The spiritual decay of the Christian church over the last 2000 years and the evidences of it. (Gospel, Lutheran)
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Well, i want to start a thread about how the Church has decayed and become corrupted over the past 2000 years. From the death of Christ all the way up to about the end of the 5th century the teachings of the church were much different than they are now.
In the days of the early church, the center of the Christian world was Alexandria. The apostle Mark had settled there and established an ecclesiastical community. However, Alexandria is said to have burned on three separate occasions. Once in the first century by accident because of Julius Caesar according to legend, once more in the 2nd century by order of the Roman emperor Lucius Domitius Aurelian i, yet again in the 3rd century under the Roman emperor Theodosius I, and finally one last time by Muslims under the caliph Umar I, 581?-644 ... At the time of the Burning of Alexandria in the second and third centuries, the center of the Christian world moved to Rome. It was then that the Constantine legalized Christianity and eventually it was declared the state religion by Emperor Theodosius I.
This is the moment when everything began to change. Slowly but surely the message of the gospel was changed as orthodox doctrine was established and made law. It was during the 4th and 5th century that the teachings of eternal damnation and heavenly rewards upon death for the believer came to be the creed of both church and state. It wasn't untill the sixth century that eternal damnation became orthodoxy fully and all other interpretations of scripture concerning reward and penalty of humanity after death where finally made heterodoxy ... Following this turn of events, the dark ages took control of the Christian world. Secular education was outlawed, and only members of the clergy were allowed to learn to read and write. Books were being burned left and right by Christian leaders, which had been an acceptable practice in the Christian world since the end of the third century. From 600 ad to about 1100 or 1200 ad the western world was plunged into hell on earth. The technological developments of the Romans and Greeks were being destroyed, the sciences and the arts, philosophy and the poets, were all made illegal.
Following this were the inquisitions which had already started in the anathematizing of Origen of Alexandria, and the malice and hate for unorthodox teachings came to a head in the mass murder of millions of people in the name of God. At the closing of the dark ages came the crusades, which again caused the death of so many humans in the name of God. Holy wars, supposedly based on the gospel of Christ, who himself taught to turn the cheek. It wasn't until the reformation that things started actually looking up for the western world.
Considering the events which have transpired over the past 2000 years, It should be relevant to believers the doctrines that came about in the church which caused the slow decay of Christian morals and the love of Christ within the Christian communities resulting in these Christian Crimes against humanity. I contend here that above all, the doctrine of eternal Damnation was one of the most instigating factors which compelled "Christians" to murder and torture countless human lives, and to destroy civilization in order to control the masses. The Lutheran reform was only the beginning of the healing of the Church from the malady which had beset it early on. Let us not stop there, let us tare down the false religion of the orthodox and fundamentalist religions which have come to dominate the world. Let us finish what Martin Luther started, and tare down the walls of hate and fear, and let us return to the joy and love and hope of the true message of the good news of Christ. This is my exhortation to those who have ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.
LOL...Sorry I have to laugh. This is like visiting my Muslim father-in -aw as he pulls out the history books to show me how Christianity has ruined the world and helped enslave my people in early American history.
There are many things that has led to the spiritual decay of the church but the main culprit is a low view of God and His word writing such nonsense of "The Shack" or silly sermons of "sex God"
LOL...Sorry I have to laugh. This is like visiting my Muslim father in law as he pulls out the history books to show me how Christianity has ruined the world and helped enslave my people in early American history.
There are many things that has led to the spiritual decay of the church but the main culprit is a low view of God and His word writing such nonsense of "The Shack" or silly sermons of "sex God"
How lower can a view of God be than for a man to actually believe He tortures His very own creation ?
LOL...Sorry I have to laugh. This is like visiting my Muslim father in law as he pulls out the history books to show me how Christianity has ruined the world and helped enslave my people in early American history.
There are many things that has led to the spiritual decay of the church but the main culprit is a low view of God and His word writing such nonsense of "The Shack" or silly sermons of "sex God"
Ah ... Fundamentalist. I should have known you would be the first to bite.
Let me ask you a question. Lets see if you can give me a direct answer. Seeing that the predominant view of the early church concerning salvation was UR, and it wasn't until the 6th century that ET was made the orthodox belief, which doctrine do you think to be more responsible for the inquisition and the dark ages? Do you believe the doctrine of universal reconciliation would lead to such things? or the doctrine of Eternal Torture?
Ah ... Fundamentalist. I should have known you would be the first to bite.
Let me ask you a question. Lets see if you can give me a direct answer. Seeing that the predominant view of the early church concerning salvation was UR, and it wasn't until the 6th century that ET was made the orthodox belief, which doctrine do you think to be more responsible for the inquisition and the dark ages? Do you believe the doctrine of universal reconciliation would lead to such things? or the doctrine of Eternal Torture?
Neither...sin caused that regardless if a true Christian believed either, or added to that the culture at the time. It was a rough period and there were many goats in churches who had no fear of God, no love only wanted to control with pharisee like pride. You may have a case dealing with eternal torment I don't know but to base all problems on the hell doctrine is just unfair, beyond bias and totally unfounded.
My early church fathers started with the Reformations and the many men who died to take God's word from the Roman Catholic church and give it back to the people. The Martin Luther, William Tyndale and company.....did much and for the sake of telling the truth even if it meant it would cost them their lives
Neither...sin caused that regardless if a true Christian believed either, or added to that the culture at the time. It was a rough period and there were many goats in churches who had no fear of God, no love only wanted to control with pharisee like pride. You may have a case dealing with eternal torment I don't know but to base all problems on the hell doctrine is just unfair, beyond bias and totally unfounded.
My early church fathers started with the Reformations and the many men who died to take God's word from the Roman Catholic church and give it back to the people. The Martin Luther, William Tyndale and company.....did much and for the sake of telling the truth even if it meant it would cost them their lives
Fundamentalist. Neither is not a direct answer. I asked which one is more likely to cause physical earthly murder and torture?
If a person believes God is going to torture a soul for all eternity if they dont confess and repent, doesn't it behoove that person to torture someone on earth before they die, in order to get them to confess and repent so that they will not suffer torture for eternity?
On the other hand, if you believe God will eventually reconcile all men, then wouldn't torturing someone to get them to confess be pointless in the long run since God has already worked it out how they will eventually come to salvation?
The Shack? Why do you have a problem with The Shack? Yea Luther was definitely a cool guy though. Too bad he couldn't fight from the inside, I know he tried, but, well it's just a pity. I don't think he would have left if he knew all the hate that we would spew at each other from the split. I suppose he just couldn't take it anymore.
If a person believes God is going to torture a soul for all eternity if they dont confess and repent, doesn't it behoove that person to torture someone on earth before they die, in order to get them to confess and repent so that they will not suffer torture for eternity?
It's my answer. It's irrelevant if you don't like how I answered your loaded question. You got to be kidding. Do you know what repentance is, a true Christian would. Any person who thinks that does not have a clue on what is true repentance
Now excuse me as I go home and torture my family members who are unbelievers.
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