July 2017 » Stanton Blog

How to disagree with people you love
Gallery
How to disagree with people you love

Uncategorized

28 July

How to disagree with people you love

By Kevin|2019-04-11T06:04:58-06:00July 28th, 2017|Uncategorized|64 Comments

Some commenters here wrote recently about disagreeing without being disagreeable. As a result, I thought it would be good to write about how to disagree with people you love. That should be everyone, right? I've actually heard SCOC members mock the saying, "we can disagree without being disagreeable." To them, that's false unity, because disagreeing and remaining brothers in good standing are mutually contradictory. I'll attempt to show you why they are not—in fact brothers in disagreement is the only way we can ever be. That's because the basis of brotherhood is relationship, not shared opinions, and the basis for maintaining that relationship is love. If you love someone as a brother, as a spouse, or as a son or daughter, of course you aren't [...]

How can a loving God send someone to hell?
Gallery
How can a loving God send someone to hell?

Uncategorized

26 July

How can a loving God send someone to hell?

By Kevin|2019-04-30T09:42:50-06:00July 26th, 2017|Uncategorized|7 Comments

The fierce wrath of God is used a lot by Stanton in their fear campaigns to recruit new members and keep them in line. This abuse of the fear of God, though, is not without cost. Former members and children of members are often left disenchanted with the God of the Bible. How could a loving God torture his own sons and daughters in this place we call hell? Their answer is usually either that there is no God, or if there is, he's certainly not loving. This age-old objection to the Biblical God due to his supposedly harsh judgment of hell is not unique to those who have been impacted by Stanton's bad theology, unfortunately. Answers to this objection by believers have too often [...]

The unwritten rules
Gallery
The unwritten rules

Uncategorized

23 July

The unwritten rules

By Kevin|2019-04-11T06:06:56-06:00July 23rd, 2017|Uncategorized|510 Comments

I'm told that in an August 2002 meeting between Tacoma and Portland, it was admitted by leadership in a talk that the church has a separate set of unwritten rules outside the Bible. (If anyone has audio of this, I'd love to get a digital copy.) I'm happy to hear that Stanton's unwritten rules may have been acknowledged publicly. Why no one has called them out over this horribly unbiblical practice in the 15 long years since it was acknowledge in 2002, I have no idea. I can only presume it has something to do with group-think, or the fear of withdrawal for murmuring, or other intimidation tactics that keep people quiet in the face of ludicrously unbiblical nonsense. Unwritten rules? Really? Non-member classes used [...]

An open letter to SCOC preachers, teachers, and evangelists
Gallery
An open letter to SCOC preachers, teachers, and evangelists

Uncategorized

20 July

An open letter to SCOC preachers, teachers, and evangelists

By Kevin|2019-04-11T15:23:26-06:00July 20th, 2017|Uncategorized|42 Comments

Dear Stanton leadership, Merie was a big fan of open letters to the leadership of the churches she disagreed with, so I have to assume that this is an acceptable way to communicate with you. Since I have the benefit of the Internet, I'll refrain from mailing copies to members' homes, as she did. (Wasn't that murmuring, by your definition?) I have tried other ways to start a friendly dialogue, including an email in 2004, numerous offers to my mom to have anyone talk to me about the Bible, attempts to engage my sister in simple conversation about the Bible, even offering to have coffee with any church leaders who happen to be visiting here in the Boise area. The silence has been deafening. But [...]

Rules for relocation
Gallery
Rules for relocation

Uncategorized

19 July

Rules for relocation

By Kevin|2019-04-11T06:09:41-06:00July 19th, 2017|Uncategorized|18 Comments

It has come to our attention that members of Stanton mistakenly believe they are free to relocate their families anywhere they wish. This is simply not the case. God has ordained every member to be a part of the body where he sees fit, and he's clearly put us in charge of telling you where that is. Relocating because of a job, school opportunity, or worldly reason like raising your family in a better community is not allowed under any circumstance, unless it is your unbelieving spouse forcing it on you. This way, they take the blame with God for the unauthorized move, not you. To avoid further confusion, we thought it best to publish an updated list of rules to guide members in relocation [...]

Rules for prayer
Gallery
Rules for prayer

Uncategorized

17 July

Rules for prayer

By Kevin|2022-11-05T00:25:52-06:00July 17th, 2017|Uncategorized|90 Comments

Prayer is such an important topic, so it's important that we do it right. We would not want anyone talking to their creator as if he's their father, or anything gushy like that. We must always approach the throne of grace cautiously, with a great deal of formality, keeping in mind our own superstitions, cultural norms, and rules of men. Only pray for Stanton members. God has enough on his hands dealing with our little group, we shouldn't burden him with requests regarding non-members we don't even know personally. The only time you can pray for someone NOT in the Stanton Church of Christ is if it's for their salvation. This means you should not pray for your enemies (real Christians have a lot of them), nor [...]

Did Moses write Genesis—and if so, how?
Gallery
Did Moses write Genesis—and if so, how?

Uncategorized

13 July

Did Moses write Genesis—and if so, how?

