFB church. It’s related to cultural norms of that era more than any explicit doctrinal teaching.

Absolutely. At one time men wore hats. Styles change. Things change.

The idea that everyone who wore this article of clothing or combed their hair one way or another was proof of anything about the individual is silly in itself. What it does show is that Christians aren't immune from "looking on the outward appearance" which is not a godly attitude.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Us verses them
Don’t question authority
Control
Cannot challenge the pastor
Using fear to control
Black and white thinking about issues that are not in scripture
Discouraged to have close relationships with people outside of the church

I know, I know, your church doesn’t operate this way. My wife’s side of the family are all still IFB. And they all say that their church doesn’t operate like this. But sit and talk to them for 2-3 hours and they actually operate this way.

You are using gross generalizations to apply to a large group of people that you have no way of knowing whether it’s true. It would be like me saying that all creoles and Cajuns are inbred rural swamp-dwellers who hunt alligators and speak unintelligible English because I saw one on TV once.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Absolutely. At one time men wore hats. Styles change. Things change.

The idea that everyone who wore this article of clothing or combed their hair one way or another was proof of anything about the individual is silly in itself. What it does show is that Christians aren't immune from "looking on the outward appearance" which is not a godly attitude.

I am not arguing for making wholesale indictments against people based upon subjective evaluations, but to deny that culture is a measuring stick for general truths is also shortsighted.

 

[Bruh]

You are using gross generalizations to apply to a large group of people that you have no way of knowing whether it’s true. It would be like me saying that all creoles and Cajuns are inbred rural swamp-dwellers who hunt alligators and speak unintelligible English because I saw one on TV once.

Some of that may be true

We’ve literally gone to 5 count them 5 different IFB churches and literally all 5 operate this way. Is it literally every IFB church in America? I don’t know there has never been a case study.

True story. Couple years back we went to visit friends that live in Indiana. We knew them in our IFB days. (This was after we left the IFB) they asked if we’d go to church with them and we said, absolutely. (This makes me laugh out loud every time) we go to Sunday school and dontcha know it’s about dress standards

We love these people we really do. But my wife and I said, isn’t it funny they all say, yeah we know there are IFB churches like that but ours isn’t

I got another one I’m serious true story. On my wife’s side we have a nephew that moved out of state and he invited us to visit. And of course the night before he said, we know there are IFB churches like that but not ours. This was a random Wednesday night. Yep, it was about always having questions

These were random services. Yeah yeah I know yours isn’t like this.

I have a few more examples if you need.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Some of that may be true

We’ve literally gone to 5 count them 5 different IFB churches and literally all 5 operate this way. Is it literally every IFB church in America? I don’t know there has never been a case study.

True story. Couple years back we went to visit friends that live in Indiana. We knew them in our IFB days. (This was after we left the IFB) they asked if we’d go to church with them and we said, absolutely. (This makes me laugh out loud every time) we go to Sunday school and dontcha know it’s about dress standards

We love these people we really do. But my wife and I said, isn’t it funny they all say, yeah we know there are IFB churches like that but ours isn’t

I got another one I’m serious true story. On my wife’s side we have a nephew that moved out of state and he invited us to visit. And of course the night before he said, we know there are IFB churches like that but not ours. This was a random Wednesday night. Yep, it was about always having questions

These were random services. Yeah yeah I know yours isn’t like this.

I have a few more examples if you need.

Have you ever heard the story about the women who wonder why they always pick losers who beat them for men?

Just sayin’.

 

[Bruh]

Have you ever heard the story about the women who wonder why they always pick losers who beat them for men?

Just sayin’.

How many IFB churches does a guy gotta go to to find one that’s not a cult?