by Van Robison

Most people love ice cream and it obviously comes in more than thirty-one flavors. Churches, like ice cream, are often very appealing to the senses. It could be that your church is strawberry in flavor, or perhaps vanilla, or maybe butterscotch, or one of many other varieties of ice cream churches. The flavors are endless. What is it about ice cream churches that attracts millions of people the world over? And why do believers in ice cream churches stick to their pastors, priests, clergy, churches and denominations like Velcro? Read more...

by Van Robison

In the world we live in, the "license" is a key element of our culture. For whatever reason, in our society we are led to believe that having a "license" is a guarantee of being professional, qualified, legal and certified. We are led to believe that a license or a permit is necessary for almost everything under the sun such as: license to be a doctor, license to be a lawyer, license to be a "pastor", etc. The list is endless in the realm of life on earth. To believe that having a college education is a guarantee of professional service is too ludicrous to believe. Read more...

There is a 3-part lecture video series on spiritual abuse by Jeff VanVonderen over at the Recovery University website. According to the website, "These presentations are part of a 10-part course entitled Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse. The series includes presentations by Dave Johnson and Lynn Heitritter." You can access the videos by clicking the links below:

• Lecture 1: Healthy and Abusive Spiritual Dynamics [55 min]
• Lecture 2: The Abusive Religious System [59 min]
• Lecture 3: How We Get Hooked [60 min]

by Van Robison

Many Christians are deceived by charlatans whose entire lives seem to revolve around begging for money on public television. There seems to be an endless parade of willing preachers whose whole lives are spent speaking falsehoods into the ears of anyone willing to listen. The fund raising never ends. Often times, the money-begging is accompanied by singing, music, and celebrity preachers quoting specific scriptures, while never mentioning many other scriptures dealing with money-matters. Not only do some forever beg for money, but others are forever telling the public about some supposed "Biblical prophecy" that they think is being fulfilled or about to be fulfilled. Read more...

by Van Robison

Many Christians, even though with innocent intentions, are very gullible, naive, and even childish in the fact that they have no discernment about wolves in sheep's clothing. All too often, seekers of God are falling prey to celebrity personalities, and they swoon over famous name preachers for no other reason than these individuals have a lofty title such as "senior pastor", "prophet", "prophetess", "evangelist", "reverend", "doctor", "bishop", or some other clergy name. Those titles in themselves mean absolutely nothing, but many Christians think that anyone who has such a title is: somehow "important", above the common person, especially anointed, has authority over the sheep, and is Jesus Christ ordained. Read more...

Here is an excellent eight-part article on spiritual abuse as posted by Grace at the Emerging Grace weblog:

• Part One: Shattered Illusions
• Part Two: Spiritual Abuse, Defined and Described
• Part Three: Betrayal, When It Gets Personal
• Part Four: Leaving
• Part Five: Grieving
• Part Six: Healing
• Part Seven: An Unhealthy Body
• Part Eight: Kangaroo Court

by Van Robison

Volumes could be written on Bible scriptures that are taken out of context and stretched like rubber bands to comply with the interpretation of preachers and church institutions. If Bible readers all understood scriptures exactly alike, there could hardly be hundreds or thousands of denominations, and other church institutions that have their own personal interpretations of scriptures. It will never be otherwise. Not even among so-called scholars and Bible theologians is there agreement on many Bible related issues. Read more...

by Van Robison

As a young man, many years ago I was caught up in the Worldwide Church of God/Ambassador College/Herbert W. Armstrong organization, which was headquartered in Pasadena, California. What I thought was "God's true church" was only an illusion -- a mirage. In this man-made organization, we were taught Old Testament doctrines such as keeping the Saturday Sabbath, keeping 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tithes, observing annual "Holydays" such as "Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles". We were also subjected to authoritarianism and hierarchy. Clearly, the church "authorities" did everyone's thinking. Read more...

by James Robert Kessler

"Cheer up church, you're worse off then you think." That one line gets to the heart of the church today. Until recently, I was heavily involved in the Charismatic movement and the miracles of: gold fillings, spiritual fogs, fire tunnels, and slain in the spirit. I have even witnessed people attempting to be healed by having musical instruments played over them. I was part of the "what made me feel good and appealed to my senses" movement. The sensual gospel of the highest highs, on Jesus of course, and the "name it and claim it" crowd of wealth and prosperity. Read more...

by Van Robison

Jesus Christ said "My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME". If you are a "Baptist", then you are a Baptist clone. If you are a "United Methodist", then you are a United Methodist clone. If you are a "Roman Catholic", then you are a Roman Catholic clone. If you sit in a megachurch, then you are a clone of that megachurch's teachings. Read more...