By Kevin|2019-04-11T06:11:02-06:00July 13th, 2017|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Was Genesis written by Moses, or mashed up from unknown sources by unknown editors, as proponents of something called the Documentary Hypothesis (DH) would like us to believe? Maybe neither, as it turns out. There is an alternative hypothesis that makes a lot of sense and still allows for the divine caretaking of the history of mankind. Could God have miraculously revealed to Moses direct knowledge of events and private conversations that he himself was not privy to in order to create the book of Genesis? Absolutely. But is that the most likely explanation? Probably not, in my opinion. The Wiseman Hypothesis, sometimes called the Tablet Theory, provides a beautifully simple explanation of how Moses could have come into such detailed knowledge of events that [...]

The poison pill of bitterness
Gallery
The poison pill of bitterness

Uncategorized

10 July

The poison pill of bitterness

By Kevin|2019-06-11T16:11:20-06:00July 10th, 2017|Uncategorized|13 Comments

There's been some discussion lately about bitterness. I think this is a good conversation to have, and a timely one. My goal here is not to judge anyone for any bitterness they currently feel, but to provide some advice and encouragement to (a) make the decision to struggle against it, and (b) actually take active steps to do it. Why would you want to struggle against it? Because if you don't, you will destroy yourself, not the other person. Bitterness is not something to be messed with. It is a poison pill that will ensure a life of unhappiness for the person who lets bitterness grow in their heart, and will only encourage those who are the targets of their bitterness to justify their behavior. [...]

Your own personal Independence Day
Gallery
Your own personal Independence Day

Uncategorized

3 July

Your own personal Independence Day

By Kevin|2019-07-06T14:16:24-06:00July 3rd, 2017|Uncategorized|101 Comments

1 Corinthians 7:23 - You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. (NIV) Galatians 5:1 - For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (ESV) Being enslaved to human masters can wear on a person. Whether it's having to seek counsel for what color or style of underwear you want to wear (no, I'm not kidding), or whom you marry and when, Jesus didn't buy our freedom only to hand us over to the rabbi class of the so-called One True Church. God created the human spirit to be free, made in his image. Humans need autonomy, and that need matures and grows as we move from our teen [...]

"This needed to be said Kevin, thank you. I believe you are getting to heart of the problem in the church. Instead of a Christian being allowed to exercise their own conscience, the conscience of a few people living in South Carolina and California is forced upon the entire brotherhood." ~Anonymous

"Great blog, Kevin. I'm originally from Stanton (I remember you being a young boy there). I Spent almost twenty years in the church seeing many of the things you speak about but keeping them in the back of my mind, and doubting my own feelings that something wasn't right.

"This constant gossiping was so confusing because it was OK for teachers to talk about people, but no one else to even question actions of a teacher. Being outside of that influence and away from the constant intimidation, it is so much more clear. There was no love or understanding. I'm sure most, except for the leaders, know something is wrong if they would just be honest with themselves. I regret so much putting my children through this more than I regret putting myself through it.

"I'm just glad I left. No need for being bitter toward anyone because it was my choice to be there and stay there. Keep up the good work." ~Loraine Forshee

I have read every word of this blog… I spent many hours/days reading… Feeling so sick inside… I felt so grateful to find this blog." ~Anonymous

"I left the group because I realized that what the group taught and what God teaches were often-not always-vastly different. I had to make a choice; stay out of fear, obligation, because of relationships, or leave so I could continue to follow Christ. I left. You know, one thing I heard A LOT while in the group is that “fallen away ones” are always longing to come back into the group.” At the time I believed it, but I just haven’t found it to be true! If it were, there would be plenty of people flocking back, and it isn’t happening. I have been in contact with quite a few who have left, and not one of us has thoughts about going back. Ever." ~Debby Stevens

"What’s ironic is that we point these things out to them only for them to ignore, dismiss and scoff at the blog both publicly in talks or sermons, and among themselves in secret. For you leaders and members of the SCOC who still read this blog, it’s one thing to dismiss the dissenters, but when you have people in your own ranks parroting the SAME EXACT PROBLEMS we talk about here (some of whom don’t even read the blog yet they see the same things we do), it may be time to consider your ways instead of having “unity” (conformity) meetings trying to ignore it." ~Advocate for Peace

"I too am a current member in 'good standing' in the church. I read the blog and I know of two other current members who also read it. I am sure you're wondering why in the world I would still be attending after reading all of this. Honestly, I am weak and just don't have the courage to leave because of family members who are still involved. Because of the threat of withdrawal for murmuring it's impossible to ask others what they think of the blog posts and videos. I am sure I will leave someday, I'm just not quite ready." ~Anonymous

"I'm currently a member in "good standing" in the church. I read the blog, even though its frowned upon. I can't begin to tell you how closely the comments and personal testimonies align and match what's happening in the church. You read something here, and it opens your eyes to that behavior now. so that when you see it happening, you instantly think about who it happened to here on this blog, and you know the damage it causing." ~Anonymous

"I’m not giving up on God like they believe I’m lost now. I’m so glad I found this blog. It helped open my eyes to what I was a part of for TOO long." ~Not going back

