Post by iris89 on Jun 26, 2007 11:57:30 GMT -5
Do Not be An apostate:
INTRODUCTION:
Let's first learn what an apostate is from the dictionary:
The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Apostate = One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.
Now to be an apostate, you must abandon something without making a formal legal renunciation of the cause.
There are two types of apostates as follows:
[1] Those who formally belonged to some cause or religious faith and left it without a formal legal renunciation for just cause.
[2] Those who belong to a religion who left another religion without the new religion having made a formal legal renunciation for just cause. Within Christianity this would be all the groups such as Catholics, Gnostics, etc. who left the gospel of Jesus (Yeshua) and his apostles and set up opposition beliefs as foretold by Romans 16:17, "But I beseech you, brethren, to consider those who create divisions and occasions of falling, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learnt, and turn away from them." (American Standard Version; ASV). Or as one Bible dictionary put it, <<<"It is evident that there is a distinction between a 'falling' due to weakness and the 'falling away' that constitutes apostasy. The latter implies a definite and willful withdrawal from the path of righteousness. (1Jo 3:4-8; 5:16, 17) Whatever its apparent basis, whether intellectual, moral, or spiritual, it constitutes a rebellion against God and a rejection of his Word of truth.-2Th 2:3, 4;" [source - Insight on the Scripture, Vol. 1].>>>.
Or as another Bible dictionary put it, "Though the word 'apostasy' does not occur in the A.V., the Greek word occurs from which the English word is derived. In #Ac 21:21 Paul was told that he was accused of teaching the Jews who were among the Gentiles to apostatise from Moses. Paul taught freedom from the law by the death of the Christ and this would appear to a strict Jew as apostasy. The same word is used in #2Th 2:3, where it is taught that the day of the Lord could not come until there came 'the apostasy,' or the falling away from Christianity in connection with the manifestation of the man of sin. See ANTICHRIST.
Though the general apostasy there spoken of cannot come till after the saints are taken to heaven, yet there may be, as there has been, individual falling away. See, for instance, #Heb 3:12 10:26,28, and the epistle of Jude #Jude 1-25. There are solemn warnings also that shew that such apostasy will be more and more general as the close of the present dispensation approaches. #1Ti 4:1-3. Now a falling away necessarily implies a position which can be fallen from, a profession has been made which has been deliberately given up. This is, as scripture says, like the dog returning to his vomit, and the sow to her wallowing in the mire. It is not a Christian falling into some sin, from which grace can recover him; but a definite relinquishing of Christianity. Scripture holds out no hope in a case of deliberate apostasy, though nothing is too hard for the Lord." [source - Concise Bible Dictionary]>>>.
The general apostasy was the one where many fell away in mass and formed false religions that deviated from the true religion taught by Jesus (Yeshua) and his apostles in the 1 st. Century which can be divided into the early falling away and the later falling away into manmade creeds such as Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Islam, modern Judaism, etc. All formed by men, in many cases strong men, obedient to the ruler of this system - better known as creeds; whereas, genuine (true) religion is founded on the inspired word of Almighty God, the Bible without the adulteration by any man made creeds and/or creedal doctrines and traditions.
Now let's look at when and when not formal legal renunciation is necessary so one can not legally be looked at as an apostate.
WHEN FORMAL LEGAL RENUNCIATION IS REQUIRED:
First, Let it be understood that no formal legal renunciation is required from any group of which you have never been a member which I shall illustrate with my own situation.
I was brought up in a family of mixed religious affiliations. My mother was a nominal Christian, my father belonged to no church or religion, and I had an uncle that belonged to a false religion that did not claim to be Christian. Some of the priest from the church my mother occasionally went to tried to get me to join their false religion and get baptized by their false baptism, but I strongly resisted their wrong efforts and did not become a member of their religion. On the other hand, my uncle, an imam, tried to get me to join his false religion and to wear its religious garb, but I strongly resisted his wrong efforts and did not become a member of his false religion - either.
In my situation no formal legal renunciation was possible as I had never been a member of either false religion; however, if you have once been a member of a false religion, formal legal renunciation is required or otherwise you could be branded an apostate even by a false religion.
