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 Someone
gave me a July, ‘68 issue of Sentinel of Truth, containing
this proposed solution to “ORGANIZED RELIGION”: (1)
Discontinue that tax exempt status of the organization; (2)
Remove the denomination (name, rft) from the building and
signboard; (3) Discontinue the services of “the
preacher” and encourage him to be a real preacher of
righteousness where the good news has not been heard and to
those who cannot pay him; (4) Discontinue the formal “Worship
Services” and restore to all meetings their real purpose as
set forth in Hebrews 10:24-25; (5) Place all collectively owned
property up for sale and give the proceeds to the poor.
The
article (by R.L. Jantz) was given editorial approval — “deserves
some objective, serious study by all who desire to please God.”
There follows some seven columns of ranting about ORGANIZED
RELIGION, then, ”What he (Jantz) has offered deserves the
serious study of all who sincerely want the truth... “The
editor says this is “strong meat” — “ for those who have
the “guts” to take action toward correction when they
realize that they have been wrong.” “Jantz has offered a
vital part of the needed correction, treatment or remedy —
DISSOLVING THE CORPORATE BODY.”
These
childish and unrealistic solutions are much like the solutions
for poverty, top-
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heavy government, or war, as offered by the long-haired “protestors”. They insist
that everyone be given a job, but do not tell how to make
everyone work. Abuses in government must be corrected, if we
must destroy the country to do it.
Destroy
collective action, and the “harness” will go with it; but
you will have to ignore God’s direction for both harness and
action. (Titus 1: 5-f; 1 Tim. 5:16; Phil. 4:15) There is no need
for Jantz’s solution one and two, if we practice solution
five. How can one tax and put names on a building that doesn’t
exist? And getting the preacher to properly apply himself, and
worshippers to worship in spirit and truth, will take more than
a “firing” and “dismissal.” Whatever those mythical “individuals”
do, meeting out under that oak tree, that is “true
Christianity” — the same kind of dedicated saints
can and will do, meeting in a house they have constructed with
lumber from the tree.
There
is now, as in the first century (2 Tim. 3:5-f. Phil. 3:18-f.
)need for genuine service to Christ, and no “form of
godliness” “churchanity” or ritualism can satisfy this
need. But S. 0. T. didn’t initiate the battle against
formalism, nor will such solutions and ravings win it.
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