“The members of the church have a right to question and ask for Bible answers from those who are doing the preaching. But this is considered almost tantamount to heresy by the preachers of today; and if a member persists in such he is usually slandered and called a trouble-maker… We should know our Bible and we should be ready and willing to take a stand for the truth. We are commanded to ‘contend for the truth.’ But this can hardly be done seeing that the church is ignorant and the preachers are content to have it so. Individually and collectively we should take scriptural stands upon all subjects…” Merie Weiss (Brethren Letter, 1967) More Merie Quotes

“I have tried the pharisaic plan, and the monastic. I was once so straight, that, like the Indian’s tree, I leaned a little the other way. And however much I may be slandered now as seeking “popularity” or a popular course, I have to rejoice that to my own satisfaction, as well as to others, I proved that truth, and not popularity, was my object; for I was once so strict a Separatist that I would neither pray nor sing praises with any one who was not as perfect as I supposed myself. In this most unpopular course I persisted until I discovered the mistake, and saw that on the principle embraced in my conduct, there never could be a congregation or church upon the earth.” Alexander Campbell

“If you can’t counter it in your heart, you will be affected. A lot of people say, ‘Gary you’re just trying to censor people from their God-given right to look at whatever it is that they’re going to look at.’ Go ahead and look at it. But I can only say to you, be admonished, and be well-versed. If you’re not having the ability to counter whatever it is that comes your way. Or all of a sudden someone comes and says something, and it hooks you in, you’re lured in with hook, line, and sinker, you have no one to thank but yourself. Our admonition is not to forbid anyone from doing anything, unless it’s a sin.” Gary Preman

Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Stanton is full of feminism. Every woman who speaks in church besides prayers and song requests and who teaches Bible classes is a feminist. And the sad fact is the feminists have complete control of…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Yes, and do the women stay silent in the churces? Do they only teach women’s classes and children’s classes under the supervision of righteous men? No, they never have in the history of Stanton. How a…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?One of the reasons why women speaking in Bible Classes is such a great evil is because the Bible Classes become gigantic Safe Spaces for women’s deceived feelings. So if you say something that the wom…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?God had very good reasons for commanding women to remain silent in the church. From Robert Briffault’s book, “The Mothers” “Civilisation, as it presents itself in humanity’s power of control over natu…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Merie taught women correctly, to stay home, have a lot of children, don’t have televisions in your home, be a dutiful wife. But, she also taught them, by her example, to rebel against God’s order and…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?“Our whole country stinks of Money, of desire for money and for what money can buy. We even rate the size and worth of a man by the amount of his income. To get money, there are few of us left who wou…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Another fabulous article by Lori Alexander. Godly women are QUIET women. One paragraph jumps out. “ How are godly women to behave in the churches? “Let the women learn in silence with all subjection.…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?On Election Day, let it be noted that women being allowed to vote and speak in the churches has been a disaster for America, and that both ideas didn’t exist in America just 124 years ago. Both partie…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Very interesting. I’m reading the 50 volume set of the Harvard Classics, which is better than any college education, and which can be obtained for a fraction of the price, (it includes parts of the Bi…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?It is difficult to understand. A woman who was a saint in so many areas, yet, who rebelled against God’s order for women. Kind of similar to one of the most famous women from early America, Anne Hutch…
anony on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?I have a hard time with this because I feel the examples you gave of righteous individuals that fell into sinful behavior all brought forth evidence of repentance. Meri died in her unbiblical state. A…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Thank you for your question. It puzzles me as well. How can a woman who was so good in so many areas be bad when it comes to women speaking publicly? There has been so much damage caused to marriages…
anony on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?can I ask you a question truth defender…. you speak soo much about how merie Weiss was sooo contrary and rebellious to the will and order of God for women in his kingdom, yet will call her righteous a…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?“How dreadful when right judge judges wrong” wrote Sophocles in his splendid and profound play, “Antigone.” Why? Because of all humans, it is hardest to correct a good person commonly. It’s easy to co…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?It’s sad that not a single woman in Stanton was ever taught God’s order, that she is to remain quiet in the church, and to prioritize her husband, children, and home. They can sing and ask prayer requ…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Instead of being a teacher in Bible classes and teaching men, why don’t women teachers in Stanton teach their own children, teach other women under Godly men’s supervision, and teach children’s classe…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?In 1920, due to Jewish intrigues, women were given the right to vote, which was a disaster for them and America. It was part of a Jewish socialist agenda, which says a woman is a unit of society, NOT…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Merie taught me a lot of excellent things. But, she never taught the primary duty of women, to be a Keeper at Home. Merie never learned to be a Keeper at home herself. The paid preacher system was far…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Comment on Gab, over 11,000 views. “Consider the thousands of conflicts between men because wives have been asserting their mistaken ideas publicly, and when another man corrects them, the wife goes t…
Truth Defender on Here’s Joe Gautreau’s letter of withdrawal…where do I start?Proverbs 21:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. Sadly, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. It’s sad that 20% of the women in Stanton who insist…

Monthly Archives: July 2017