Second, For those who have been members of a false religion of any flavor, formal legal renunciation is required.
According to the The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition:
Renounce = VERB: Inflected forms: re·nounced, re·nounc·ing, re·nounc·es
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To give up (a title, for example), especially by formal announcement. See synonyms at relinquish.
Third, How you go about formal legal renunciation of a false religion will depend on the country you are in. In many countries this will require legal representation - barrister or lawyer as the case may be, but in many countries the process of formal legal renouncing membership in a false religion is quite simple. For example, in most of North and South America, England, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, etc. it consist of simply filing out a simple paper saying you renounce membership in such and such religion and getting it certified by the appropriate official for recognizing signatures and/or three witnesses and sending a copy to the leader(s) of the group of which you were formally a member, either deliver it in person with three or more witnesses along to witness the formal handover or by some form of registered mail where one receives a receipt back proving delivery, and a copy to the bureau of public records for the political district or jurisdiction you live in for recording along with the required small recording fee.
In other countries, you will need legal representation and may even need to appear before a court to show due cause such as wrong and/or false doctrine of the group you were formally with. I believe Bangladesh is one such country.
Fourth, You should NOT put off formal legal renunciation of a false religion as if you do so, you might be branded an apostate.
Fifth, Remember some consider any sin apostasy, but the law in North and South America, England, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, etc. does not. Let's look at what one group said on this, <<<"[It is also apostacy] to consider that a sin is permissible - whether a major or minor one; when such a sin has been proved to be a sin by absolute proofs. Similarly, considering it [sinning] a light thing [al-istihanah] is also apostacy when one considers it a small thing, an inconsequent matter and commits it without any bother as if he/she is doing a permissible thing."[source - nibras.blogspot.com/2007/05/on-apostacy.html ]>>>. So action can still be taken against someone calling you an apostate for this reason under the tort laws for libel as can be done if one calls you that when you have never been a member of a false religious group and/or have made a formal legal renunciation - in some places it will be necessary to advertise for three times in a publication of wide circulation before you can take action under the tort laws.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89
INTRODUCTION:
Let's first learn what an apostate is from the dictionary:
The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Apostate = One who has abandoned one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.
Now to be an apostate, you must abandon something without making a formal legal renunciation of the cause.
There are two types of apostates as follows:
[1] Those who formally belonged to some cause or religious faith and left it without a formal legal renunciation for just cause.
[2] Those who belong to a religion who left another religion without the new religion having made a formal legal renunciation for just cause. Within Christianity this would be all the groups such as Catholics, Gnostics, etc. who left the gospel of Jesus (Yeshua) and his apostles and set up opposition beliefs as foretold by Romans 16:17, "But I beseech you, brethren, to consider those who create divisions and occasions of falling, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learnt, and turn away from them." (American Standard Version; ASV). Or as one Bible dictionary put it, <<<"It is evident that there is a distinction between a 'falling' due to weakness and the 'falling away' that constitutes apostasy. The latter implies a definite and willful withdrawal from the path of righteousness. (1Jo 3:4-8; 5:16, 17) Whatever its apparent basis, whether intellectual, moral, or spiritual, it constitutes a rebellion against God and a rejection of his Word of truth.-2Th 2:3, 4;" [source - Insight on the Scripture, Vol. 1].>>>.
Or as another Bible dictionary put it, "Though the word 'apostasy' does not occur in the A.V., the Greek word occurs from which the English word is derived. In #Ac 21:21 Paul was told that he was accused of teaching the Jews who were among the Gentiles to apostatise from Moses. Paul taught freedom from the law by the death of the Christ and this would appear to a strict Jew as apostasy. The same word is used in #2Th 2:3, where it is taught that the day of the Lord could not come until there came 'the apostasy,' or the falling away from Christianity in connection with the manifestation of the man of sin. See ANTICHRIST.
