Because it always leads to arguments. See this thread, for example. Preacher's (admittedly, atypically subtle) preaching led to T8H3X11 showing up and... well, you can read.
(1) When I said Messianic Jews, I was speaking of Jews in recent years (that is, the *terminology* is of recent vintage) who converted to Christianity. And, just to be specific, they weren't integrated into the "Catholic" church (that is, the Roman Catholics), but rather the "catholic" (that is, the "universal") church. I say that as clarification because the Roman church per se didn't exist until hundreds of years after the original apostles & initial believers had died.
LOL! Good use of scripture, dude.
This is true, but there's one important fact you omitted: One's actions tend to be predicated on one's beliefs. This is especialy true when the topic is religion. The apostles could never have "turned the world upside down with their preaching" if they weren't preaching the gospel that Christ gave them; that was their belief, and so they acted on it, and with great power.
It sounds like we are talking about the same definitions. Apparently I need to clarify: What I'm saying is not numerically, but *categorically* true. I'm aware that RCC's alone are in excess of a billion population worldwide. What I'm talking about is this: If you take the *number* of different mainstream Christian denominations that there are (Orthodox/RCC/Protestant/Evangelical/etc.) and categorically put down what they think on this point, you would have the vast majority of the "categories" (=denominations) saying the same thing on that point: that salvation is thru Christ alone.
I know it's a hard teaching, but yes, the main thrust of what you said is the heart of the gospel message: All who believe will be saved (Romans 10:9-13) . Scripture makes quite clear that NONE of us is "good enough" to inherit the kingdom (see my earlier reference to Jeremiah; also various other places too numerous to mention in the NT). That's why we need a Savior, thus why Christ had to come in human flesh. As to your illustration, I point you to Luke 23:43: The thief alongside Christ had lived a life deserving of punishment, death, and hell. He was minutes/seconds away from same when he came to believe in the Messiah, and Christ assured him that he would be in heaven with Him. It's hard to imagine a more extreme real-life example. In fact, JC Himself gives a parable (Matthew 20:1-16, the "Parable of the workers in the vineyard") wherein the "rewards" of heaven (figuratively speaking) seem to be handed out in what strikes us as an unfair fashion. That right there should tell you that the standard is God's, not man's, and His standard is quite a bit different from ours. That's why you (and so many others) have trouble grasping this truth.
Finally, your conclusions are suspect, to say the least. It does not appear as you "respect" my opinion at all, in that you're vilifying and putting words/thoughts into my statements that just aren't there. You'll note that I'm not doing that with you, or anyone else. For someone who seems to be preaching tolerance, you're remarkably devoid of it yourself... Secondly, I never claimed to "own" the truth, whereas it seems you're making a pretty good bid to do so yourself. I can defend (and have) any & every point I've made from Scripture. It would be nice if you would at least *try* to do so, instead of citing merely human institutions. I speak in defense of the truth, which is why I bother responding to your posts at all, and I will gladly converse with anyone on these things, even if their views are different than mine.
No word play involved, mi amigo; the RCC is a "minority" (to use your term) because they are but one of many mainstream Christian denominations, therefore, only one of many Christian "belief systems" out there. If I failed to make that point clearly enough to you, I apologize. Hopefully it's clear now.
I'm well acquainted with the term "exegesis", but you don't seem too well-acquainted with the idea that it is not only the scholars within the sterile walls of academia who can exegete Scripture, but also "everyday" pastors and teachers of the Word. Being an academic per se doesn't automatically grant you greater powers of discernment & insight than the average mortal. The fact is, academia can even be a hindrance to same. Give me a well-educated and bright pastor in a pulpit who loves the Word, and has to slog thru the same fallen world as the rest of us than a dry academic any day, when it comes to how the Word is to be interpreted & applied to real life. I don't doubt that my views are 'at odds with the academic world' as a whole. But my concern is not (nor ever has been) what the academic world thinks of the Word. (After all, it's the "academic world" that gave us the 'Jesus seminar', wherein supposedly knowledgeable men proceed to tear down the Word in such minute detail that they'd have us believe that Christ didn't say but a small fraction of the things we all know He DID say... Sheesh!...). No, my passion is for how the pastors in the pulpits understand the Bible, and how they teach and model for us parishioners in the pews how the Word is to be applied in real life. And if any pastor says something that conflicts with what I know to be true of the Bible, I will question him, research it for myself, pray over the matter , and come to some conclusion as to whether I think he has a valid point or not.
You are right in saying it's a matter of faith. However, faith is not about blind trust. You must know what you believe in and why you believe that way (that is, what Scriptural backing there is for this position or that) for your faith to be solid. That's why Luke commended the Bereans in the book of Acts (see my prior reference); for investigating the Scriptures for themselves. It's only when you get to the point where you've studied all you can (& prayed about it, etc.) on the topic and STILL don't understand that you trust God for the rest that you don't understand. There is no shame in this, but still, you have to make an honest effort at finding your answers yourself first. That's why God gave man such a towering intellect as He did, and gave us the Scriptures in the first place. He knew we'd never be able to understand, on our own, ALL of what He gave us, but He wants us to use the gifts He gave us to honestly try to do so, and then He's there to answer whatsoever remaining questions we will no doubt have (only, in His own way, with His own timing).
