What we believe and teach

- Our position on various things -

 

 

Foods and beverages

 

We may eat all things, except things offered to idols, things strangled and blood. For no food is unclean in itself, but if anyone regards something as unclean, then let him abstain from it, but without passing judgement on those who eat everything. He who eats everything must not despise those brothers who abstain from a certain food because they regard it as unclean. The Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We say grace before eating. It is lawful to drink wine or other fermented drink in moderation. Whoever commands to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth, teaches a doctrine of demons.

 

Days and feasts

 

We esteem every day alike. Therefore we don’t think we must observe Sunday. If a brother esteems Sunday above the other days and observe it, we don’t judge him; however he must not impose his conviction on the others nor judge those who don’t esteem Sunday above the other days of the week. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. We don’t observe the Sabbath day, nor the feast of Passover, nor the feast of Pentecost, nor the feast of Tabernacles, nor all the other Jewish feasts, because we were not called to observe Sabbaths and feasts. Let no one judge us regarding these things. We reject Carnival, Halloween and Christmas.

 

Violence and self-defence

 

We are against every form of violence against our neighbour, even in case of self-defence. We, being disciples of Christ, must be peaceable and gentle, showing all humility to all men, that’s why we reject violence. We must not avenge ourselves, for vengeance belongs to God. We must love our enemies and do good to those who hate us.

 

Military service and war

 

We are against doing military service because as children of God we must not learn war. If the governing authorities command us to go to war, we must disobey them.

 

Magic, spiritism, astrology …

 

We are against magic, against spiritism, astrology, cartomancy, the coffee cup reading, chiromancy, dowsing, and any other divining art, because they are all works of the devil, who is the enemy of God and the father of lies. All those who practice these things will be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. We are against yoga, transcendental meditation, acupuncture, homeopathy, and any other meditation technique and alternative medicine which is based on occult principles and whose purpose is to make man feel one with the so called ‘universal energy’, that is to say, to induce man to believe that he is God. These things are all works of the devil, who deceives people and hurts them.

 

Superstitions

 

We are against every form of superstition, for superstitions are devices created by Satan to frighten and deceive people.

 

‘Sacred’ statues and images

 

We are against making the so called sacred images and statues and serving them because they are idols and any service rendered to them is idolatry; and we must flee from idolatry. All those who worship the so called sacred images and statues worship demons. Demons often perform counterfeit signs and wonders to keep people devoted to idols.

 

Selling things pertaining to the kingdom of God

 

We are against selling Bibles, hymnals, books of testimonies, books which contain biblical teachings, etc., for we are convinced that selling things pertaining to the kingdom of God is contrary to the sound doctrine. It is something which introduces corruption into the Church, and furthermore by selling the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, the Church does not give a good testimony to those who are outside. Provided that the laborer is worthy of his wages, we are convinced that all the things which are done to spread the Kingdom of God must be supported by the saints through free-will offerings. Therefore the laborer of the Lord must give freely what he does for the edification of the Church, and those who benefit from his work must support him financially and materially.

If a Christian wants to reproduce and spread the Bible or some parts of it, or a testimony, or a teaching written by a believer, he is free in the Lord to do it.

 

Tithing and prosperity

 

We are against imposing tithing on the saints, because tithing is one of those commandments of the law of Moses we must not keep for we are under grace. Every Christian must give for God’s work as he purposes in his heart, bewaring of covetousness. We reject the doctrine which affirms that God wants us to be rich materially (the so called ‘prosperity message’), for it is inconsistent with the Scripture, which states that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

 

Collection of offerings

 

We are against passing an offering-basket in the place of worship. That’s not the right way to collect the money for God’s work. An offering-box should be put in a corner of the place of worship and those who are willing to make an offering for the work of God must put their offering inside that box

 

Running into debts

 

We are against running into debts, for the borrower is servant to the lender.

 

Jokes ….

 

We are against telling jokes and uttering any corrupt word. Our speech must be always with grace, seasoned with salt. Let us speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The burlesque lie and the ‘white’ lie

 

We are against lying even when lies are told to joke or to do good to somebody. For the Scripture commands us not to lie to one another.

 

Swearing

 

We are against swearing because Christ commanded us not to swear.

 

Going to law against brothers

 

We are against going to law against those brothers who have wronged us. If any of us has a dispute with another about the things of this life, he must take it before the saints for judgment and not before the unrighteous. For Jesus said: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”.

 

Ecumenism

 

We are against ecumenism, because we consider it a device of the devil against the Church to create confusion in the Church of God and to lead the saints astray from the truth. Therefore we refuse to pray, to evangelize and to work together with the Roman Catholics: they preach salvation by works and many other heresies (such as purgatory, penance, mass, the primacy of the Pope, the perpetual virginity of Mary, praying for the dead, etc.) which we confute both privately and publicly. We have no communion with them.

 

Voting and taking part in politics

 

We are apolitical, so we do not vote nor take part in politics; and we urge the saints to be apolitical like us, because our Lord and Saviour was apolitical.

 

Euthanasia

 

We are against euthanasia because we believe that only God has the right to take our life. He is the One who gave it to us, and He alone can take it.

 

Organ donation and transplantation

 

We are against organ donation and transplantation because organ explantation harms the donor. In the case of the transplantation of the heart or of the liver (or of other non-geminus vital organs), the explantation of these organs kills the donor, for his organs are explanted while he is still alive. For the so called brain death, which is certified by doctors before the organ explantation, is not real death because the heart of the donor is still beating.

 

Cremation

 

We are against cremation for according to the Holy Scripture the dead must be buried.

 

Homosexuality, paedophilia, …

 

We are against homosexuality, paedophilia, prostitution, every form of pornography, and also against cloning. All these things are an abomination to God.

 

Taking medicines

 

We are against taking medicines because we consider it to be a lack of faith in the power of God, who still heals the sick. When a believer is taken ill, he must call for the elders of the Church, who must pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.

 

Hunting and vivisection

 

We are against hunting for the fun of it, but not against hunting for food. It is lawful to kill animals also when they are a menace to people’s life. We are against vivisection, that is, the practice of performing operations on live animals for the purpose of experimentation or scientific research, for the Scripture forbids us to be cruel toward animals.

 

Smoking, drugs, piercing and tattoos

 

We are against smoking, against taking cocaine, heroine, hallucinogens, etc., against piercing and against the custom of tattooing one’s body, for all these things damage our body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

 

Gambling, …

 

We are against gambling, state lottery, soccer pools, horses races, and any other game based on betting, for all these things create a lust for riches and encourage covetousness (which is idolatry), whereas the Scripture commands us to be content with what we have, not to love money nor to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth. Those who have given themselves over to these worldly lusts have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. We trust in God, who has promised He will meet all our needs. To Him be the glory in Christ Jesus now and forevermore. Amen.

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all the saints

 

Giacinto Butindaro

 

 

Back