You can just read this thread and find that there are people who view these things.
I was asked to select a denom when i signed up and just selected the one ive been in most of my life....I didnt know I would be judged by it and dont know of a way to change it. But I do acknowledge that, since ive been in it for decades...some of it's dogmas and judgement may still be attached subconsciously...so I dont mind it being there.
I've have been lead for the road of religion a few years ago.....my destination still unseen. I cant say what i am anymore...all I know is that I am. As My steps are ordered....I follow.... Where He leads, I will follow. I would say that Im transitioning more from believing to knowing.........Which is why I sometimes question if posters information is known, or opinion.
Anyway, i dont want to derail the Thread...... I've found nothing wrong with what you have said.
Yes, I ran across a few, and not entirely new to this site. Just have not been here in a few years. Long time ago, used to post here regularly, but I try and stay anonymous. And generally, have always avoided these sorts of threads. :/
So, I am aware that these sorts exist, and in no small part, because you can find them in the corners of some forums and newsgroups and such online.
The major reason why I did not stick to any church that had these sorts of beliefs, when starting out to find a church, decades ago? Was because I could not stomach their damning every other Christian on the planet on the basis of their legalistic rules.
One of those was an pentecostal off branch of an off branch group. They really did not have many people. And they did believe they were the only true Christians on the planet. Definitely not because they regarded the actual teachings of Jesus. They said the word "Jesus", a lot. But, they were very far from Jesus and his actual teachings.
Another group, was a "Church of Christ" off-branch of an off branch. Far better group. No severe demon or devil focused superstitions, but instead, bizarre legalities about the length of women's hair, the specific name of the church, and other such absurdities.
Frankly, that group, I felt and am sure did, have some good Christians. But, again, the atrocious judgmentalism against all other Christians... was there.
Both groups, almost bizarrely, swore up and down, they were anti-legalist, and one even used the term, "legalist", a lot, when describing their "enemies". Who were all the other Christians, mainly.
I think, though, with the "pentecostal" group - should be in quotes, really, as they were so off branch - the final straw that ultimately made me leave and not even try [and saved them] anymore was when one young man went on about how the damned (again, the entire population of the planet is what they really meant, except for these twenty folks) would be literally tortured forever like getting their head stuck in an oven with their face skin always peeling off.
He seemed to enjoy the idea of it.
Somehow, I do not think that was very Jesus like. Very opposite. <_<
I can tell you that Christianity is the literally biggest religion in the world. There are definitely severe problems, but the worst are always - what I find - in the exact same sorts of small, isolated groups the Apostles warned us about.
I can also state, I have a relative-in-law, who is JW. A very severe cult. She used to seriously believe common appliances were demon possessed. No joke. Stories about her smashing up, for instance, a record player, as she was absolutely convinced it was possessed.
She has much moved away from that level of extremism, but is very seriously in a bad place, still.
I am nice to her, relatively, but I am also specifically stand offish. In no way would I ever let her think I consider her to be saved, at all. That would feed her delusion, which would be very detrimental to her.
As for these sorts of groups, 'they left us showing they were never of us'. There certainly are superstitious but saved Christians, but very often their branches did start out from folks who were not saved. Never knew Christ.
I did use to view that verse as meaning they were Christians who fell away. As in, they had really tasted the powers of the Kingdom to come. But, now I realize, they never did. For whatever reason, God let them come, and they just never had the Spirit inside. So, they never got it.
Personally, I do not know your situation, but I do believe you are saved. From there, as John said, 'you do not need teachers, as the Holy Spirit will teach you all things'.
And, we know, the good are mixed in with the bad... in some places, I think, much worse then others...
