R E M A R K A B L E ! !
Many years ago I attended a Jehovah’s Witness meeting for the purpose of gathering information for a publication. The congregation was managed much like a kindergarten teacher manages her class. For example, everyone received a sheet of Q’s & A’s; the questions were simple and the answers plainly written under each question. People enthusiastically raised their hand when one of the printed questions was asked by the man in charge, and the one chosen would read (word by word!) the printed answer.
Evangelicals cannot be compared with such kindergarten mentality. No, no, no…. they have matured, spiritually speaking, to at least a fifth grader. Yes, they are still treated as children, but not as five-year-olds. Question: Why such conformity? Answer: Both the JW and the evangelical are strongly motivated by a need for acceptance; since conformity is required for inclusion, non-conformity is abdicated.
There are two requirements (just two!) for a successful, prosperous christianity: 1) abide in Christ (Jesus: “he who abides in Me…. bears MUCH fruit”), and 2) submit to the Holy Spirit (“He will guide you into all truth”). Two requirements NOT emphasized in evangelicalism: 1) abide in Christ, and 2) submit to the Holy Spirit.
The evangelical does not, primarily, abide in Christ. (If he did he would not be an evangelical.) She calls someone other than Jesus “Pastor”. He has adopted evangelical “commandments of men” as his own. She is not supervised, primarily, by the Holy Spirit. He entrusts the bulk of his givings to someone other than Jesus. She is a follower of christians, not Christ. He is a fifth grader! Remarkable!
NOTE: Visit my library of books, articles and videos at www.larryjones.ca