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It was the one true religion. The evidence is everywhere, to those on the inside — scriptural.
Members worship in homes — Acts 17:24. The "workers," or ministers, give up their possessions and work in pairs (Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1.) The church had no physical infrastructure, no declared holdings, no property; and no literature except the Bible. The church had "no name" — amongst outsiders. "The truth" is the name amongst "the friends" but is not treated as if it's the name.
There are a few rituals involved, all derived from the Bible. Bread and "wine" (grape juice) as sacraments; baptism in water.... Overall, the doctrines and practices of the group are minimalistic. They're based on the Bible, considered the Word of God.
The only literature additional to the Bible have been a hymn book and such small printouts as for coordinating Wednesday-night Bible study topics. Beside these, the church prints no material.
A lack of printed information was ultimately a lynchpin — central mystery, and the real power source behind the subversively oppressive religion. There was, to be brief, a lost founder — an originator whose memory had been suppressed, neglected, forgotten.*
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* "God ... dwelleth not in temples made with hands." — Acts 17:24
↑ Return to "met in homes" ...
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* The instructions of Jesus throughout the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke prohibit individual ownership of money and goods by those preaching his message.
↑ Return to "gave up their possessions" ...
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* "... be admonished: of making many books there is no end...." — Ecclesiastes 12:12
↑ Return to "no literature except the Bible" ...
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*I needed another decade (from mid-90's to mid-00's) to more properly disbelieve the whole underpinning of Christianity — the Holy Bible and indeed the existence of Jesus.
↑ Return to "truly disbelieve" ...
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