Christian Countercult Website Profiles
Resource
Statement of Faith Statement of Purpose Religious Groups Considered History Discussion
Name: Resource: An Information-Based Site Concerning: International Churches of Christ
Group or Owners: J. Ruhland
Education: Unknown
Position: Contact person on website
Date started: Unknown
Last accessed: October 15, 2000
Total hits on frontpage: Unknown
Religious Affiliation: Unknown
501(c)3: Unknown
Location: Unknown.
The separate linked "Statement of Faith" is evangelical/fundamentalist in nature, holding to a "complete, inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God," "as it was originally written." The substitutionary atonement of Jesus is the only basis on which salvation may be attained. "Resource" considers as essential to the "orthodox Christian faith" belief in: "the virgin birth, incarnation, bodily resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ." As well, the operators look for a visible Second Coming, a resurrection of the living and the dead, and a final reward for believers and punishment for unbelievers.
"Resource" also includes a separately linked "Statement of Purpose":
"RESOURCE is an online ministry devoted to providing information about off and online resources which examine the International Churches of Christ (A.K.A. ICC, ICOC, Boston Church of Christ, Boston Movement), and other cultic organizations. Materials representing theological, sociological, and behavioral perspectives are included. Also provided are references on identifying cults, recovering from cult involvement and/or spiritual abuse, and helping former members, and families and friends of individuals affected by cult membership."
While the site is aimed primarily at the International Churches of Christ (the Boston Movement), there are link pages to other countercult and anticult resources which are not specifically related to the ICC.
Unknown. Data requested from site operator, but nothing furnished to this point.
Aside from the statements of faith and purpose, RESOURCE is primarily a layered set of link pages. There is almost no original content on the site; it functions more as a clearinghouse for others' work. It does not appear to have been regularly updated; the "Announcements" link lists two events from November 1998. There are a number of links to resources for former ICC members, including a ex-members registry ("A safe way for former members to register, search, and locate old friends."); an ex-members email list (which does not exist); and a webring (Dance-Away) for sites published by former ICC members.
On the list of resources for other "cults," the site operator has included a link from a counter-2x2 site which details "What Religious Cults Have in Common." The first of these is that "Their way is the only way. A 'we alone are right' mentality." Like so many countercultists, the obvious paradox here simply escapes them.
RESOURCE makes the attempt to appear a serious information service on a sometimes very controversial religious movement. For example, on the page of "Links Related to the International Church of Christ," there is a section labelled "Sociological Perspectives," containing two links. One is listed as "Justin Cooke's Sociology Page on the International Churches of Christ"; this is a link, however, to Jeffrey K. Hadden's Religious Movements Homepage project at the University of Virginia. Cooke's page was prepared as part of a class project in the sociology of new religious movements. The second link is to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ph.D. candidate's bibliography of ICC resources.
The site also epitomizes one of the major problems with the countercult web presence. Because there is no information provided about who the site operator's are, where they are, or their background, there is no basis on which to make an assessment of their qualifications for countercult ministry and, consequently, the seriousness with which their information ought to be taken.
Douglas E. Cowan, Ph.D.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City
Copyright © 2000 Douglas E. Cowan