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 "I Used to Be a Shepherd's Chapel Follower"

Question/Comment: 

----- Original Message -----
From: Name Withheld
To: Paul Stringini
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2014 6:56 PM
Subject: I use to be a Shepherd Chapel follower and I need help

Paul Stringini,
       
    I used to be a Shepherd's Chapel follower, until he basically was condemning my mom of something God forgiven her for years ago.  I have never really been a follower of the rapture.  It just never made since that God would fly us away before the ultimate battle (that is what I call the end times).  I am a young Christian, with small children 9, and 10 years old.  I know what I know in my heart, but I am unable to direct my children.  I want to be able to teach them, but first I need to be taught.  I am seeking knowledge, without condemning me to a life of hell, can you direct me.  No, I am not looking for a easy away; there are no churches around here that do not teach the fly away doctrine.  I need instruction and understanding.  My children are eager to learn of God, I want to be able to teach them and they understand what is being taught to them. 
       In some of your emails, I learned some interesting things.  Like the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  It never sound like sex to me either, it sounded like a tree. 
    I would prefer not to have this email posted on your website.  I am not seeking ridicule I am seeking knowledge.  I am not the type person to argue the Bible and will never.  I will ask questions, and give my opinions but I will not raise my voice.  I am just seeking your help. 
 
Name Withheld

My First Response:

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Stringini
To: Name Withheld 
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: I use to be a Shepherd Chapel follower and I need help
Hi Name Withheld,
 
I use to be a Shepherd Chapel follower, until he basically was condemning my mom of something God forgiven her for years ago. 
 
I'm having trouble figuring that one out.  It's ok if you don't want to explain.
 
I have never really been a follower of the rapture.  It just never made since that God would fly us away before the ultimate battle (that is what I call the end times). 
 
That is how I always felt, even when I believed in the rapture, I didn't want to go just when thing started getting interesting.   I'm supposed to bow out and let people who are suddenly "interested"  in Christ (now that the world is coming apart) do the work that I wanted to do my whole life?  I hated the rapture.  Pastor Murray was the guy who gave my hatred form.  I still hate the rapture doctrine, but not in the same way.  I think I used to resent and envy the rapture because people believed in it.   That seems like the wrong reason.
 
I am a young Christian, with small children 9, and 10 years old.  I know what I know in my heart, but I am unable to direct my children.  I want to be able to teach them, but first I need to be taught.  I am seeking knowledge, without condemning me to a life of hell, can you direct me. 
 
Of course. I understand your concern for your children.  But children basically accept whatever their parents tell them until they become teenagers.   I have a seventeen year old who still trusts me and we talk seriously every single day.  I think this is partly due to the fact that I did not "cram my religion down his throat"  when he was young.  My policy has been to teach by example and instruct by explanation.  I demonstrate my faith to my children by living that faith.  I answer their questions according to what I believe.  I also look for opportunities to assert what I believe.  For example something comes up in a movie that I disagree with.  (this happens a lot because we home school)  I often pause the movie and make a comment about how I think it is wrong.  My methods are based on the way I was raised.  My dad did not cram his religion down my throat, he did not force me to memorize bible verses, he did not make me pray for long sessions with him.  He told me what he believed and I saw that his faith belonged to him, and just as I wanted to grow up like him, I wanted to have his faith. Sometimes it astonishes me that even though I was so naturally different from my father that I became so much like him in many ways.
 
It is generally built in for children to trust their parents.  They push against that all the time.  I have often thought about writing a book about parenting, but have not found the time, besides, my kids are not grown up yet.  How do I communicate my faith?  I can definitely tell you some things that I think are mistakes. 
 
I was part of a church for a while and the Sunday school had kids memorizing verses for prizes.  I didn't like it.  My dad did not make Christianity attractive to me by having me memorize verses.  I think it is funny that Adults who cannot keep the commandments of God go about trying to make their children perfect by the law.  I don't know if you understand my meaning.  But they desperately cram these kids with verses and commandments hoping it will magically make them into believers. 
 
I'm thankful we lived far from that church so my kids were not exposed to that for long.  And what good did it do?  The pastor's son was getting drunk, using drugs, and raping a few of his classmates.  Those boring hours (literally) praying on his knees with dad did not seem to have the desired effect.  His dad forgot that he had been an atheist, and that his faith had not come from someone cramming bible verses down his throat.
We want to inspire love for the things of God and love of the Gospel.  To do that we must ourselves love the things of God and the Gospel.  We also have to show kids that we actually BELIEVE that the things of God are desirable.  have you ever seen anyone force feeding ice cream to a child? No, you put the ice cream in front of them.  And maybe you eat some yourself.   When parents worry too much about their children's religion and start acting like their kids will not naturally pick it up, just like they did, it sort of turns Christianity into green beans.  The kids see we don't believe in our own religion.  We don't believe in its goodness enough to trust that they will want to eat it.  When we become paranoid about the power of sin, we might as well set a flashing sign over our heads, "Sin is ice cream - Christianity is green beans."
 
