I received this comment yesterday from someone who preferred to remain anonymous:
You must not be aware of the controversy that surrounds Mr. Anthony. See http://www.dallascult.com for more info.
I can't seem to leave comment responses in my own comments section, so please allow me to respond here:
Thank you for reading my blog, and for the comment.
I did read the linked article. It didn't tell me a whole lot that I didn't already know. The book looks like it would be an interesting read, but if Duncan is trying to paint Anthony out as being a "cult leader" I would question her motives in writing it. Ole Anthony is no cult leader, and from what I know of cults, there is nothing about the Trinity Foundation that is cultic. I would definately like to read the book, but I have to say that it smacks of "sour grapes".
I realize now, after the fact, that my post probably gave the impression that I cared for the man's enigmatic personality. The truth is that I could care less about the man himself (I'm sure he would appreciate that). What I am interested in are his interpretations of Scripture, which are the most logical I have ever heard. I don't "follow" him. I doubt that anyone at Trinity think of their association with the man as "following"...not to mention the fact that he would likely show them the way to the exit door if he had even the smallest impression that anyone in his organization was "following him. This alone, as far as I know, disqualifies him from "cult leader" status.
On a side note...I think every denomination on the face of the planet is a cult.
At any rate, I don't want anyone to think that I'm defending Ole Anthony here. That's not for me to do. And I'm not going to pretend that I have a thorough understanding of the things he teaches. I can only say that what I've heard of it resonates within and makes absolute perfect sense to me. As a Christian, it doesn't really matter what I believe, other than that Christ is God, that He died to atone for the sins of mankind and that He rose from the grave on the third day. The bible says that all of us who are His live in His grace. I tend to think that such infinite grace is a safety net for the inability of the human mind to adequately grasp the mysteries of God. That is why I believe that Catholics, Protestants, Pentecostals, etc. etc. are equal, that there is no such thing as "the one true church" in regards to religion itself and man's inate ability to segmentize into factions based on pet doctrines.
My point being that there's no harm done in contemplating the interpretations of any teacher. If one chooses to accept some (or all) of the teachings he's exposed to, I don't see what the problem is. I don't doubt that there are scripture verses that can be produced that would seem to invalidate that opinion. I'm sick of apologetics. Either Christ died for us or He didn't. Either He has placed us in a state of grace, or He hasn't. Either He's IN US or he's not. EVERYTHING ELSE is a stepping stone to reach that understanding. Once you come to that realization you can put your Bibles away, if you want to.
I don't think such a statement is radical at all...
Postscript...there has ALWAYS been controversy about Anthony/Trinity. The "dallascult" article makes it look like their unwillingness to speak out about the accusations somehow validates Duncan's points. Likely they are just rolling with the punches, as such accuations have been leveled at them for years. I'll bet that, if/when the matter reaches the point where a response is essential from Trinity, it will be given. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know, but I somehow doubt that what they say will indict them.
Once again, I do appreciate you checking out my blog, and I hope you will come back soon...if you do, why not leave a name? Anonymous comments scare me. :)
There are a number of abusive practices at Trinity that define it as a cult, including an excessively authoritarian style of leadership, the shunning of former members, and heretical neo-gnostic doctrines. In writing my book, I interviewed over a score of former members, and every one of them that spent a significant amount of time at Trinity Foundation now believe it is a cult. However, most of them are too emotionally and spiritually damaged to want to speak out about it, and most of them are still afraid of possible retaliation if they do.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was a believer with a graduate degree from a conservative theological seminary, I had several disappointing experiences in churches that left me vulnerable to the “community” that Ole Anthony offered. Before going to my first Bible study, I contacted several cult awareness groups and asked if Trinity Foundation was a cult. All of them said that they considered the group offbeat and eclectic, but not cultic. That was fifteen years ago and now most of those cult awareness groups would have something different to say about Ole Anthony and his Trinity Foundation. The only reason I posted on your blog was to alert you and your readers to the fact that Ole Anthony may not be who he seems. People need to be aware that by listening to his “Bible studies” or attending his group, they are playing with fire. (Thought reform, brainwashing, etc.)
You can review a group or church’s doctrinal statements or statement of beliefs and they may seem orthodox. The problem is that anyone can copy a doctrinal statement. What defines a cult is more their practices and behavior than what they proclaim to believe.
Thanks for letting me go into more detail.
Peace,
Wendy J. Duncan
PS: The reason I posted anonymously on the previous post was because I didn’t want to take the time to register. I’m really not one of those scary anonymous posters. :)