Posted on 05/05/2013 12:09:11 PM PDT by hiho hiho
That doesn’t really make sense
Different strokes for different folks and all of that, and obviously God loves variety, so it's not surprising that opinions about God's Word and Will will vary, even in God's many houses, and disagreements follow, followed then by separation and greater division, and finally with all claiming to be the one true faith, the most pure, etc. while vilifying the others.
Something is missing...I have trouble explaining it.
Are we not to love each other as ourselves? Are we not to forgive those who trespass against us? What do those things/behaviors look like in a modern world?
Somehow the basics seem to be lost in translation these days, just when we need them most, while our churches try to out Christian each other, but hey, the music rocks! And, I dunno...I just quit looking there to find what I'm looking for. You know?
Maybe the answers the writer is looking for are in the Bible, or God's love letter to us, as one writer calls it.
What does the part about the 7 golden lampstands in Revelation mean?
It seems to me that according to your post SBNRs are sitting in judgement on the SARs (Spiritual and religious) claiming they are teaching truths they don't believe in. But I'm not aware of SARs doing that. SBNRs better check their facts. What truths to SBNRs think SARs teach that SARs don't believe in?
According to your post, SBNRs also seem to be accusing SARs of "some sort of guilt/duty/obligation to live a spiritual life only through weekly attendance." and I think most SARs would be highly offended by the accusation that SARs are only spiritual by weekly attendance.
Paul did teach us to not forsake assembling together and to encourage one another to love and good works. Heb 10:24-25. Is this what SBNR's are finding fault with?
Too many churches today have focused upon the worldly administration or the academics of doctrinal study without the actual spiritual mechanics involved, except by perhaps a handful.
The SAR crowd are easily distracted by a worldly Christian culture. Many who do advance to developing doctrine in their flock, tend to fall into academics rather than education,..teaching the soul, rather than obedience first through faith in Christ during their studies.
The SANR crowd frequently identify most churches as being 95% worldly and Christian culture in a less efficient format than gleaning doctrinal academics from other sources, but miss out on the spiritual benefits God has provided in the assembly of fellow spiritual believers.
False.
There are people who seek spirituality, who are not believers, but seek counterfeit substitutes for spiritual fellowship with God.
There also are believers who don't understand spiritual mechanics provided in Scripture, and confuse worldliness and morality with the Christian life.
There also are believers who are spiritual, but don't understand spirituality.
There also are mature believers, who persevere to remain in spiritual fellowship with God through faith in Christ, always praying, and walk the Christian walk. The Christian life is a spiritual life.
In other words they sit in judgement on the organized churches as being "worldly" and then use that as an excuse not to assemble and learn from other Christians, and not to participate in the local ministry opportunities offered by the organized churches both local and foreign.
Every denomination and every church within that denomination has their own personality. Some are indeed dead, but most are alive and blessing their community and world with a variety of missions.
Paulian vs. ‘Christian’ teachings: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread414820/pg1
And there’s a world of difference between not believing something that some others believe and judging those who don’t so believe as lying, condemned atheists.
SBNR?
Wet but Not Bathing?
Most SANR whom I know, never consider judging other believers, but thirst for true spiritual guidance through faith in Christ.
He provides the best opportunities for ministry, both local and foreign.
And they all died, within the first century...
They chose others to help them.
Wrong again...Those helpers were given the necessary gifts by God...God picked 'em...
They developed ways of handling issues which confronted the Church.
And wrong, yet again...God developed the ways of handling the issues and had the first bunch that died write those things in a book we Christians call the bible...
All the earmarks of an organized Church are right there in the New Testament.
Every thing you stated was created by human tradition and has nothing to do with scripture...You are batting '0'...
These are not examples where SARs teach something they don't believe. The Catholics don't believe in ordaining women as priests and believe the priests should be celebate, and that's exactly what they both teach and practice.
The Baptists don't believe pastors should be women but are fine with pastors being married. Again, they teach and practice the same thing.
And as far as homophobia, you don't have to have Paul's words to condemn homosexuality in scripture. Genesis and Leviticus will suffice.
I didn’t note any claims on a disparity between what SAR’s believe and practice.
And I just googled and provided that link for its getting across the gist of the Paulian vs. ‘Christian’ (a la Thomas Jefferson’s reported bible) differences.
No you didn’t but that was the discussion on the thread, which is why i pointed out that teachings and practices are the same.
Thomas Jefferson’s “Bible” was never intended to be anything but a tract to help win over the Indians. Jefferson never meant to rewrite the “Bible”, he simply wanted a simplified teaching aid. And I believe there is a letter from him discussing that fact.
No you didn’t but that was the discussion on the thread, which is why i pointed out that teachings and practices are the same.
Thomas Jefferson’s “Bible” was never intended to be anything but a tract to help win over the Indians. Jefferson never meant to rewrite the “Bible”, he simply wanted a simplified teaching aid. And I believe there is a letter from him discussing that fact.
Thanks, I’m Quaker and I guess the SBNR moniker fits me to a “T”. Maybe it’s in my genes or upbringing, but I see corruption in almost every organized church that makes me lose faith in the institution, but not the message.
you wrote:
“And they all died, within the first century...”
They picked successors. The New Testament is clear about that. They started doing that in the Upper Room.
“Wrong again...Those helpers were given the necessary gifts by God...God picked ‘em...”
When it came time to pick the deacons, for instance, the Apostles said, “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Did you see that? SEEK OUT AMONG YOU.
“And wrong, yet again...God developed the ways of handling the issues and had the first bunch that died write those things in a book we Christians call the bible...”
In other words, they passed those down. In other words, I’m still right. There was an organization. It had its own way of doing things.
“Every thing you stated was created by human tradition and has nothing to do with scripture...You are batting ‘0’...”
No, I’m batting 1000 because you aren’t even consistent in your opposition.
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