Pastors of churches are like monarchs in European history who believed in the "Divine Right of Kings." Religious rulers and governments have a great deal in common, because they all believe in "Divine Right" to rule your life. One great, overwhelming lesson in life on earth is that human beings are not now, and never have been qualified to rule over their fellow man.
Many kings and queens in history are notorious as tyrants, liars, thieves, and murderers. The same is true of many rulers of governments throughout time, regardless of titles. The world we live in is a world of mind boggling injustices, in the name of "security", "national interests", "freedom", "self defense", "self preservation", "law", "religion", "God", "the Bible", "false accusations", "health", "prevention", "education", "science", and "the way that seems right."
Pastors of churches believe in "Divine Right" of authority over common believers, based upon certain very specific scriptures, and have seduced millions of church goers that they are appointed by Jesus Christ as "authority" figures. Even when there are contradictions in the Bible, pastors, theologians, "scholars" and Christian leaders vocalize that "the Bible is infallible and inerrant."
Church rulers love to quote, "Obey those who have the authority over you", and similar erroneously (perhaps intentionally) "translated verses, because those verses give them power, which they love. Never mind that those verses contradict everything taught by Jesus Christ in the four Gospels, which a careful study of the teachings of Jesus will reveal to any discerning truth seeker.
[Editor's note: We here at Battered Sheep Ministry stand by our statement of faith, which states that the Bible is written revelation of God, fully authoritative, complete and sufficient in all respects. We also remind our readers that the inclusion of an article on our website does not necessarily imply agreement or endorsement.]
There are two things in life that leaders dearly love, and that is power over others and other people's money. Human governments are not God, they only rule others as if they are. The extremely worn out phrase "it's the law", is not the law of God, but simply man made rules, that are enforced upon all citizens. Many pastors and Christians alike believe governments are ordained of God, and the "Divine Right" of rulers is always enforced, often against the will of the people.
Pastors of churches believe they have a "Divine Right" to tax church members through tithing, and to reap the material benefits of that tithing taxation. Pastors believe they have a "Divine Right" to be elevated to a special class of people, as authority figures. They believe they have a "Divine Right" to be "all knowing", and so they teach, while you are the student all your life.
Pastors believe they have a "Divine Right" to purchase fine homes, automobiles, airplanes, vacations, luxuries, medical insurance, retirement benefits, and anything money can buy, at your expense because this is how they interpret scriptures. If this is how pastors read scriptures, are they then really qualified to teach? Many deluded church goers think so.
What "pastors' really have a "Divine Right" to do is this:
- Stop doing works to be seen of men (Matthew 23:5).
- Stop loving cushioned seats on stages as if pastors are more important than common people (Matthew 23:6).
- Stop wearing special attire as if neck collars and long robes make them "holy" (Matthew 23:5).
- Stop loving to be called "pastor", as if pastors are masters (Matthew 23:7-10).
- Stop thinking that pastors are "greater" than common folks, and be servants instead of lords and masters (Matthew 23:11).
- Stop exalting pastors to elevated status, and be contrite, humble, and meek (Matthew 23:12).
- Stop building physical temples that God does not dwell in (Acts 17:24).
- Stop preaching for money and give freely (Matthew 10:8).
- Stop acting as if church members are your personal and private property. The sheep belong to Jesus (John 10).
- Stop pretending that pastors have "authority" to rule the flock, when they do not (Matthew 23:7-10). (Note: All verses that contradict what Jesus taught in the four Gospels, cannot be correctly translated. The Holy Spirit does not contradict Jesus).
Jesus Christ nowhere taught that we are to follow anyone other than Jesus Himself. The great key to discerning truth is what Jesus taught "by their fruit you will know them." Comparing what Jesus taught in the four Gospels to the behavior, conduct, and teachings of churchianity reveals some serious misgivings about Jesus Christ.
The real Jesus Christ taught principles to live by and not church structures, megachurches, pastoral control of the lives of believers, or peddling the Gospel for money. Remember that the word "church" is a foreign word transported into the New Testament by the "scholars", and is not an original word spoken by Jesus Christ.
The word "church" is a misrepresentation of truth. Jesus taught that there is ONE SHEPHERD and ONE FOLD, and the churches of pastors are not it. No wonder pastors love the "Divine Right" of pastors, because that false belief empowers their private kingdoms and supplies a never ending flow of free money.
