Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[KerriM]

I stumbled onto this guy's Facebook page looking for something else. I really liked this post. It's from a mainstream Christian perspective, but I really like the list. I also think we could add to this list some things from our own traditions.

Confessions of A Recovering Pharisee

One of the things I’ve had to detox from in my Christian walk is a religious spirit. During that time, I wept almost every morning for 2 years, as God revealed the damage done to me, and also the damage I inflicted upon others as I misrepresented the Lord’s heart as a leader in my home and ministry. The beautiful thing is that I learned Jesus longs for our freedom, and weeps over our bondage to the religious spirit, and will set us free from it’s grip.

During that time, I remembered reading a list called, “You might have a religious spirit if….” I couldn’t find it again, so I decided to develop this list for myself, and I thought I’d share it with everyone. Based on my experience, and after reading Matthew 23 and Galatians, here’s my checklist. Of course, this is a bit humorous, but if you can’t say “amen,” then say “oh me!” Again, not wanting to make light of this, but some of us Pharisees could definitely use a little lightening up.

Again, this isn’t exhaustive, but you might have a religious spirit if….

…where you sit in church, means way too much to you

…wearing a suit to church on Sunday, means way too much to you

…wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans to church on Sunday, means way too much to you

…you are constantly striving toward innocence

…people MUST call you by your title before they say your name

..you judge others by their actions, and you judge yourself by your intentions

…you insist you don’t have a religious spirit

…how things look, matters more than how things really are, which means that how things truly are never get addressed

…you major in the minors, and sacrifice innocent people on the altar of your distinctives for the sake of being “right”
.
…you’d rather have people know how much you know, instead of know how much you care for them

…you thank God that you’re not like other “lesser” Christians

…in your mind, your spiritual equity goes up in proportion to the well known people you know and name drop

…you cannot receive a rebuke or correction

…you are always rebuking and correcting others…and harshly

…you believe biblical spiritual encounters of others are only valid, as long as you’ve experienced them yourself

…you embellish spiritual encounters and testimonies

…you shame and control others with unwritten rules

…you pit other people against each other for the sake of control

…you pray more in public, than you do in private

…the figure heads that spiritually “cover you” are merely there to “cover up” moral failures,

…your spiritual covering over others is truly a smothering, not a covering

…you think the more money you have, the more spiritual you are

…you think the less money you have, the more spiritual you are

…you use your Bible knowledge to control others, instead of set them free

…you use your Bible knowledge to find loop holes so you can justify the sin in your life

…you seek forgiveness, but never repentance and change

…you relish being served, instead of serving.

…all you do is serve, but refuse to receive

…you read the Bible only so you can minister to other people

…you make the people you “disciple” twice as religious as you

…you think your brand of Christianity, is more important, special and “cutting edge” than others

And finally, you might have a religious spirit if the entire time you read this, you were thinking of all the other people that need to read this instead of you.

I found it on this Facebook page
https://m.facebook.com/1657065230/
Down around September 22

[Lineman1012]

If we continued the list to our favorite LDS brand of Pharisee;

you might have a religious spirit if….

…you have to wear the uniform of the priesthood, a white shirt and tie.

…you offer to buy someone wearing a colored shirt, a white shirt, if they can’t afford it.

…you make sure all the youth wear white shirts as part of preparation for their missions.

…you make sure all the young women are wearing dresses before they enter the chapel.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Regrettably, I remember having a discussion with a member of the stake presidency where we just couldn't believe why the young men wouldn't get their act together and wear a white shirt and tie for the sacrament. Why couldn't they just "follow the prophet."

I also remember another stake president about 9 years ago telling all of the women during a stake conference that wearing denim was inappropriate Sunday attire.

This same man, during the same conference, also lectured the members about not going over in their talks. When the time came to conclude the meeting he looked at the clock and said something to the effect of, "I know that we are supposed to close here, but I've spent much time preparing these remarks." He continued to speak for another 15 minutes. I lost all respect for that man. A perfect example of hypocrisy.

