How do non-denominational Christians pick a church?

[tweetymom]

In the Book of John, didn’t Jesus say, I am going to awake Lazarus from his sleep?

But back to the core issue, you are the one who wants to perpetuate this denomination list, but as I said a 500 posts ago, (or whenever we started), that list includes 1600 non-Christians faiths in there “List of Denominations.” That means to accept that list, you have to accept Mormons as Christians, which the CC does not.

I again, suggest you stop looking for reasons to separate the faith and look for reasons to unify.

Dfo you think that is possible? It is what Christ would want i know this.

 

[MariaG]

No, that is not what I meant. I do consider Protestants Christians, if they have been baptized in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

However, I make no distinctions between Mormons being closer to the truths of Christ than, say, Seventh Day Adventists who believe in the non-Christian doctrine of “soul sleep”. Why would Seventh Day Adventists belong on this list but Mormons don’t? Soul Sleep is just as non-Christian, IMHO, as the Mormon doctrine of Jesus’ “divinity”.

But they ARE closer to the truths of Christ because they are brethren through their baptism, separated but brothers and sisters none the less. Mormons, because they have no valid baptism, cannot be considered so. That is a significant difference.

 

[PRmerger]

But they ARE closer to the truths of Christ because they are brethren through their baptism, separated but brothers and sisters none the less. Mormons, because they have no valid baptism, cannot be considered so. That is a significant difference.

Again, you are certainly free to think so!

And I am free to believe that their place in the obscene 40,000 denomination statistic is legitimate. I’ve learned way too many other bizarre “Christian” beliefs–each claiming Scriptural support–to single out Mormonism as any less valid than those listed as Christian.

Really, do you think Mormons are further from the Body of Christ than a denomination that, although practices valid baptism, endorses a 56 year old pastor’s marriage to an 8 yr old? :bigyikes:

 

[aussie_jaz]

So, aussie, where do you get this doctrine that Jesus was not born of a virgin in a physical sense? Is it from Scripture?

sorry but i cant get my head around the idea of a physical virgin birth. i also dont believe in adam literally being the first man. those two beginnings i cant see as being literally and physically correct but of something happening on the spiritual side of life.

 

[aussie_jaz]

Is this what is taught in the non-denominational church that you attend, or is it just a personal opinion of your own?

it is a personal opinion although i have been glad to meet a couple of others lately who hold similar views.

 

[PRmerger]

sorry but i cant get my head around the idea of a physical virgin birth. i also dont believe in adam literally being the first man. those two beginnings i cant see as being literally and physically correct but of something happening on the spiritual side of life.

Fair enough.

But you can get your head around the Infinite God becoming Man?
And you can get your head around the Resurrection?
And you can get your head around the Trinity–3 persons in One God?
And you can get your head around the hypostatic union–2 natures in one person?

Sorry! I just can’t get my head around your accepting those tenets of Christianity but rejecting the Virgin birth.

But, I’m willing to hear your reasoning!

 

[MariaG]

Again, you are certainly free to think so!

And I am free to believe that their place in the obscene 40,000 denomination statistic is legitimate. I’ve learned way too many other bizarre “Christian” beliefs–each claiming Scriptural support–to single out Mormonism as any less valid than those listed as Christian.

Really, do you think Mormons are further from the Body of Christ than a denomination that, although practices valid baptism, endorses a 56 year old pastor’s marriage to an 8 yr old? :bigyikes:

Clearly we will not agree on this. You cannot seem to understand the harm you can do to legitimate brothers and sisters in Christ in this, much like many Protestants don’t see how hurtful their words can be to Catholic Christians.

:ehh:I do find it odd though that you would post a link to a Satanic group posting on the horrors of the Judeo Christian world in general and a cult in particular to try and prove your point.

I find the “40,000” denominations to be very misleading and completely inaccurate.

Especially since all a person has to show is that more than ONE is against scripture.

