"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." - Galatians 1:11-12
In 1968, Paul Erdmann, a former television salesman from California, moved to Seattle. The Love Family began in October 1968 as a communal household on Queen Anne Hill, Seattle, with their charter being written in 1971. Shortly after its founding, Erdmann renamed himself Love Israel; many of his followers adopted the "Israel" surname and biblical or virtue first names.
The group practiced meditation with the use of hallucinogenics and believed that life was eternal and all people were one. Because life was 'eternal', the group did not observe birthdays or perform marriages. They placed personal revelation above traditional doctrine. The group was committed to living in the present to the point that they avoided making appointments or incurring debt.
Additional prohibitions include smoking, owning clocks, mirrors, or watches, and reading books or magazines other than the Bible. The group did not use driver's licenses and was predominantly vegetarian.
"Love Israel" is a play on one of the fundamental affirmations of the group, "Love is real". Equally important to the remaining members are three other commonly used affirmations: "We are one", "Love is the answer", and "Now is the time".
Man continues to make up his own false religions. Today, in prayer, thank Jesus for revealing Himself to you through the Gospel.
"The true message of good news, that salvation from sin can be found in the sacrificial death of Christ through faith alone, is not a man-made message. It is at once too simple and too magnificent for man's wisdom. It is a transcendent message, a message from beyond our mortal limitations. It is a message from God." - Guy Caley
God's Word: "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." - 2 Peter 2:1-2