Ironically, your argument *against* my statement about "letting other people do your thinking for you" does not, itself, hold water: Medical school is beyond the intellectual capacity (to say nothing of the tuition costs, etc.) of the average person. If this were not so, we'd have a lot more doctors running around out there. That is the very beauty of the Bible; it is written for all men whatsoever who want to learn about God and what He expects of us. It is within the grasp of the smallest literate child who can read, and at the same time millenia of earnest theologians and academics have come and gone and we are STILL only scratching the surface of unraveling its mysteries. I'm all for learning from the works of others, inasmuch as I have spent the time, money, and hard work of 7 years' schooling in becoming the Physician Assistant that I am. But lemme tell you something: All the double-blind, randomized metatrials about this drug or that therapy don't amount to a hill of beans until it has been demonstrated how those theoretical findings will work on REAL patients with REAL diseases. Likewise, academia also only goes so far when it comes to matters of theology and faith. It seems you would make it 'uber alles', when in fact it should only be a starting point. I don't dismiss academia's views as unimportant cuz they don't agree with mine. I only dismiss (anyone's) views when they don't square with the Gospel text itself, and/or my own experience & teachings I've received from equally gifted theologians I've sat at the feet of (some of whom, yes, were academics themselves, btw).
OK, um, exactly what post of yours (or portions thereof) did I ignore?... I'll gladly reply if you tell me what/where...
Um, what exactly is OSAS?.... Ya lost me there...
Sure, doing "the right thing" (generally speaking) is always the goal, and is a noble endeavor. And we are not to hate people or nations, we are only to hate their evil deeds. (The old saying "hate the sin, love the sinner" comes to mind here...). If you look in the Bible (mainly the Old Testament), none of Israels wars they fought were because of religion per se. God ordered them to slaughter this or that nation because their religious or cultural practices were an affront to God (sacrificing one's children in the fire, homosexuality, religious prostitution, etc.), and if they "peacefully coexisted" with said pagan nation, God knew that eventually those practices would creep into Israel, and they would be corrupted by them.
Sorry, you won't see me there, but it's not because I'm such a 'good person'. The fact is, I'm as depraved as anyone else out there (Unfortunately, I'm reminded of this fact almost daily...). The difference is, I am forgiven ("...because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." - 2 Timothy 1:12), and that's what makes all the difference, as I've been trying to point out to y'all. For what it's worth, though, I don't think keeping the seats warm will be a problem.
I'd say your friend is a bit too dogmatic and judgemental. It is not for the believer to say who will and who won't be going to hell, it's God's decision, and only God knows the inner heart of the person. What we believers are tasked with doing, though, is to point out the truth that He has revealed to us, and leave it up to the person themselves to decide. In short, God is the Judge, we are simply witnesses. In this case, it's not so much that the RCC/Anglicans believe whatever stuff they believe about Mary/the saints; the crucial issue is, *what* do they believe about Christ Himself?... Whatsoever *wrong* doctrines they may believe, if they have the role of Christ as Lord & Savior correct in their hearts, then that is the primary issue. God will sort out the secondary issues with the person in time. As to non-belief, it is the one and only sin that God cannot/will not forgive (spoken of in some translations as "blaspheming the Holy Spirit"; I can't locate the reference at the moment). It is important to understand what is meant by that statement. God can & will forgive ANY sin so long as the person repents of it, which is why the thief on the cross was able to enter paradise. Repent means to regret the sin and to "turn over a new leaf", so to speak. It doesn't matter (as with that thief) whether or not the person has much time left on this planet to live out that repentant lifestyle; the key thing is, in their heart, they have put it behind them & resolved to turn away from it, and have accepted Christ as both Lord and Savior. That's why (as with the thief on the cross), there is ALWAYS hope for anyone to be able to enter heaven, so long as they are still drawing breath in this sphere (I can't emphasize this enough!). Little wonder, then, that the original word "gospel" means "good news"!...
Not in the least. Paul sought to "become all things to all men" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) so as to win as many as possible to Christ. What this boils down to is to take from the culture/group you find yourself in, and find ways to use the things of that culture/group to point people to the true God. In this case, that meant taking the pagan festival days, and supplanting them, replacing them with appropriate Christian holidays. That's what has happened with Christmas/Easter/All Souls' day (the day AFTER Halloween).
Not to split hairs with ya, but there is no such thing as "God 'should' ". He is sovereign. The only thing He "should" do is to be consistent with His own character as revealed in the Scriptures, and He does that 24/7/365. He is not constrained to act in accordance with our expectations of Him. Rather, it is we who are constrained to act in accordance with His will, if we would know Him and love Him and have fellowship with Him.
You're welcome (for the part that I've played in this, anyway).
