| | see ill-legalism dot com1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. -Galatians 5:1 Ill-legalism.com addresses issues of theology, hermeneutics, attitudes, lifestyle, and relationship surrounding Christian legalism and fundamentalism. It provides support for recovering legalists. Ill-legalism is not anti-fundamentalist. It exists partly to address problems within fundamentalism, and problems with some of the reactions to fundamentalism. | 
Stern Man in hat
© 1992-2005 Valerie C. Hamill Cohen | | |
Rick Presley | Rick Presley, a former bi-vocational pastor, is currently an instructional designer with a major not-for-profit international humanitarian organization. Some of the experiences that have shaped his life include five years of teaching biology in a Christian school, serving as a technical consultant and laboratory technician in the chemical industry and church planting in the Columbus, Ohio area. Rick currently resides in the rural exurbs of Columbus with his wife Candy, five children and varying numbers of cats, dogs, fish, pollywogs, turtles, snakes and whatever else the kids catch and bring home.Rick was raised in an independent Calvinistic Landmark Baptist church. |
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Rachel Ramer | Rachel Ramer is a freelance writer whose articles and stories have appeared in several publications. She is also currently a writing instructor for junior and senior high school students. Rachel educated her children at home for eight years and, prior to that, spent seven years working for an organization that provides direct care services for the mentally handicapped. She lives in the country in eastern Indiana with her husband, Curtis, and their three boys. Rachel grew up in a conservative branch of the Mennonite Church. While their backgrounds were different, many of the legalistic and fundamentalist dynamics were experienced by both Rick and Rachel. |
| | Pastor Gamaliel, the spiritual leader of the First Pharisee Church, is widely respected in the Pharisee denomination for his outspoken, hard-hitting commentaries on what is wrong with society at large and Christianity in particular. A graduate of Grace Pharisee Bible College, pastor Gamaliel has been involved in pursuing spiritual excellence his entire ministerial career. While his congregation, and indeed his denomination, is small, thanks to the power of the Internet, Gamaliel’s discourses, diatribes and disputes can be read by all those in need of spiritual direction. Eschewing political correctness and promoting candor and confrontation, Gamaliel dispenses sage wisdom for anyone who wants to know exactly what it takes to be a spiritual Christian. For all others too weak or carnal to pursue the disciplined life of a dedicated disciple of legalistic (see Legalism) conformity to external standards of conduct, Gamaliel serves as a warning."Even though I was raised in a Pharisee church by Pharisee parents, graduated from a Pharisee Christian school, went to a Pharisee Bible College and have only attended Pharisee churches all my life, my beliefs are not influenced one bit by my upbringing or culture. They are strictly a product of sound Biblical exegesis and applied study. This is because "no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" and Pharisee churches take a high view of the Bible. While our beliefs may be unique to the Pharisee church, it is because we are the only ones who rightly divide the Word of Truth. How do I know this to be true? It is because I only study Pharisee theologians and read Pharisee commentators." A few comments by Pastor Gamaliel, when posed with the question, "How merciful are you?"- I thank God every day that I am not in the sorry state as all those poor lost sinners and trust that God in all his holy justice will treat them as they deserve.
- I say, “But for the grace of God, there go I,” and feel genuinely sorry that they have not been as mercifully saved by God.
- I earnestly pray for those who are more unfortunate that I am and wish someone would do something to help the plight of those poor, suffering people.
- I give them what they need from what I have whether they need food, clothing or shelter.
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