Literature By SubjectWednesday, April 07, 2010
Statement Regarding Michigan Militia
WADSWORTH, Ohio – April 7, 2010 – The Restored Church of God’s (RCG) flagship magazine, The Real Truth, recently received unwelcome publicity due to a Michigan-based militia linking to The Real Truth website as a news source on its own site.
An organization has almost no control over where and in what context links to their website appear. One organization linking to another’s website is not grounds to assume the two are affiliated, or share any objectives. Some will draw connections anyway.
Regrettably, some have fostered the impression that The Real Truth is affiliated with a dangerous militia group, or advocates violence. Even a cursory sampling of Real Truth articles or a perusal of RCG’s website demonstrate that this is a gross mischaracterization of The Restored Church of God and The Real Truth.
We are posting this message to set the record straight and explicitly disavow any connection between RCG and any “right-wing” militia groups. We do not, and would never, have anything to do with such “entities.”
Here are just a few of the many areas in which The Restored Church of God’s position is diametrically opposed to that of right-wing militias:
- RCG teaches and practices non-violence, unequivocally, continuing a track record of centuries of pacifism in the Church of God (Luke 3:14, John 18:36). Its members are strict conscientious objectors and are not employed in careers that require use of physical force to subdue others. (Our booklet War, Killing and the Military provides further details.)
- The Restored Church of God and its publications are politically neutral. Its writers and members are neither for nor against Democrats or Republicans. Neither are we politically “Independent.” RCG does not endorse or oppose candidates for any public office. Again, we hold no political positions.
- RCG does not endorse opposition to the American government or any other government. Rather, in keeping with clear statements in the New Testament, RCG believes that people should submit to government authority and strive to conduct themselves as upright, productive citizens of their nations of residence (Mark 12:17; Romans 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-17). According to Church doctrine, RCG members pay their taxes and obey local, state and national laws. They do not participate in protests or demonstrations for or against anything, including even non-violent ones—or any form of “civil disobedience.” (For more information, please see Should Christians Submit to Government Authority?)
- RCG is neither a “Fundamentalist” nor “Evangelical” church. The Restored Church of God is non-proselytizing and non-denominational, and not affiliated with any other group. We do not actively solicit funding, and our materials are offered free of charge in the public interest.
Again, we explicitly disavow any connection with the Michigan militia and the militia movement generally.
To learn more about The Restored Church of God, please read Here Is The Restored Church of God.
About The Restored Church of God
The Restored Church of God (RCG) announces a message of hope—the good news of the coming kingdom of God—to all nations. Headquartered in Wadsworth, Ohio, the Church distributes millions of items free of charge each year, in six languages. RCG has congregations in more than 50 countries spread across six continents.