# *The Greater Issue

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Posted by Randall Watters [2bithonky] on November 25, 1999 at 18:43:20 {yaNwUlwC5c3tOw5Cy.7EQNyTO0grzY}:

In Reply to: The Greater Issue posted by AP on November 25, 1999 at 07:56:54:

Thanks AP, and a very good point. After I left the Borg I became a pastor with Foursquare International for a number of years and often thought about that question. We finally formed our own church as "Hope Chapel" in Manhattan Beach but still under the leadership of Foursquare. One third of us were former Witnesses. Foursquare allowed us such a freedom (in fact, they never once visited our small church in 3 years of its existence!
But having traveled around to many churches, lecturing, etc. for years I realized (to a lesser degree) the same problem existed in the churches. Most people want others to do the thinking for them. They simply will not change. For the leaders who DO try and implement the freedom of Christ, they end up with small churches for the most part, and not enough money, because it is NOT a legalistic system, and not popular as it does not feed the more primal needs of the masses (ego, semblance of power, popularity, etc.). Leaders who want power will never go for the freedom of Christ as found in Romans and Galatians, it is extremely counter-productive.
A good example is found in a church that was once considered a cult, the Worldwide Church of God. Once the leadership repented and the power-hungry went off and started their own little self-worship centers, the number of members was decimated and continued so to this day. The difference is, they are happy and enjoying the Spirit of God in their worship. If the Borg ever decided to repent and do the same, I have no question they would be blessed, but at this time it seems highly unlikely to happen. Power is the name of their game, with their tremendously inflated ego at stake.
As long as somebody feels that THEY alone have the truth, it becomes an idol, a fixation of worship and obedience. It has happened in many church systems, and always will.
People often ask me if it was hard leaving Bethel and the Borg, especially due to the climate at Bethel in 1979-1980. Yet for the year before I left, I think I was happier than I had been in my entire 7 years as a JW before that, because I finally understood the meaning of Romans and Galatians through our private Bible studies at Bethel. The only hard part was being cut off from people I had come to love. But there were many more to take their place.
I highly recommend one lesson I learned, greater than all else re: Christianity, found at the link below.

- Rules for Christian Living

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