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PRmerger
Guest
LOL! He is being very Catholic when he says that!
It was Saint Augustine who said “Si comprehendis, non est Deus”—”if you understand him, he is not God.” Way back in the 4th century.
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It was Saint Augustine who said “Si comprehendis, non est Deus”—”if you understand him, he is not God.” Way back in the 4th century.
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jmcrae
Guest
That’s such an ephemeral goal that it’s meaningless - however, the World Council of Churches actually does want to find what the common beliefs of all Protestants are, and set that up as the religion that they are the “head” of, in the same way that the Magisterium is the head of the Catholic Church.
Christianity in all of its forms is “arrogant” for saying that Jesus is the only possible Saviour; not Buddha, or Krishna, or Guru Nanak, etc. and that all of these other religions lack a great deal that is essential for salvation. When someone wants to disagree with you, you are “arrogant” for insisting that true things are, in fact, true things. If someone wants to believe that the sky is orange, they will call you “arrogant” for insisting that it’s actually blue.
Just because you are called “arrogant” by people who don’t have a better argument, doesn’t mean that you aren’t actually right.
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Roman_Catholic_1
Guest
It appears someone has gotten under, “big tent’s” skin
Boy that is quite the coincidence because you exhibit the, “attitude of condescension and superiotiy” without the conviction of, “the fulness of spititual truth.”
Bigotry and patroniizing? You mean like calling a fundamental belief of someone’s a “medieval superstition”? Or implying that certain believers have to, “leave their brain at the door”? Is this the kind of bigotry and patronizing that “most” people are tired of?
You seem to think you do, but then criticize others for it. You are so sure of your “big tent” theory that not only are those who can see its hypocricy “authoritative” and “dogmatic” to you but you are so sure of it that you cannot even see its hypocrisy.
You are proof that even the biggest tent in the world is as “authoritative” and “dogmatic” as those churches that you condemn.
God bless
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Roy5
Guest
Since many posters here have no serious knowledge or understanding of the World Council of Churches (no resemblance to the magisterium!), and they insist on misrepresenting today’s mainline Protestantism, why bother to dialogue on this issue any further? Besides, we’re way off the thread, and I should get to pressing chores.
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Some day, probably in the world to come, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. Until then I certainly don't depend on doctrine or ritual but on a simple faith, like Jesus called for, quick to acknowledge that my church(es) over the years - Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian - never claimed that theirs was the one true religion. My guess is that we all miss the mark by a mile - well, by 1000K perhaps. But I don't fret. "I trust in God wherever I may be, upon the land or on the roaring sea...." A beautiful hymn sung at Dr. King's funeral in Atlanta, which I was privileged to attend.
I view feelings and/or pretensions of religious superiority as not all that different from those of racial superiority. Both have led to gross persecution and bitter bias and grave injustice, and both are evil in the eyes of God. "Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways, in our differences is blessing, from diversity we praise...." Another great hymn.
The world beyond will be full of all sorts of Christians, but also an abundance of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. We will both laugh and cry as we think back to silly religious prejudices we had, mainly based on ignorance and one-upsmanship, and have plenty of reason to repent of our foolishness.
Meanwhile, God bless all posters and people of every creed. color and country. And those with no creed or sacraments, like the Quakers. In fact, if there were a Quaker meeting nearby and if the Quakers would only sing some lively hymns, I probably would be attending there today, at least often. Or, even join the Mennonites if I could only accept their quasi-fundamentalist theology. "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day, I'd rather have one walk with me than merely show the way..." Who wrote that? His name slips my mind. Ogden Nash, maybe?
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PRmerger
Guest
<disappointed> but I do understand the need to get to chores!
A few comments:
-please do not fault us for having “no serious knowledge or understanding of the WCC”. Why should we? Its existence is quite novel, relatively speaking. I mean, there are encyclicals older than the WCC!
-While my questions stem from curiousity regarding this peculiar institution, what I was truly interested in was your particular ideology.
-It’s particularly curious to me how someone who advocates “independent” thinking and “creative” thinking draws a line regarding acceptable “independent” thinking and non-acceptable “independent” thinking. Where does this criteria come from? I suspect that in your ideology “Christian” “independent” thinkers who deny the Resurrection would be welcome in this Big Tent of yours, but Holocaust deniers would not be. Advocates of women’s ordination would be welcome but not white supremacists. Why? Why is one person’s “creative” thinking acceptable to you but not another’s?
Just plain curious to me, but, alas, (unless you opt to return), I shall have to wonder on my own and conclude this based on your posts:
You claim to be an adovcate of “independent” and “creative” thinking and oppose dogmatic beliefs, yet, in reality, your beliefs are quite dogmatic and exclusionary. This I find particularly egregious because of your encouragement of such non-traditional beliefs.
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