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Not sure where you learned that from, but if you have from the Word of God, you have drifted from truth.
Give God and yourself a chance to reconcile the things which you consider to be inconsistencies through prayer and diligent study
You're not gonna believe me, but I got it at a Southern Baptist College--back in the old days when they taught real biblical studies rather than the Sunday School lessons you're relying upon.
It doesn't take faith to say "the bible says it, I believe it and that settles it." It just takes a failure to search constantly and consistently for truth. Fundamentalists are self-satisfied that they've found it, it isn't going to change, and they have an edge on everyone else. I know, I used to think like that.
But when you find God things are a bit different. Everything you've held dear is now hanging over the edge of the abyss. It's very difficult to take that leap of faith that says "I'm not going to hang on to anything that might keep me from being closer to the heart of the Almighty--nothing at all, not even the--(shall I whisper it?) B I B L E.
That's the stumbling block for you--the Bible. It has many fine testimonies in it by men of faith writing about the conviction of their faith. Some are very, very good. Some remain in the dark ages of lack of knowledge. Sorting the good from the bad--and sometimes even evil---is a lifelong task You will never reach a place where you are not seeking. If you think you've found it, go back to searching because it's still far off.
American Christianity as promulgated by fundamentalists has turned the nation into a complete disaster. It divides us not only by faith, but by politics, and has mired us in never ending black or white scenarios of good and evil. Looking at it logically, no one is completely good or completely bad. In my view even fundamentalists can serve as a bad example of Christianity for others. Look where it has taken us.
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This Christian nation also tends to make personal, as opposed to political, choices that the Bible would seem to frown upon.Despite the Sixth Commandment, we are, of course, the most violent rich nation on earth, with a murder rate four or five times that of our European peers. We have prison populations greater by a factor of six or seven than other rich nations (which at least should give us plenty of opportunity for visiting the prisoners). Having been told to turn the other cheek, we're the only Western democracy left that executes its citizens, mostly in those states where Christianity is theoretically strongest. Despite Jesus' strong declarations against divorce, our marriages break up at a rate - just over half - that compares poorly with the European Union's average of about four in ten. That average may be held down by the fact that Europeans marry less frequently, and by countries, like Italy, where divorce is difficult; still,
compare our success with, say, that of the godless Dutch, whose divorce rate is just over 37 percent. Teenage pregnancy? We're at the top of the charts. Personal self-discipline - like, say, keeping your weight under control? Buying on credit? Running government deficits? Do you need to ask? Are Americans hypocrites? Of course they are. But most people (me, for instance) are hypocrites. The more troubling explanation for this disconnect between belief and action, I think, is that most Americans - which means most believers - have replaced the Christianity of the Bible, with its call for deep sharing and personal sacrifice, with a competing creed.
In fact, there may be several competing creeds. For many Christians, deciphering a few passages of the Bible to figure out the schedule for the End Times has become a central task. You can log on to RaptureReady.com for a taste of how some of these believers view the world - at this writing the Rapture Index had declined three points to 152 because, despite an increase in the number of U.S. pagans, "Wal-Mart is falling behind in its plan to bar code all products with radio tags." Other End-Timers are more interested in forcing the issue - they're convinced that the way to coax the Lord back to earth is to "Christianize" our nation and then the world. Consider House Majority Leader Tom De-Lay. At church one day he listened as the pastor, urging his flock to support the administration, declared that "the war between America and Iraq is the gateway to the Apocalypse." DeLay rose to speak, not only to the congregation but to 225 Christian TV and radio stations. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "what has been spoken here tonight is the. truth of God." ------ The power of the Christian right rests largely in the fact that they boldly claim religious authority, and by their very boldness convince the rest of us that they must know what they're talking about. They're like the guy who gives you directions with such loud confidence that you drive on even though the road appears to be turning into a faint, rutted track. But their theology is appealing for another reason too: it coincides with what we want to believe. How nice it would be if Jesus had declared that our income was ours to keep, instead of insisting that we had to share. How satisfying it would be if we were supposed to hate our enemies. Religious conservatives will always have a comparatively easy sell.
But straight is the path and narrow is the way. The gospel is too radical for any culture larger than the Amish to ever come close to realizing; in demanding a departure from selfishness it conflicts with all our current desires. Even the first time around, judging by the reaction, the Gospels were pretty unwelcome news to an awful lot of people. There is not going to be a modern-day return to the church of the early believers, holding all things in common - that's not what I'm talking about. Taking seriously the actual message of Jesus, though, should serve at least to moderate the greed and violence that mark this culture. It's hard to imagine a con much more audacious than making Christ the front man for a program of tax cuts for the rich or war in Iraq. If some modest part of the 85 percent of us who are Christians woke up to that fact, then the world might change.
