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From: Wtynf <>
Subject: [GenChat-L] Fwd: Aunt Charlotte's book ( more camp meetings) Free Methodists
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 17:19:44 EDT
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Subject: Re: Aunt Charlotte's book ( more camp meetings)
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There were degrees of snobbery when it came to religious practices in Oregon
and Charlotte, young as she was could recognize it. Her parents were
evidently from a conservative religious background who looked somewhat askance
at the more liberal interpretation of Christianity practiced by a part of the
religious community on the other side of the campground. I grew up as a part
of this hellfire and dammnation understanding of religion where a rite of
passage was to be "born again".
My churche (Free Methodist) explanation for what they perceived as rigidity of
the more conservative churches was that original Methodist Church had once
been free
but had been taken over by conservative elements. This, I believe, was
basically true.
In my opinion, the conservative elements were made up of the more affluent,
more educated parts of the community who tended to look down on the freer
expressions of the original Methodism and were embarrassed by them. I know
that I as a child I
was. I was scared to death of the prospect of spending eternity in hell and
then on the other hand felt an embarrassment when teased by my peer group for
attending this church.
The Free Methodist Church was liberal in one sense only however; and that was
in their emotional approach to their worship. They had an "Every word is
True" belief that holds sway today and they are as honest as the day is long.
Paradoxically as they broke away from the original church, they became
extremely rigid in respect to dress, women's hairstyles, proscription of make-
up and dancing. They felt that the original church had become too liberal in
respect to these. The "Free" in Free Methodist was an illusion and only
meant, as far as I could ever determine, was that they were free to practice a
form of religion that was perhaps practiced by John Wesley and other early
Methodist Evangelists.
This form of religion was highly emotional, punctuated by crying, shouting
with religious ecstasy but NEVER with glossalia or what is called, speaking in
tongues.
This practice was eschewed by The Free Methodists as being "from the devil" or
at best "an aberrant practice" and in the pecking order of churches was seen
as the lowest of the low as were the people who practiced it. These people
were to be prayed for with the thought in mind that they would see the error
of their ways and change.
I have not been to a Free Methodist Church in 60 years but I would expect that
they would still be conducting themselves with the same pure motives that
guided
them when I as a youth broke my ship on their rigid, fundamentalist doctrine
and became a devout deist that believes in nothing (from their standpoint) and
yet believes in everything. (That I can infer and deduce) By the way I
understand that doctrinally they are in synchronization with The Salvation
Army Church and The Pilgrim Holiness Church so they are in good company as far
as being good people.
They sponsor one of the better liberal arts universities here in the West,
Seattle
Pacific University which I attended awhile (one year) until my avowed
liberalism and free thinking style came into conflict with with my church
implanted conscience and I felt guilty there among those goodhearted people
who I was at that time so
contemptuous but who had my best interests at heart as they tried to convert
me. So I transferred to another college.
Pardon me for taking what might be termed an etic approach to genealogy but on
our way to constructing the perfect family tree we might as well try to
understand what went on along the way.
Warren Tyndale Faulkner
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