Table of Contents

UPHOLDING THE PURITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

It is the GOD - appointed duty of every government to secure conditions of peace, justice and liberty in which good Christians may obey GOD, serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and preach the gospel without interference. Therefore, good Christians pray for the leaders of the nations and call upon them to guarantee freedom of thought and conscience, and freedom to practise and propagate religion in accordance with the will of GOD and as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Good Christians also express our deep concern for all who have been unjustly imprisoned, and especially for those who are suffering for their testimony to the Lord Jesus. We promise to pray and work for their freedom. At the same time, we refuse to be intimidated by their fate. GOD helping us, we too will seek to stand against injustice and remain faithful to the gospel, whatever the cost. We do not forget the warnings of Jesus that persecution is inevitable.

Jesus plainly told his followers to expect opposition. "If they persecuted me," he said, "they will persecute you also." He even told them to rejoice over persecution, and reminded them that the conditions of fruitfulness was death. We need keep in mind as we head into the next century that many false prophets and teachers will appear. The human tragedies of Jim Jones and suicide cults may becoming distressingly all too common. What we tend to ignore, what we tend to fear, is the recognition that such actions, while extreme to us today in the comparative safety and freedom of modern society have a history within early Christianity. It is vital to understand one essential difference in these cases: however holy, however admirable their ascetic lifestyle, however attractive a philosophy; not one of these people is Jesus Christ, son of the Living GOD. Perversions of His teachings have existed in every time and age.

Cathar Christians, while no great fans of the world, while desiring to return to GOD and while despising (in principle and generally in practice) attachments to the world have never encouraged suicide for themselves or others. You have to keep a sense of balance. First and foremost, you have to really understand the message of Jesus Christ. Once you accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour, accepting Him into your heart as the one, true GOD of power, you realize pretty quickly that Jesus was not shy in speaking His mind. If Jesus wanted us to act like lemmings it's a sure bet he would have been direct and upfront about it.

But these predictions, that Christian suffering is inevitable and productive, have come true in every age, including our own. There have been many thousands of martyrs. Today the situation is much the same. It seems that ancient religions are becoming less tolerant, expatriates less welcome, and the world less friendly to the gospel.

In this situation, we wish to make three statements to governments which are reconsidering their attitude to good Christian believers.

First, good Christians are good citizens. We pray for its leaders and the well being of the people. Of course, those who have confessed Jesus as Lord cannot also call other authorities Lord, and if commanded to do so, or to do anything which GOD forbids must disobey. But good Christians are conscientious citizens. They also contribute to their country's well being by the stability they bring through the gospel witness. Just governments and its servants have nothing to fear from good Christians. Unjust governments who hide from public accountability, that violate the stewardship provisions GOD has entrusted to them, who seek to impose violence on its citizens, such governments have everything to fear from good Christians and from the Lord GOD.

As pacifists, the good Christians do not engage in physical resistance or violence. Our oppositon is engaged through prayer and spiritual warfare. Cathars seek to be good citizens of the temporary civil order and do not encourage the wanton disregard or abstinence from secular authority, except of course when the genuine religious freedoms and liberties GOD grants to believers are threatened by the State. Please read our brochure: Good Christians and the Government

Secondly, good Christians renounce unworthy methods of evangelism. Though the nature of our faith requires us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others, our practice is to make an open and honest statement of it, which leaves the hearers entirely free to make up their own minds, to open their hearts for a personal relationship with GOD . Cathars practice what is known as "presence evangelism".We wish to be sensitive to those of other faiths, and we reject any approach that seeks - by any means - to force conversion on them while maintaining the distinctive and final divine authority resident in Jesus Christ as true GOD of true GOD. 

Thirdly, good Christians earnestly desire freedom of religion for all people, not just freedom for Christianity. In predominantly Christian countries, Christians are at the forefront of those who demand freedom for religious minorities. The freedom to "profess, practise and propagate religion, as defined in the Universal declaration of Human Rights, could and should be a reciprocally granted right. 

In a growing age of secular values, the unworthy witness of those who claim to be Christians, we deeply regret the bad rap that has been placed on Christianity. This is offensive to all good Christians. However, the offence of the cross we cannot avoid. For the sake of Christ crucified we pray that if it is acceptable to GOD, we may be ready, by His grace, to suffer, be imprisoned, and even to die.

The good Christian proclaims Christ until He comes again. We deeply believe that Christ will come again in unimaginable splendour to perfect His Kingdom. We are commanded to watch and be ready. We do not know the time nor the hour of His return.