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BIBLE TALK...Have You Been Invited?

University Times
California State University, Los Angeles

Editorial

Monday, October 8, 1990
Letter to the editor

BIBLE TALK...Have You Been Invited?

My experience with The Los Angeles Church of Christ. Around the end of the winter quarter my girlfriend was invited to a Bible Talk. Later, she informed me she was going to get baptized. Wonderful, I thought to myself, even though it seemed that she had a great interest in this church all of a sudden. From the time she started going to the Bible Talks to the date of her baptism her personality started changing very strangely and rapidly. In a manner of weeks she became a person I no longer knew.

When I would talk to my girlfriend I would hear her old personality for a while then all of a sudden she would say she was going to "FAST." Then it was "TITHE", then about how the members got by on "FOUR HOURS" of sleep and she was prepared to "DIE FOR THE CHURCH." Then the old personality would come back. She flipped back and forth between personalities.

Soon after, I was invited to participate in the church activities and I went to my first Bible Talk. I asked basic Bible questions, most were evaded none were answered. I got this feeling that all of the church members knew my whole life story which I told them nothing about. At the meeting I met the college leader who started asking questions and flattering me. He told me the next step was to go through a Discipleship study. During the study the leader explained that I was not a "Christian" according to the church interpretation of the Bible. He added that I would go to hell unless I became a member of "THIS" church.

Before I decided to go through with the Discipleship study, the leader was putting pressure on me to hurry up and do it. After completing the study, my girlfriend said I should only talk to her at church functions and I was to trust the leader. I needed questions answered before I was going to trust anyone from this church. While talking to the leader one day on the phone I ask how my girlfriend was doing? He told me it was not important, he said the important thing was that I was going to hell unless I continued in Bible study. I explained to him that I needed different questions answered before going on. He then repeated over and over that my questions were not important because I was going to hell.

I called my girlfriend to try and figure out what was going on. She persisted on knowing when was I going to do the next study. I told her I needed my questions answered first. Then in a very angry tone she told me she did not want to see me or talk to me. Later I phoned who the church calls a zone leader. I asked him if the church tells members to stop talking to people if they are not going to join. He told me he had to answer that question in person.

It is quite evident that if you ask the right questions, you will see that the members of the church are not thinking for themselves. I know for a fact that lies are used readily to get people to do what the church wants. Members of the church lied to my girlfriend to convince her to do certain things. I spoke to my girlfriend when I was not suppose to, she started asking me all these questions about what her church members told her about me which were untrue.

This is not the environment that is portrayed during recruitment. These people have the symptoms of those under mind control but do not see it. I feel that losing one's ability to think for oneself is dangerous to all concerned. This church brags that they are the great and only church. If this is so why weren't my questions answered? Is there something to hide? If this church is legitimate why is everyone put under such high pressure to commit completely without time to reflect on what is going on?

Reginald Greene
Senior
Business Administration

© Copyright 1990 University Times. All rights reserved.

Posted with permission from the University Times, California State University, Los Angeles.

  • October 4, 2001 Excerpts from a Letter to the editor written by J.D. Lombardi, ASI academic senator, University Times, California State University, Los Angeles (...I plan on working on a project that concerns the officially recognized organization known as the Los Angeles Church of Christ...)
  • June 1, 2000 Los Angeles Church of Christ, Letter to the editor, Reginald Greene, University Times, California State University, Los Angeles
  • "L.A. Church of Christ" by Reginald Greene, Letter to the editor, University Times, California State University, Los Angeles, 12/4/97 (Article about the International Churches of Christ/Los Angeles Church of Christ)
  • "Cults on campus: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing" by Rev. Albert G. Cohen, University Times, California State University, Los Angeles, 11/9/92 (The Los Angeles Church of Christ, Unification Church, Scientology and Hare Krishna are mentioned.)


      - - - - - - -

- Excerpts from a Letter to the editor written by J.D. Lombardi, University Times, October 4, 2001

- Los Angeles Church of Christ, Letter to the editor, University Times, by Reginald Greene, June 1, 2000
- "L.A. Church of Christ" by Reginald Greene, Letter to the editor, University Times, December 4, 1997
- "Cults on campus: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing" by Rev. Albert G. Cohen, University Times, November 9, 1992