In 1973 when the late Don C. Marler was yet a member of the United Pentecostal Church, he wrote the book Imprisoned in the Brotherhood. I had never heard of him or the book for many years after leaving the UPCI and finally read it in early 2006. At the time, the book was difficult to find. It’s a small hardback, consisting of 62 pages and was reissued in Kindle and paperback formats in 2016 after his death. (The formatting on the newer versions is problematic and the footnotes are messed up.)
Don Marler was born in Lousiana and grew up in the UPCI and his brother O.C. Marler is one of their licensed ministers. Don was a district director of the Harris County (Texas) Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority. Besides Imprisoned, Marler authored several historical books as well as ones on genealogy. At some point he stopped attending any church and was no longer a Christian.
Parts of his book were interesting and good, while other parts I disliked. He speaks about several difficulties in fundamental churches, such as views on education, depression, racism, and sexuality.
In the introduction of Imprisoned, he shares about the pursuit of truth and how it can feel like the person is on shaky ground when they start this journey. Many people who are involved in unhealthy churches get caught up in religion. When one starts to question if what their church teaches is true or not, it shakes this religious foundation. Let me quote from Don’s introduction.
| When one moves full tilt into pursuit of truth, he may find that the ground becomes shaky and his resolve to pursue truth wherever she might lead becomes tenuous. One learns that security based upon ignorance, prejudice, illusions, misinformation and blind tradition is a false security indeed. Old guideposts can no longer be relied upon. The prospect of seeking truth and following it fully then is often frightening. Not everyone can face it; some decide to keep their heads in the sand. The illusion of security is more tempting than the fearful journey into the unknown. Some individuals believe that pursuing truth wherever she leads is dangerous because it destroys or weakens belief and faith. Beliefs should be open to change and one would hope that truth should prevail over mere beliefs. Faith, of course, is different from beliefs and should be strengthened by truth. Does it not require faith to seek truth?
A prerequisite for pursuing truth is the ability to be open and honest with self and the ability to recognize and accept that one doesn’t possess all truth. Another is the ability and courage to assume individual responsibility for one’s search and for the conclusion one reaches. The alternative to individual interpretation and definition of truth is an institutional definition and interpretation. Since life, religion and spirituality are individual matters, it follows the truth pertaining to them is primarily an individual matter. Therefore, the conclusions, ideas and thoughts expressed in this book are my responsibility. I am a member of the United Pentecostal Church and am more familiar with it than with other churches. Many of the comments made herein are a result of participation in and observation of that church. After having lived and worked for most of my life in the South (the so-called Bible Belt) I have concluded that those of fundamentalist belief are more alike than they are different. The book, then, is directed to all fundamentalists specifically and to all Christians generally. The intent of this book is to be challenging, critical and questioning. Although this is a book of various issues and observations, its central theme is that we have imprisoned ourselves and each other in a religious system. The major purpose of this book is to help us see more clearly how this is done. Only after we see this imprisonment clearly can we decide whether we want to keep it this way or to change it. Only then can we decide whether we want to be free or not. |
Here are some questions to ponder:
Why does the ground feel shaky when we start to question church teachings, whatever they may be?
Have you seen ones who have started to question and then pull back because it is too upsetting to them?
Is there a false security?
What about individual responsibility? Or is it easier to ‘go with the flow’ and remain entrenched in religion?
It’s easy to have it all laid out for you. You do this, this and this, avoid that and the other, and you’ll be pleasing to God. There’s a sense of security that can come by following and checking off such a list, but it is actually a false sense of security.
Think of the Pharisees. They had their lengthy detailed list of rules to follow and some of it was actually scriptural. But then somewhere along the way, the list became the focus and that list grew so one could better keep the things in the list. They felt very secure in it. And yet it wasn’t real security. Jesus showed their hearts were far from God and they were in danger of being lost. Yet all the while they felt quite saved. Children of Abraham. Keepers of the law.
I love how one person I know responded to the question about pulling back after starting to question:
| I did it many times during the years I was in the UPC.
It’s like being in a boat and standing up and trying to put your foot on shore. The boat starts rocking wildly and you are not sure if its the boat or the ground that is moving. And you are afraid you are going to fall so then you just sit back down in the boat, and the boat stops wobbling and you feel safe. But there is something about the shore that draws you. The grass looks so soft and cool. You see flowers in the distance and trees. You have to try again, but when you stand up, the boat starts rocking again and everyone in the boat with you gets upset with you for rocking the boat. They tell you the ground is really quick sand and if you step on it you will sink into it and be lost forever. And what if other people follow you and they sink too? So you sit back down. But as much as you try to be content, and fit in and just go with the flow of things, you know it will never be the same. You were too close to stepping onto the shore. You were close enough to smell the flowers and hear the laughter of people in the distance. So you try again. This time you are able to step onto shore, but you hold onto the side of the boat, just in case. Then you get nervous and get back into the boat. But now everyone moves to the other side and will not speak to you or look you in the eye. Now you feel sad because you know you can’t stay. While you were standing on the shore, you looked at the outside of the boat and saw the words written on it…’False Security’. It’s strange but from inside the boat, you couldn’t see those words. You were always told the boat was the only true, secure thing. |
There is indeed a false sense of safety in never questioning or looking into what a church is teaching. The boat isn’t rocked, everything feels familiar and you know what to expect. But if that truth is actually error being taught, then that nice sense of security is false. It is an illusion.
That’s really something to think about.
Excellent article.