MK forum

“When people have the choice to choose God, that’s their business. When people don’t have a choice, it’s our business.”

I am not a MK, so I often hesitate to post my thoughts here, but since the topic of hell was brought up, (which is “hot” on my mind right now ) I thought I would chime in.

I am grieved to have to admit that we actually used that NTM slogan on our display board when we were raising support! I now believe it’s a horrible idea with absolutely disastrous consequences. It breeds fear and guilt, which those in “spiritual authority” use to control and manipulate people into doing what they want. I believe that this idea, more than any other, is what is behind the MK/missionary abuse mess.

Unfortunately, I thought I had no choice to believe it, since that’s how the Bible had been presented to me from childhood. It took a somewhat traumatic end to our “service” with NTM and 3 years of thinking, questioning, and reading in the aftermath of our NTM debacle to come to a point of being able to reject that belief (and get gutsy enough to actually say so on the internet!). The Fanda Eagles and this forum have been a part of that journey. I thank you all for sharing your stories, thoughts, and emotions. You spurred me on. (I believe you have been and will be part of the journey of questioning beliefs for many others in NTM too! As we are painfully aware – it happens so SLOWLY! But it does happen. Don’t give up!)

I now believe that God has both the desire and the ability to save us ALL and that is exactly what he has done (Romans 5:18) and is doing (John 12:32). He is not limited by where or when we were born. He is not dependent on humans to accomplish his goal. The eternal destiny of our fellow humans does not rest on our shoulders. (I will explain more fully of the Resetting the Foundations thread.)

Can you imagine what kind of difference it would make if this was the kind of Good News that people were travelling around the world to spread? Versus “You are doomed to eternal conscious torment. All your ancestors are already being tormented. But God loves you so much that he sent me to tell you that YOU can be spared this fate - if you believe what I tell you to believe.” I’m not seeing the love there. Are you? I am so thankful to be free from that kind of thinking!

Thank you, Kathy, for your courage in sharing what you have been learning.

We want this to be a safe place for people to share their journey and their thoughts.

You make some very good points for all of us to consider.

(Part of being a fundamentalist is the stubborn refusal to give anyone else's point of view the slightest consideration. "I am right. I am always right. I will never be wrong.")

My own perspective changes continually. I am deeply aware of my own inadequacy to get everything figured out. And so I continue on this journey. There are only a few things I am certain about. God loves me always and unconditionally. And He also loves everyone else: always has, and always will. And he has promised, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

Thank you Kathy for posting. This is not an easy journey. All this thought and re-learning the things we learnt in fundamentalist childhood and reinforced during time with NTM (for those of us not MKs). In a strange way it is comforting for me to know I am not alone. So many thoughts you have just posted here (and on another thread) ring true for where I am at. So thank you for sharing.

THIS is a group and I so appreciate being here
And all of you!
We can have our differences in beliefs.
If we limit ourselves to a small, narrow group---
Boy, do we miss alot of life!

This is a good thread, and very challenging. Thank you for starting it!

Money... My ideas have changed dramatically about this. Money is NOT the root of all evil, as the Scriptures are often distorted to say. The LOVE of money is. Quite a different thing.

Money cannot change the past, and many people are reluctant to bring any reference of money into a conversation about corporate abuse. After all, we are told, money isn't going to change anything. No sum of money will repair the damage that has been done. So, we are piously assured by those who don't want to part with any of their money, victims should not ask for monetary damages.

I think this is a misrepresentation of God's Word. In the Law, a negligent person whose animal kills another person is subject to death. However, he may redeem himself "by paying whatever is demanded." (Exodus 21.28ff)

Such a payment is just. It does not change the past, but it was not designed to change the past. It was designed to redeem the offender and recompense the victim's family.

I was always very reluctant to even consider money in the context of personal wrongs. I see that that attitude was a result of my own neglect of God's Word and the subtle messages given to me in NTM-land.

Gene you are so correct. Love of money is the problem.

MKs must love money and that is their problem. Missions and their leaders use money to glorify God. Abused MKs are ask for money because it shows they love money. But missions can keep it because they are good steward. Many MKs can't afford to come to the MKSN conference. But mission leaders fly all over the world and take their families on nice vacations. MKs because of abuse have poor earnings, missing work, not able to work, but they are still accused of wanting money for nothing, Mission leaders live on donations and live well and are considered sacrificing for the Lord's work. Interesting who is doing the talking.

I don't know of any MKs who are out to make money off the missions, they just want a life. Missions love for money is the root of all their evils.