Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!bellcore!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: rjb@akgua.att.com (Robert J Brown) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Church of Christ Message-ID: Date: 27 Jun 91 06:56:27 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 35 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , sasbrb@unx.sas.com (Brendan Bailey) writes: > > Does anyone have any information on the Church of Christ? > Everyone I've talked with that are members are simply estatic > about it, but I've talked with several people who had really > bad experiences with them, to the point of calling them cults. > It evidently started in Florida as the Crossroads Church, moved > to Atlanta and Boston. I read they're strong in Birmingham and > they now have a following in Chapel Hill, NC. > I'd appreciate any information about this organization, good > or bad. Thanks! > > ------------------------ > Brendan Bailey > sasbrb@unx.sas.com Note that this group, whose official name I've forgotten, IS NOT the denominational group Church of Christ. THe denomination is long standing and related doctrinally to the Disciples of Christ and the Christian Church denominations. The bad press that the Fla-Atlanta-Boston group has gained revolves around their reported extreme practice of shepherding or discipleship. You have to get "permission" for most every activity of significance from the person you're submitted to. Should I buy a car, get married, shall we have a child, etc..?? All these life questions must be approved by your shepherd. Most American Christians, with our uneasy relationship with authority (at least Boomers :-)), find this over- indulgence in authority-submission a little overboard and cult-like. I'm not familiar enough with their other doctrines to render any opinion and readily admit that what I've presented may contain media distortion since I personally know no one in the group. Bobby - akgua!rjb