Though the general apostasy there spoken of cannot come till after the saints are taken to heaven, yet there may be, as there has been, individual falling away. See, for instance, #Heb 3:12 10:26,28, and the epistle of Jude #Jude 1-25. There are solemn warnings also that shew that such apostasy will be more and more general as the close of the present dispensation approaches. #1Ti 4:1-3. Now a falling away necessarily implies a position which can be fallen from, a profession has been made which has been deliberately given up. This is, as scripture says, like the dog returning to his vomit, and the sow to her wallowing in the mire. It is not a Christian falling into some sin, from which grace can recover him; but a definite relinquishing of Christianity. Scripture holds out no hope in a case of deliberate apostasy, though nothing is too hard for the Lord." [source - Concise Bible Dictionary]>>>.
The general apostasy was the one where many fell away in mass and formed false religions that deviated from the true religion taught by Jesus (Yeshua) and his apostles in the 1 st. Century which can be divided into the early falling away and the later falling away into manmade creeds such as Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism, Islam, modern Judaism, etc. All formed by men, in many cases strong men, obedient to the ruler of this system - better known as creeds; whereas, genuine (true) religion is founded on the inspired word of Almighty God, the Bible without the adulteration by any man made creeds and/or creedal doctrines and traditions.
Now let's look at when and when not formal legal renunciation is necessary so one can not legally be looked at as an apostate.
WHEN FORMAL LEGAL RENUNCIATION IS REQUIRED:
First, Let it be understood that no formal legal renunciation is required from any group of which you have never been a member which I shall illustrate with my own situation.
I was brought up in a family of mixed religious affiliations. My mother was a nominal Christian, my father belonged to no church or religion, and I had an uncle that belonged to a false religion that did not claim to be Christian. Some of the priest from the church my mother occasionally went to tried to get me to join their false religion and get baptized by their false baptism, but I strongly resisted their wrong efforts and did not become a member of their religion. On the other hand, my uncle, an imam, tried to get me to join his false religion and to wear its religious garb, but I strongly resisted his wrong efforts and did not become a member of his false religion - either.
In my situation no formal legal renunciation was possible as I had never been a member of either false religion; however, if you have once been a member of a false religion, formal legal renunciation is required or otherwise you could be branded an apostate even by a false religion.
Second, For those who have been members of a false religion of any flavor, formal legal renunciation is required.
According to the The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition:
Renounce = VERB: Inflected forms: re·nounced, re·nounc·ing, re·nounc·es
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To give up (a title, for example), especially by formal announcement. See synonyms at relinquish.
Third, How you go about formal legal renunciation of a false religion will depend on the country you are in. In many countries this will require legal representation - barrister or lawyer as the case may be, but in many countries the process of formal legal renouncing membership in a false religion is quite simple. For example, in most of North and South America, England, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, etc. it consist of simply filing out a simple paper saying you renounce membership in such and such religion and getting it certified by the appropriate official for recognizing signatures and/or three witnesses and sending a copy to the leader(s) of the group of which you were formally a member, either deliver it in person with three or more witnesses along to witness the formal handover or by some form of registered mail where one receives a receipt back proving delivery, and a copy to the bureau of public records for the political district or jurisdiction you live in for recording along with the required small recording fee.
In other countries, you will need legal representation and may even need to appear before a court to show due cause such as wrong and/or false doctrine of the group you were formally with. I believe Bangladesh is one such country.
Fourth, You should NOT put off formal legal renunciation of a false religion as if you do so, you might be branded an apostate.
Fifth, Remember some consider any sin apostasy, but the law in North and South America, England, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Germany, Sweden, etc. does not. Let's look at what one group said on this, <<<"[It is also apostacy] to consider that a sin is permissible - whether a major or minor one; when such a sin has been proved to be a sin by absolute proofs. Similarly, considering it [sinning] a light thing [al-istihanah] is also apostacy when one considers it a small thing, an inconsequent matter and commits it without any bother as if he/she is doing a permissible thing."[source - nibras.blogspot.com/2007/05/on-apostacy.html ]>>>. So action can still be taken against someone calling you an apostate for this reason under the tort laws for libel as can be done if one calls you that when you have never been a member of a false religious group and/or have made a formal legal renunciation - in some places it will be necessary to advertise for three times in a publication of wide circulation before you can take action under the tort laws.
Your Friend in Christ Iris89