Bill McKibben, a scholar-in-residence at Middlebury College
This is The Christian Paradox, a feature, originally from August 2005, published Wednesday, July 27, 2005. It is part of Features, which is part of Harpers.org.
Living for Jesus isn't about understanding the end times. It's about serving others in the current times. I'm not sure how anyone can even call themselves a Christian and not interpret every single word of Scripture in light of what they know Jesus said and did. Instead, they interpret what Jesus said and did in light of what other men wrote about Him. Kind of a backwards religion--mostly dominated by Paul who is far more frequently quoted on this forum than Jesus.
Not sure where you learned that from, but if you have from the Word of God, you have drifted from truth.
Give God and yourself a chance to reconcile the things which you consider to be inconsistencies through prayer and diligent study
I believe that Jesus Himself gave the best instruction for discerning true Biblical doctrine in John 7:[17] If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
If you and I were to disagree on a particular matter of doctrine, if we both beg the Lord to show each of us anywhere in our life that we are not doing His will, and we confess our carelessness, I beiieve HE SHALL SHOW US OF THE DOCTRINE WHETHER IT IS OF GOD.
I believe that we must be obedient to the words of our Savior (If ye love me, keep my commandments) - John 14:15 - and endure to the end to inherit eternal life. See Matt.10:22] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
I believe that we must be obedient to the words of our Savior (If ye love me, keep my commandments) - John 14:15 - and endure to the end to inherit eternal life. See Matt.10:22] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Living for Jesus isn't about understanding the end times. It's about serving others in the current times. I'm not sure how anyone can even call themselves a Christian and not interpret every single word of Scripture in light of what they know Jesus said and did. Instead, they interpret what Jesus said and did in light of what other men wrote about Him. Kind of a backwards religion--mostly dominated by Paul who is far more frequently quoted on this forum than Jesus.
Yes and no. We are certainly to be about God's work, but in Luke 21, Jesus tells us about the end times and what to watch for.
You're not gonna believe me, but I got it at a Southern Baptist College--back in the old days when they taught real biblical studies rather than the Sunday School lessons you're relying upon.
It doesn't take faith to say "the bible says it, I believe it and that settles it." It just takes a failure to search constantly and consistently for truth. Fundamentalists are self-satisfied that they've found it, it isn't going to change, and they have an edge on everyone else. I know, I used to think like that.
But when you find God things are a bit different. Everything you've held dear is now hanging over the edge of the abyss. It's very difficult to take that leap of faith that says "I'm not going to hang on to anything that might keep me from being closer to the heart of the Almighty--nothing at all, not even the--(shall I whisper it?) B I B L E.
That's the stumbling block for you--the Bible. It has many fine testimonies in it by men of faith writing about the conviction of their faith. Some are very, very good. Some remain in the dark ages of lack of knowledge. Sorting the good from the bad--and sometimes even evil---is a lifelong task You will never reach a place where you are not seeking. If you think you've found it, go back to searching because it's still far off.
American Christianity as promulgated by fundamentalists has turned the nation into a complete disaster. It divides us not only by faith, but by politics, and has mired us in never ending black or white scenarios of good and evil. Looking at it logically, no one is completely good or completely bad. In my view even fundamentalists can serve as a bad example of Christianity for others. Look where it has taken us.
Bill McKibben, a scholar-in-residence at Middlebury College
This is The Christian Paradox, a feature, originally from August 2005, published Wednesday, July 27, 2005. It is part of Features, which is part of Harpers.org.
Living for Jesus isn't about understanding the end times. It's about serving others in the current times. I'm not sure how anyone can even call themselves a Christian and not interpret every single word of Scripture in light of what they know Jesus said and did. Instead, they interpret what Jesus said and did in light of what other men wrote about Him. Kind of a backwards religion--mostly dominated by Paul who is far more frequently quoted on this forum than Jesus.
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Originally Posted by DewDropInn
Amen, Warden. Let the word go forth!
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Originally Posted by nateswift
Indeed Warden has come up with a jewel there, and I think there should be a shout out to Bill McKibbon, whom Warden was quoting.
Chiming in to the Amen Corner! I take a theology course put out by the Episcopal Church and this week's reading was pretty much on that same track.
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Christians who can't think for themselves