God Bless,
Maria

 

[PRmerger]

Clearly we will not agree on this. You cannot seem to understand the harm you can do to legitimate brothers and sisters in Christ in this, much like many Protestants don’t see how hurtful their words can be to Catholic Christians.

Indeed. We will not agree. I simply do not understand how including Mormons on that obscene 40,000 statistic hurts anyone’s feelings.

:ehh:I do find it odd though that you would post a link to a Satanic group posting on the horrors of the Judeo Christian world in general and a cult in particular to try and prove your point.

My bad. I amend my citation to this website.

I simply did a google search for pastor, marriage, child and that’s the first that came up. Sadly, there were too many to chose. :sad_yes:

Especially since all a person has to show is that more than ONE is against scripture.

God Bless,
Maria

On that, we are agreed!

 

[PRmerger]

My bad. I amend my citation to this website.

Maria, do you really feel that “Christians” such as this guy can be legitimately included as a Christian denomination, but Mormons can’t?

 

[fbl9]

it is a personal opinion although i have been glad to meet a couple of others lately who hold similar views.

The Gospel written by St.Matthew 1:20 “…, for that which is beggotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.” explains why your opinion is not regarded as a correct one. Also Isaih prophesised that the Christ would be born of a virgin 7:14 …

 

[MariaG]

On that, we are agreed!

 

[MariaG]

Maria, do you really feel that “Christians” such as this guy can be legitimately included as a Christian denomination, but Mormons can’t?

I don’t think either should be included.

I get the thrust of your posts that both of these groups who profess to be Christians and get there from scripture alone and the “leading of the Holy Spirit” but I think one can get there without comparing legitimate Christians with those who are not defined as Christians but cults by the majority of Christianity.

Of course, Catholics make it to the “cult” lists depending on who makes it but just because some fundamentalist Christians wish to deny our Christianity doesn’t mean we should lump together Christians and non-Christians under the “protestant” label.

I am of the opinion that the subgroups should not be included. While there are very different Lutherans, there should only be 1 grouping for them. One for Baptists. One for Nazarene etc. because as I said earlier, we only need to show that more than 1 Church is not what God wants. And that point can be made as easily with 10 as it can from 40,000.

God Bless,
Maria

 

[aussie_jaz]

Fair enough.

But you can get your head around the Infinite God becoming Man?
And you can get your head around the Resurrection?
And you can get your head around the Trinity–3 persons in One God?
And you can get your head around the hypostatic union–2 natures in one person?

Sorry! I just can’t get my head around your accepting those tenets of Christianity but rejecting the Virgin birth.

But, I’m willing to hear your reasoning!

mary was a normal person. she had normal functions of a human. jesus was god but came in spirit to earth in the form or body of a person while still having the soul of god. in other words i see it as a split between the physical and the spiritual. the body of a man but not the soul of a man but the soul of god. therefore mary only having the body and soul of a human is limited to the physical possibilities of a human. jesus being god in soul was able to do things unlike those of the earthly beings. so yes after that i can get my head around god becoming man (spiritually ) , the trinity , the resurrection and if my understanding of the last one you mentioned is right then my reasoning above also describes that one too.

 

[aussie_jaz]

The Gospel written by St.Matthew 1:20 “…, for that which is beggotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.” explains why your opinion is not regarded as a correct one. Also Isaih prophesised that the Christ would be born of a virgin 7:14 …

i dont claim to be correct because i dont believe anybody can be while still in this worldly life. we can only believe what our heart lets us believe and in the ways it lets us believe.

i see these things as being of a spiritual/physical split and not just what the words say as outright literal.

 

[Xavierlives]

Again, you are certainly free to think so!

And I am free to believe that their place in the obscene 40,000 denomination statistic is legitimate. I’ve learned way too many other bizarre “Christian” beliefs–each claiming Scriptural support–to single out Mormonism as any less valid than those listed as Christian.