[Iceberg]

I had my eyes open, unfortunately not too long ago, to my Pharisee tendencies.


Here’s one:

You fear for a child’s future when they are clear that they have no desire to participate in the Primary Program.

Kinda related...I love the book Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldridge and of course The Chosen

[Iceberg]

Oh here is one that though I am not proud to admit I am thankful I caught myself in the act.

As you are watching a talk on beholding your little ones, you get frustrated that the little ones are interrupting your viewing of conference.

[ajax]

…you calculate tithing and round up to the nearest penny, just to make sure

…you care about what others drink

…you care about the type of undergarments people wear

…you talk about the greatness of your group and leaders all the time

…you call your human leader “beloved”

…you stand when leaders walk into a room and only sit down when they tell you

…your children mostly are disobedient and disappointments, especially as teens

…you believe attendance is salvific

…you believe the same talks given, every 6 months, for the last several decades, with slight variations, are new and important revelation.

…you believe obedience and authority are the highest values

…you believe the most important work is that which is done amongst each other, proven by the amount of time set aside and spent doing it: meetings

…you believe everybody not in your group as lost

…you believe people can’t be happy if they’re not in your group, at your meetings

…you believe women’s shoulders are sacred

…you believe friends outside of the group are toxic, and too much exposure will have long term effects. You believe you must limit your children against such toxins

…you believe you are not as good as others in the group, but much better than others outside the group

…you do whatever your leaders tell you, and feel guilty when you don’t.

…you believe others are righteous by virtue of their calling/position

Now bow your head and say “yes”. That will do.

[Vision]

...you invite people to attend a meeting in a structure called church and believe you are inviting them to Christ

[KerriM]

I appreciate all of the things listed. Many are things I have had to repent of, or still need to work on. I have been thinking of this lately in a new light as well. At first I believed that I needed to eliminate all of these behaviors for good. I think the Lord just wanted me to be aware and stop them for awhile. Some of these things aren’t actually bad, It was just in the way I was living my life. For instance, I used to view Visiting Teaching as something that I had to do, to check it off of my list. I got to the point where I never really got anything out of it, the service did not come out of love. I would resent it, but I would do it, because that’s what you do if you are righteous. I finally just stopped altogether doing it for awhile. I can’t really say I’m “good” at it anymore either.

I got over the “return and report” mentality. I now visit (which is rare) or serve those the Lord specifically prompts me to serve. It rarely follows a list at all. But at the same time, there is a lot of serving and visiting. It feels so much better when fulfilling a prompting from the Lord, instead of just following through with an assignment. And I no longer resent the “training” I received while just doing what I was “supposed” to do. The Lord used it at the time to teach, then he took me away from it, now he’s building back what he really had in mind. Plus, I actually got some really good friends from “doing what I was supposed to do”, so it wasn’t all bad.

Here’s where I am now. I believe that the Lord is rebuilding me. It helped a lot by looking at other religions from new eyes (I had never “really” looked at them before - that was bad). I can now view the a lot of the traditions that they do, as good and beneficial. I don’t know if I had grown up within them that I would have the same perspective. There is something taught and absorbed on a different, more in depth level, when following traditions. Ours, theirs, any of them, and for good or evil. Looking at the law of Moses, there are laws/traditions that the Lord set up, or used to teach the children of Israel. However, after generations, it also created the climate in which Christ lived, with the Pharisees and those who were so wrapped up in the law that they couldn’t see anymore what they were supposed to see. Plus, they had added so much to the original law, that they were really quite tangled up. Christ had to come and teach them what He really had in mind. He took a lot of those traditions away and taught a better way. Even though He took some things away, isn't animal sacrifice coming back before He returns?

