Friday, May 12, 2006

CLARIFICATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS

After considering what I have written in my INTRODUCTORY POST, I think maybe I should clarify a few things. In this post I want to clarify what I meant by the term 'recovering IFBer'. The initials IFB stand for Independent Fundamental Baptist.
A. I am still an independent baptist in that I pastor (or pester depending on which of my members you talk to) an independent baptist church.
B. I have not 'recovered' nor am I 'recovering' from the fundamentals of the Faith. Rather I am daily coming to a deeper understanding and love for the fundamental doctrines and bible truth.
C.I am still a baptist. I can love, appreciate, fellowship with, and profit from anyone ,who is doctrinally sound on the basics, no matter what his denomination. But I am a baptist by conviction.

Then, from what am I 'recovering'? I am recovering from some of the doctrines, but mostly from the attitudes of some (not all) of my IFB brethren.
  • The bless God, you'd better listen to me attitude."I have all the answers,so you don't need to think for yourself".
  • The if you question me, you're a compromiser attitude.".The only reason others don't preach it like I do is that they are sissy crowd pleasers".
  • The I can't fellowship with anyone who doesn't see every detail exactly like I do attitude. "And even though you seem to believe just like me, I'm gonna keep my eye on you because you might say or do something that I don't agree with . Or you might fellowship with somebody that I don't agree with, and then I'll have to tell everybody what a compromiser you are. Thereby exalting myself as the Lone Ranger of Rightness.
  • The I never struggle, doubt, or fail attitude. "If you do, then you probably aren't saved".
  • The Go ahead. Get mad and leave the church attitude. "You look better going than you do coming anyway".

I could go on and on. Like others, I could tell some horror stories as well as some humorous ones, but I'll have to save them for another time.

9 comments:

Jeremy Weaver said...

Why did you describe me as what you are recovering from?

Steve Weaver said...

Great clarification! One question though, why did you describe Jeremy as what you are recovering from?

Oops, two questions, are you ready for a link?

Garry Weaver said...

Jeremy and Steve,
Do you remember the throw a rock into a pack of dogs story?

reglerjoe said...

Garry,

Welcome to the blogosphere! I also love old trucks. My dream is to have a '59 Chevy Apache. Orange, of course.

One of the reasons I started blogging is to also develop writing skills.

Joe said...

I appreciate the clarification, too.

But why so hard on Steve and Jeremy?

Neil said...

We went to an IFB church for three weeks early in our marriage. Culottes frightened me, so we left.

Garry Weaver said...

Dear Bro. Blaster,

Let me see if I understand you. You went to an IFB church for 3 weeks and the doctrines didn't bother you, but the culottes did?
Maybe you didn't have the right focus. hehe,I gotcha there didn't I?

Neil said...

No doubt about it, the focus was wrong! :o)

Hehe, it was all good the first couple weeks, but then the sermon that third week was something very off, to say the least.

Garry Weaver said...

Bugblaster,
Another question. That wasn't a church I was pastoring was it? At first I didn't think so, because I rarely wear culottes. But then you said the sermon way off, so I began to wonder again.