MOST OF US GREW UP WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ORGANIZED RELIGION WAS THE NORMAL, correct and proper expression of God's interaction with humanity. However, suppose that this is not the case. Just for a moment, let's think about what the implications are of the possibility that the church organizations of the world got it wrong. Was it ever God's intention that we should deal with Him on a corporate or mass level? Is it the Lord's wish that we deal with Him through agents or intermediaries? Certainly the case can be made for the Jewish tradition as described in the Old Testament for God's dealing with a group of people. Yet we go quite far wrong if we try to apply the directions of the temple worship to any group other than the one it was divinely given to.

The organizational Christian churches have done a great deal of harm to the beauty of the Christian message. This harm was not done intentionally but this fact does not minimize the injury. Organized religion has strayed from the original biblical Christian message in an attempt to gain position, power and status for itself. This is a serious charge and we should never consider accepting such an allegation without substantial proof. In this book we will look at the proof of these charges from the Bible as well as examining the proper role of organizational religion in the Christian experience.

In making these charges it is not being claimed that church organizations have no place in people's living or that they have nothing positive to contribute to people's faith experience. This book is a call for the religious organizations of the Christian community to assume their proper place in the plan of God and end their rebellion against the Father. This is a change that requires action on both the organizations' part and on the part of the individual members of the Christian community. It is no overstatement to say that the entire world will benefit from this change in the order of things.