I instruct my children in right and wrong.  I instruct them in what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.   I also abide by the same rules.  I'm fair.  Or at least I try to be fair.  I exemplify my faith.  I enjoy it every day.  I pray for them, I answer their questions.  I don't expect them to be perfect by the law.  But I am responsible for them. 
 
I know people who came to faith in Christ through so many avenues.  There are many kids who come to faith in atheism through the actions of zealous parents.  That is always in my mind.  I'm a zealous parent and the last thing I want is my children to be atheists.  But ultimately,  I can't control how they turn out.  I can only do my responsibility faithfully and do what I can to exemplify the faith in Christ which I hope they will imitate. 
 
No, I am not looking for a easy away; there are no churches around here that do not teach the fly away doctrine.  I need instruction and understanding.  My children are eager to learn of God, I want to be able to teach them and they understand what is being taught to them. 
 
One of the things my wife does is listen to my bible studies, it helps her tune up her faith and it helps her set an example she is pleased to set.  That is how we met,  I was teaching a bible study at the community college and she stumbled in.  She still listens to my bible studies and the children know she listens to them and sometimes listen themselves.  I would certainly never make your children listen to them.  But you might listen to them and they would hear you listening and might take an interest in what their mother is interested in as kids often do.  My bible studies are all free.  http://oraclesofgod.org/studies/index.htm
 
In my bible studies I have a much different focus than Pastor Murray did (and I rarely mention him or his doctrines).  I don't go for all these side issues.  For me the central issue is Christ.  How do we become like him?  This is not just a grocery list of things we do and don't do.  We all know the grocery lists.  I teach and exhort believers to obtain the power to become the sons of God as Christ promised.  The only way to stand against the devil in the end times is to start standing against him every day in our lives right now.  If we cannot withstand him now, why should we believe we will suddenly do so in the end times?  "If you have run  with the footmen and they have wearied thee, how shalt though contend with horses?"  We need to have our senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  Not just this comic book idea of Evil that I've heard Murray speak against. 

In some of your emails, I learned some interesting things.  Like the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  It never sound like sex to me either, it sounded like a tree. 
 
Exactly, Murray was always talking about using common sense. And I really don't see any common sense in that interpretation.  He was full of many odd contradictions which it took me years to unravel for myself.  He begs, he criticizes other ministries, and the only reason we ever believed he didn't, was because he said so.
 
I would prefer not to have this email posted on your website. 
 
I will respect your wishes.
 
I am not seeking ridicule I am seeking knowledge. 
 
I hope you are not talking about me ridiculing you!  I'm going to assume you mean you do not want to be ridiculed by Chapel fanatics who think you are stupid for believing what you read in the bible and actually thinking that something that grows from the ground and bears fruit and is called a tree is really a tree.
 
I know conversations on the chapel can get harsh, but I really try to hold back, even on people who I would like to unload on. But polite people are generally treated politely. 
 
I am not the type person to argue the Bible and will never.  I will ask questions, and give my opinions but I will not raise my voice.  I am just seeking your help. 
Well I've written a little here, I could write more but I'd prefer to have some more specifics.  Serious letters take some time to respond to so thank you for being patient.  Write back.
 
I am at your service,
Sincerely,
Paul Stringini
 

Emailer's First Reply:

----- Original Message -----
From: Name Withheld
To: Paul Stringini
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 11:13 AM
Subject: Re: I use to be a Shepherd Chapel follower and I need help
I would like to thank you for your email.  It was refreshing.  I have recently decided to home school my children this next year.  Mainly because they are being bullied, these bullies crushes the spirit of a child.  I went through that, and I am determined to not let my children go through that.  I am eager to listen to some of your studies, and will be doing that.  If I have questions would it be okay to ask you?

I hope you are not talking about me ridiculing you! 
No I wasn't talking about you I was talking about the Murray followers. 
Name Withheld

My Second Response:

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Stringini
To: Name Withheld 
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: I use to be a Shepherd Chapel follower and I need help
Yes you may ask me any question you may have.  I will try to give you as complete an answer as I can.
 
Sincerely, Paul Stringini

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