Re: Children are safer in drag queen story hours than in church
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2022 11:23 am
What a lot of stuff! Great! People are free to believe as they wish. I believe Christ and the scriptures. Which doesn't mean I know all answers. [And of course I subscribe to the idea that God can do as He wishes except where it is contrary to His entire character and being - so, lying is out and so on]
I do believe that a person can accept Christ up to the moment of earthly death. After that, too late. It's what the Bible says. (See the Rich man and Lazarus)(not the alive/dead/alive again Lazarus).
"Heresy" was a creation of the early church (4th-6th century) as it struggled to define what the commonly held and acceptable beliefs and teachings were. I have some sympathy for the Adoptionist idea and Arianism; Athanasius isn't quite as convincing in argument. Of course, the biggest heresy was the protestant Reformation, which despite its fissiparous nature argues a lot but doesn't insist on "heresy" as such. (Though in some strange people you'd almost think it did - an insistence on a 6-day creation often accompanies horror when another Christian accepts evolution - the gradual development part, not the rest).
The Reformed churches do reject universal salvation (one of the heresies from the old days) since that is contrary to scripture and all that Jesus stuff. Christianity teaches that no one is "good enough" but that God loves all unconditionally and offers salvation to all. However, salvation is conditional upon believing that God saves us through Christ. Relying on sufficient good works is useless. There's a free choice*. Those who reject Jesus are not "Christians" but something else. A sect perhaps. Like Mormons or something.
I believe in Evil, though the voice of Satan sounds remarkably like my own. I don't believe the devil can make anyone do anything - it's listening to temptation and giving in to it. And that seems to be the point. My choice again. Satan doesn't bother with non-believers - they are his already. I haven't scoured every corner of the earth sufficiently to say that there are no demons. Other than R. Dawkins (just a joke - relax)
But of course, one can reject all the bits one doesn't like and make up other stuff that's more acceptable, and still call oneself a Christian or any other name. Its a free world; there's not a law (nor should there be). Mind you, it seems logical that "I'm good enough for any god" is more arrogant than believing that I'm not good enough and I need help (Jesus).
Believing in "the universe" is er . . .well, I'm not sure what it means. I think we all believe we are in the universe, no?
*barring some Calvinists of course
. I think that's not quite right. The point is that God offers the same salvation to all who accept it, no matter when. Those who accepted the offer and showed up early get the same promised reward as those who accepted and showed up late in the day. But they had to show up to accept. If they stayed in the market place relying on how wonderful they are, there's no reward at all.Remember the parable about the landowner and those hired for the harvest--if it teaches anything, it teaches that god can accept anyone god chooses to accept--fundamentally, it's god's business, not ours.
I do believe that a person can accept Christ up to the moment of earthly death. After that, too late. It's what the Bible says. (See the Rich man and Lazarus)(not the alive/dead/alive again Lazarus).
"Heresy" was a creation of the early church (4th-6th century) as it struggled to define what the commonly held and acceptable beliefs and teachings were. I have some sympathy for the Adoptionist idea and Arianism; Athanasius isn't quite as convincing in argument. Of course, the biggest heresy was the protestant Reformation, which despite its fissiparous nature argues a lot but doesn't insist on "heresy" as such. (Though in some strange people you'd almost think it did - an insistence on a 6-day creation often accompanies horror when another Christian accepts evolution - the gradual development part, not the rest).
The Reformed churches do reject universal salvation (one of the heresies from the old days) since that is contrary to scripture and all that Jesus stuff. Christianity teaches that no one is "good enough" but that God loves all unconditionally and offers salvation to all. However, salvation is conditional upon believing that God saves us through Christ. Relying on sufficient good works is useless. There's a free choice*. Those who reject Jesus are not "Christians" but something else. A sect perhaps. Like Mormons or something.
I believe in Evil, though the voice of Satan sounds remarkably like my own. I don't believe the devil can make anyone do anything - it's listening to temptation and giving in to it. And that seems to be the point. My choice again. Satan doesn't bother with non-believers - they are his already. I haven't scoured every corner of the earth sufficiently to say that there are no demons. Other than R. Dawkins (just a joke - relax)
But of course, one can reject all the bits one doesn't like and make up other stuff that's more acceptable, and still call oneself a Christian or any other name. Its a free world; there's not a law (nor should there be). Mind you, it seems logical that "I'm good enough for any god" is more arrogant than believing that I'm not good enough and I need help (Jesus).
Believing in "the universe" is er . . .well, I'm not sure what it means. I think we all believe we are in the universe, no?
*barring some Calvinists of course