Really, do you think Mormons are further from the Body of Christ than a denomination that, although practices valid baptism, endorses a 56 year old pastor’s marriage to an 8 yr old? :bigyikes:

Do you really want to start linking sexual abuse cases? Really?

 

[Xavierlives]

Jack Chick can insist the validity of anything he wants, but it doesn’t make it true.

But whether or not you can “validly” argue they can be included on the list, can’t you see how hurtful it is to those who are Christian that you “validly” lump them together with people who are not even Christian?

Respectfully,
Maria

It isn’t that she wants to lump the Mormons in with us. She wants to lump us in with the Mormons. Her intentions are clear. She views anyone not Catholic to be not Christian and therefore fitting for her list. The problem with her theory is, the Catholic Church does acknowledge us but not the Mormons so she doesn’t know what to do. Her sacred list includes everyone under the sun, so she will go with it to her grave. She wants disunity and will continue to bang her drum of disunity until the last beat.

 

[PRmerger]

mary was a normal person. she had normal functions of a human. jesus was god but came in spirit to earth in the form or body of a person while still having the soul of god. in other words i see it as a split between the physical and the spiritual. the body of a man but not the soul of a man but the soul of god. therefore mary only having the body and soul of a human is limited to the physical possibilities of a human. jesus being god in soul was able to do things unlike those of the earthly beings. so yes after that i can get my head around god becoming man (spiritually ) , the trinity , the resurrection and if my understanding of the last one you mentioned is right then my reasoning above also describes that one too.

You do know that the Catholic teaching on Mary is that* God *intervened?

I don’t understand why you believe that God could rise from the dead, but that He couldn’t conceive in Mary miraculously.

 

[PRmerger]

I don’t think either should be included.

I get the thrust of your posts that both of these groups who profess to be Christians and get there from scripture alone and the “leading of the Holy Spirit” but I think one can get there without comparing legitimate Christians with those who are not defined as Christians but cults by the majority of Christianity.

Of course, Catholics make it to the “cult” lists depending on who makes it but just because some fundamentalist Christians wish to deny our Christianity doesn’t mean we should lump together Christians and non-Christians under the “protestant” label.

I am of the opinion that the subgroups should not be included. While there are very different Lutherans, there should only be 1 grouping for them. One for Baptists. One for Nazarene etc. because as I said earlier, we only need to show that more than 1 Church is not what God wants. And that point can be made as easily with 10 as it can from 40,000.

God Bless,
Maria

What would be your criteria for a denomination? How disparate should their doctrines be? If a subgroup separates over a group over doctrinal issues, and wishes to be considered a separate denomination, will you still consider them the same denomination?

 

[aussie_jaz]

You do know that the Catholic teaching on Mary is that* God *intervened?

I don’t understand why you believe that God could rise from the dead, but that He couldn’t conceive in Mary miraculously.

yep i agree that god intervened , just not in the same way … jesus soul was that of god not of a man. the physical body was concieved in the normal way but his spiritual side was from much higher as he was god placed into the body of a man and so god on earth and the son of god.

spiritually he was concieved in mary in a way unlike how everyone is as it wasnt the soul of a man but of god. the physical side of it was just like any other.

god is not limited but man is therefore the physical limits of mary were the same as any other woman and jesus human form was concieved as any other would be but it is in the non physical where the difference of between being man and being god come about. then as he had the soul of god he was able to do things on earth that man was not able.

 

[Xavierlives]

yep i agree that god intervened , just not in the same way … jesus soul was that of god not of a man. the physical body was concieved in the normal way but his spiritual side was from much higher as he was god placed into the body of a man and so god on earth and the son of god.

spiritually he was concieved in mary in a way unlike how everyone is as it wasnt the soul of a man but of god. the physical side of it was just like any other.

god is not limited but man is therefore the physical limits of mary were the same as any other woman and jesus human form was concieved as any other would be but it is in the non physical where the difference of between being man and being god come about. then as he had the soul of god he was able to do things on earth that man was not able.

So how is a normal person’s spirit conceived?