Threatened with Arrest at the Elephant Room

You say this as if it is self-evident.

Is it really?

If an individual or a group comes onto your church's property to be disruptive and/or to misrepresent you or your organization (something Christians are explicitly not supposed to do), do you not have the right to bar them from your meeting?

Giving them a "no trespass" warning is what you have to do to legally bar someone from your meeting. Otherwise, you cannot legally revoke their implied right of access if the general public is welcome to enter.

The penalty for ignoring a "no trespass" warning can be arrest, but it is usually a ticket/fine and an escort off of the property by law enforcement. If they ignore the law (which is something Christians are clearly not supposed to do), they will likely find themselves under arrest.

I've had to give no trespass warnings a number of times in a previous profession (with no mention of arrest) and have had people come back and try to complain to my superiors that I "threatened to have them arrested." My superiors told the complainants that they needed to listen to me because they were sure I would have them arrested if they trespassed again.

Back to the Elephant Room incident, I fail to see the issue, other than "Apprising Ministries" doesn't have the opportunity to continue their ministry of false condemnation, but they do get to claim that they were "threatened with arrest" (at least by implication) because they were told that they could not attend.

It makes great propaganda.

 

If they are there to disrupt and/or misrepresent, not participate in good faith, then I think it is entirely appropriate to issue a trespass warning (which carries with it an implied threat of arrest).

Just because someone claims to be Christian does not make them one. The work of "Apprising Ministries" is full of misrepresentations, so I don't have any compelling reason to assume they are doing the business of Jesus Christ... at least, as His disciples.

I know very little about the "Elephant Room" meetings. I try to avoid comment on things I know very little about.

If they are embracing the so-called "health and wealth" seed faith gospel (sic), then they are in severe error.

I do not know if your assertions are correct, but if they are, then you are correct to condemn the affirmation of the so-called "prosperity preachers."

The strain of heresy comes from the New Thought movement as popularized by Phineas P. Quimby and extended to the the formation of Christian Science, Unity, the writings of E.W. Kenyon (which were allegedly plagiarized by Kenneth Hagin) and have extended through Oral Roberts, Robert Tilton, Creflo Dollar, etc.

 

You know, part of me says "if you're ignorant enough to follow the likes of TD Jakes, Paule White, et al....then you get what you deserve."

However, I'll be the first to admit that my opinion certainly lacks grace and concern. My sister, for instance, thinks Paula White hung the moon. And whenever she talks about how great Paula White is, I either bite my tongue or go somewhere to rage-vomit. I wish my sister knew little-o "orthodox" Christianity.