I know for me, once something gets steeped in tradition, it needs a refresh at least. There are many things that I have had to reassess, many are listed above. I was, and am in some instances still am, struggling with those tendencies. Most of what Ajax listed, I can cringe at seeing myself doing in the past. I have to catch myself from doing it in the present. It’s a constant process, but when I did it in the past, I really had no idea that this is what I was doing. I thought I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, and getting points in heaven for it.

[Bronco73idi]

If we continued the list to our favorite LDS brand of Pharisee;

you might have a religious spirit if….

…you have to wear the uniform of the priesthood, a white shirt and tie.

…you offer to buy someone wearing a colored shirt, a white shirt, if they can’t afford it.

…you make sure all the youth wear white shirts as part of preparation for their missions.

…you make sure all the young women are wearing dresses before they enter the chapel.

I only agree with your 2nd point.

Is your 4th point asking young women to cross dress into pants? You know if we have steps, they should be low enough or long enough so that the person at the bottom can not look up the dress of one of our Heavenly Father’s daughters. This is how we know Central American temples were not of the lord’s design.

[Lineman1012]

If we continued the list to our favorite LDS brand of Pharisee;

you might have a religious spirit if….

…you have to wear the uniform of the priesthood, a white shirt and tie.

…you offer to buy someone wearing a colored shirt, a white shirt, if they can’t afford it.

…you make sure all the youth wear white shirts as part of preparation for their missions.

…you make sure all the young women are wearing dresses before they enter the chapel.

I only agree with your 2nd point.

Is your 4th point asking young women to cross dress into pants? You know if we have steps, they should be low enough or long enough so that the person at the bottom can not look up the dress of one of our Heavenly Father’s daughters. This is how we know Central American temples were not of the lord’s design.

Nothing to do with cross dressing, While growing up I witnessed young women that weren’t allowed to go into the chapel because they were wearing pants. They had to be in a dress to be in the chapel.

I doubt the Lord would design temples with steep stairs!

[KerriM]

I remember when I was growing up being told, as a female, that it was disrespectful to wear pants in the chapel. I grew up out West. After I was married, we moved to the East Coast. It was totally different in that ward. Probably because in New Hampshire it would snow for 5 months out of the year, so it was just too cold to wear dresses all the time. I still had a real hard time walking into a chapel with pants, but I realized then that it wasn't quite the same as Moses being asked to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground, or something.

[Bronco73idi]

If we continued the list to our favorite LDS brand of Pharisee;

you might have a religious spirit if….

…you have to wear the uniform of the priesthood, a white shirt and tie.

…you offer to buy someone wearing a colored shirt, a white shirt, if they can’t afford it.

…you make sure all the youth wear white shirts as part of preparation for their missions.

…you make sure all the young women are wearing dresses before they enter the chapel.

I only agree with your 2nd point.

Is your 4th point asking young women to cross dress into pants? You know if we have steps, they should be low enough or long enough so that the person at the bottom can not look up the dress of one of our Heavenly Father’s daughters. This is how we know Central American temples were not of the lord’s design.

Nothing to do with cross dressing, While growing up I witnessed young women that weren’t allowed to go into the chapel because they were wearing pants. They had to be in a dress to be in the chapel.

I doubt the Lord would design temples with steep stairs!

So if a girl should wear pants then a boy can wear a dresses, be it a kilt..

5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

Oh yeah, it’s the mark of a man, 666, abomination. Silly me, maybe our justification for things that are no big deal is what got us to this point of worshiping the beast?

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

A man = Adam

Beast glorifies man and denies god

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

[Mindfields]

Annnnd the interesting thread on Pharacitical behavior goes south.

[h_p]

…you believe everybody not in your group as lost

When I was mentally in the church, I think I felt this, at least subconsciously, especially regarding my kids. Now that I'm mentally out, I think the same thing, just directed at the people still mentally in.

Same song, different verse. Dangit, Ajax.

