America 1982-Chapter 481 - 89: What does the Cult Leader Look Like?_3
Seeing Nick’s troubled face, as if he was ready to throw a punch at any moment, Tommy bowed his head in contemplation. He then raised his head and retorted, "Only God can make me fear Him, but sadly, He has not descended here. And His followers left in this world are not worthy of our worship. I fear if I kneel down and stick my ass up, they might appear behind me all of a sudden. Do you concede? Those people possess the ability to teleport—one second they are in front of you with a holy face, the next second they’re already behind you, greasing up that thing."
"That’s not God’s fault," Nick managed to squeeze out after a long pause.
Even as a devout Protestant, he couldn’t find any excuse to defend those unconscionable pastors or bishops; those bastards all deserved to go to hell.
"Back to the initial question," Why should I ponder over these arcane and obtuse texts for a lesson preparation if the cult leader I am about to meet is just like me, earning his living off the Bible, devoid of any faith, greedy, ruthless and lecherous?"
Nick let out a stifled breath, "So, what does a cult leader look like?"
"Gary Duny, a high-school graduate from the Christian Mennonite Central Academy of Christ in Ohio, he went off to Moody Bible Institute for college, a fundamentalist haven where he majored in Bible Theology. For graduate school, he attended the evangelical Wheaton College, studying Greek manuscripts, and then, at the Presbyterian-controlled Princeton Theological Seminary in the United State America, he studied ancient Hebrew interpretation and earned his doctorate. He was a former professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, and a former chief interlinear editor for the American Bible Society. Much of the scripture held today in the hands of Christians, Jews, Samaritans, followers of the Abrahamic religions, and even Muslims, was compiled by him."
Tommy paused and rubbed his temples hard, "Now, he is the founder of the ’Path of Christ’s Second Coming’ church in Florida, a fringe Christian organization that is rejected by almost all mainstream denominations."
Nick was stunned for a few seconds, trying to process that long introduction, before asking somewhat incredulously, "It... or Gary Duny, what exactly did he do to be rejected by all the mainstream denominations?"
"Nothing much, a simple matter, he said..." Tommy paused for a few seconds, shook his head slightly with a hint of emotion, "’Hearken unto God’s Word, do what must be done.’"
Nick looked puzzled at Tommy, "That sounds like no problem at all. As a believer, naturally, one should heed God’s words and do what must be done."
Tommy replied, "To Dr. Gary Duny, if believers truly listened to God’s words, then all shepherds, popes, bishops, and priests of all the goddamn religions from Christianity to the Catholic Church should admit that the New Testament is a fake text, merely a tool they use to walk the earth in God’s name. Duny said the same as you did to me earlier—fear God, but those church big shots, they think if I make sense, then God is just a tool like Trojan, with no decision-making power. They call the shots."
Nick gasped, cold sweat breaking out on his back instantly. He couldn’t even dare to question the statement uttered by Tommy, because Gary Duny, a man who systematically studied Christian theology since high school and could serve as a chief editor at the American Bible Society, demonstrated an understanding of all Christian scriptures and history that surpassed all Christians in the world. He was an acknowledged interpreter of the Bible.
Or in other words, when the three major branches of Christianity disseminate their doctrine—whether it’s the patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Pope of the Catholic Church, or the archbishops and elders of various Protestant denominations—the versions of the Bible they use are likely compiled by this man. If he says that the New Testament is a forgery, it is surely an answer attained after countless verifications, one that is very likely true.
But the more frightening question was, why couldn’t those church higher-ups accept this reality and choose to cling to a lie?
As Tommy said, if they accepted it, the losses would be too great; the entire Christian system might become unstable and divided. But if they didn’t accept it, it meant those elites indeed used God as a tool for their own gains...
"I... stay away from me, Tommy. You scare me more than the cult leader right now. This is the first time I’ve talked to you a bit more and I’m about to start questioning my own faith... God~" Nick stepped back, exhaling heavily, somewhat irritably.
"I see your gaze flickering, you’re wavering, Nick," Tommy’s smile had a touch of mockery as he looked at Nick. "You’re a Protestant, right? If you were an Elder of the Presbyterian Church in the United State America, what would be your first reaction on receiving this news?"
"Kill him, otherwise..." Nick put himself in that situation momentarily. If he were a church elite and dropped the pretense, then this direct and brutal response was what he would give.
For all the Christian hierarchical elites, such a seasoned Christian scholar, if left alive, would be a huge menace.
"You won’t get the chance to become an Elder, Nick," Tommy chuckled. "Unless you want to see Gary Duny become the second Jesus. Otherwise, with his influence in the world of religion, you better not kill him."
Nick hesitated before speaking, "So..." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"They suspended his work in exegesis, granted him the qualifications for preaching, and let him go prove all this. Then they labeled him and the true doctrine he insisted on as heresy and planned to gradually destroy him through the hands of those ignorant believers," Tommy shrugged.
"Interesting, isn’t it? The world has no clue which sacred, crowned believers and which denounced heretics are the true faithful who fear God, and which ones ought to be exiled to hell. Just as many have recited the Bible for decades without being able to discern its authenticity."
Martin, who had been listening to the debate between Tommy and Nick, grabbed another can of beer, took a big gulp, and then provided a summary of the conversation:
"It’s just like those damn black slaves in Florida over a hundred years ago, who believed till death that the Bible told them blacks were born to be slaves to whites, not to fear hard work because upon death they’d enter heaven and feast on watermelons every damn day."
"I lack reverence for God," Tommy opened the first book.
"But I have profound respect for this cult leader. When I became aware of his organization’s existence, I wanted to understand him as much as possible, to be honest with him and not to dismiss him with oily rhetoric and sly arguments. This is the greatest respect I can offer him."
