Growing up in an evangelical Christian household, I witnessed two churches go through bitter and contentious splits. The first over whether divorcees could serve in leadership positions (deacon, trustee, Sunday school teacher and the like). The second was even more petty, over a proposed remodel that some didn't felt made the church look too different from the old church and that the pastor was allowing music that was too secular (anything other than century old hymns).
If Christian sects spent one tenth the time and energy defending Christianity and working to make the world a better place than they do trying to destroy each other, we would probably be living in a much better nation.
If Christian sects spent one tenth the time and energy defending Christianity and working to make the world a better place than they do trying to destroy each other, we would probably be living in a much better nation.
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there is nothing on this board that I agree more on.
Thank you for saying it.
The denomination wars on this board are painful and off-putting.
Agree. These religious wars over minor doctrinal points are harming the Body of Christ. Those doctrinal purists who believe that only they are in possession of the absolute Truth (yeah, I've been there...) are living in their own fantasy world. So long as we can agree on the fundamental Christian doctrines, we should at least tolerate and not attack each other.
Can we agree that Faith in Christ is essential for salvation, and that salvation is not possible outside of Christ's sacrifice? Can we agree to disagree as to the practical importance of "living out our faith in faith and practice"?
Can we agree that those imposters who assert their eternal salvation but whose life does not reveal the effort to live a pure moral life, are guilty, as James states: "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead"?