[Gadianton Slayer]

…you believe everybody not in your group as lost

When I was mentally in the church, I think I felt this, at least subconsciously, especially regarding my kids. Now that I'm mentally out, I think the same thing, just directed at the people still mentally in.

Same song, different verse. Dangit, Ajax.

I was definitely like this...

I think I’ve matured though, I would only call someone lost if they are following someone other than Christ. If they’re in tune with the Lord, and we still disagree, that’s the beauty of having different paths with the same end goal.

[Lineman1012]

Annnnd the interesting thread on Pharacitical behavior goes south.

Are you saying an interesting thread on Pharacitical behavior turns Pharacitical

[Lineman1012]

…you believe everybody not in your group as lost

When I was mentally in the church, I think I felt this, at least subconsciously, especially regarding my kids. Now that I'm mentally out, I think the same thing, just directed at the people still mentally in.

Same song, different verse. Dangit, Ajax.

I was definitely like this...

I think I’ve matured though, I would only call someone lost if they are following someone other than Christ. If they’re in tune with the Lord, and we still disagree, that’s the beauty of having different paths with the same end goal.

Isn’t it interesting that there are Pharisees in every religions and there are also the pure in heart in every religion. Being a 6th generation COJCOLDS I’m new to this line of thinking, it’s more about looking to Christ and learning from him than looking for directions from our “Beloved” leader. And it’s more about how we care for others than it is about what they wear or drink. If all callings are the same - shouldn’t we all stand up when our ward Nursey leader walks into the room?

[Gadianton Slayer]

…you believe everybody not in your group as lost

When I was mentally in the church, I think I felt this, at least subconsciously, especially regarding my kids. Now that I'm mentally out, I think the same thing, just directed at the people still mentally in.

Same song, different verse. Dangit, Ajax.

I was definitely like this...

I think I’ve matured though, I would only call someone lost if they are following someone other than Christ. If they’re in tune with the Lord, and we still disagree, that’s the beauty of having different paths with the same end goal.

Isn’t it interesting that there are Pharisees in every religions and there are also the pure in heart in every religion. Being a 6th generation COJCOLDS I’m new to this line of thinking, it’s more about looking to Christ and learning from him than looking for directions from our “Beloved” leader. And it’s more about how we care for others than it is about what they wear or drink. If all callings are the same - shouldn’t we all stand up when our ward Nursey leader walks into the room?

Yep, which should make one question the intentions of those Pharisees...

Christ’s gospel is simple, people just like to skew it to try and show that you have to be a member of certain churches in order to be truly saved. This is especially the case in LDS culture, as told to me by friends, family, leaders, and people on this forum.

2 Nephi 26:33 sums it up nicely:

• ”and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”

[Mindfields]

Perhaps it should be modified so.

”and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness by attending the Temple regularly, paying an honest tithing (gross not net) and attending their meetings, keeping all of the commandments, staying on the covenant path and most of all following the prophet; and he denieth some that come unto him, black, added recently, and white, bond and free, male and female if they aren't members of the true church; and he remembereth the heathen through baptism for the dead and endowments for the dead; and all are not alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile if they don't follow the prophet.”

[Mindfields]

We've got it all taken care of. What do we need Jesus for?

[Gadianton Slayer]

Perhaps it should be modified so.

”and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness by attending the Temple regularly, paying an honest tithing (gross not net) and attending their meetings, keeping all of the commandments, staying on the covenant path and most of all following the prophet; and he denieth some that come unto him, black, added recently, and white, bond and free, male and female if they aren't members of the true church; and he remembereth the heathen through baptism for the dead and endowments for the dead; and all are not alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile if they don't follow the prophet.”

[Gadianton Slayer]

We've got it all taken care of. What do we need Jesus for?

We don’t

Did you listen to or read Rasband’s talk this last conference? He literally said that following the prophet 1) matters most and 2) is most important today. They have begun blatantly disregarding the need for personal inspiration. Following the prophet is more important than following God.