Refuted
I only remember driving by the church in passing; that one place that had a parking lot where you turned around if you got lost.
I'd only stepped inside for five minutes to briefly ask if they provided counseling had been given a brochure which didn't help much and had never gone back. If anything, that should've been a red flag.The strange thing about the church was it was sandwiched in the corner of a strip mall across from a deli and a pet shop. In general it was an odd place for church, regardless of how you defined a church.
I didn't really hear much about them until my sister Olive had filled out an application for a class there and why I didn't know, but clearly she had her reasons (something about research). By the time she returned the application it looked like a small novel.
My family and I were more than a little surprised when a man in a pressed slacks and a button up shirt appeared at our door one evening carrying a briefcase and a what appeared to be a small projector and subsequent screen.
My parents let him in, but they were more than a little perplexed.So there me and Olive were sitting in the family room while this guy who looked like a used car salesman set up his projector and screen. The projector, in fact, turned out to be an old school film reel.
Was this place not in the 21st-century?
The guy beamed.
Yep, definitely used car salesman.
"I just wanted tell you a little bit about us. You gave us way more information than were used to seeing so we figured you must be pretty serious or very intrigued by our humble little church."
"Well actually--" my sister began.
This guy, who said his name was Aaron didn't seem to be listening. He began what seemed to be giving a very well rehearsed speech.The film began and I watched in a dazed sort of way; I wasn't really paying attention particularly once I got the gist of what his pitch was.
The church didn't even seem to use any of the tools I knew most respectable churches used in their basis of their teaching seemed, for lack of a better word, phony. The basis of religion they were preaching began with Moses and not even God, that wasn't much of a religion.
"This isn't faith, it's a religion." I muttered to my sister. "People bending over backwards to do things and not people realizing what's already been done for them."
The premise seemed to be that they had cut-and-paste from every popular religion with a basis in Christianity, a little of Catholicism and a little bit of Mormon. What they didn't like from the other religions they seem to made up on the spot which seemed to center around a lot of Old Testament teachings.
Finally the reel ended. Aaron turned, beaming at my sister, who looked nonplussed.
"Well do we have your support? You seemed very passionate in your application."
"My family and I already belong to a very well respected church and not what you seem to have made up." My sister replied stiffly in an unflinching sort of way. Had it been appropriate, I would have applauded.
"I wouldn't give money to your ministry even if you paid me." I replied, "you're asking people to give money to benefit yourselves not the people around you or to benefit what you call a congregation."
"We're just trying to be accessible to those who find traditional religions unsuitable." Aaron replied unruffled.
"Accessible doesn't equate to truth." My father replied firmly.
"We will pray for you." My mother offered, "that you find your way back to the truth and your congregation sees the light."
In short we sent Aaron away with his tail between his legs his briefcase and his out of date film projector. Then we prayed that the little church in the shopping mall would come to repentance and Christ and not be dragged down by how the world perceived religion.