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 |
|
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
|
|
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 |
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 |
|
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 |