So what are you saying then? That relying on the Holy Spirit leads to that sort of behavior?
What does the Catholic church rely on? What did IT rely on during the Inquisition?
“So what are you saying then? That relying on the Holy Spirit leads to that sort of behavior?”
Not necessarily, but as a method for establishing doctrine, it leaves the door open to to subjective error, or willful fraud. Clearly it did in the case cited (Reverend Jim Jones). Many false preachers or hucksters have made such claims.
I am saying that doctrines (interpretation) need to be objectively assessed against a consistent moral standard, and thoroughly analyzed intellectually.
Doctrine and practice are somewhat different, like the letter vs. the spirit of the law. Establishing doctrine requires great cautiousness to guard from error. In practice there is huge value to having absolute faith.
That is the big reason that I kind of regret getting into this whole thread - I don’t want to undermine anyone’s faith in their dogma (e.g. fundamentalism), if it is being helpful to them. I know that it is greatly helpful to many, and have met fine people who live holy lives as a result of their fundamentalist understanding of scripture.
I got caught up in highlighting the potential downsides of fundamentalism (closed-mindedness, bigotry, irrationality, cementing errors in interpretation), in defense of good religious people who practice with a brown scapula, or are moved to a relationship with Mary. Such views and practices comfort and strengthen many, and are helpful to them.