Posted on 10/18/2016 3:08:25 PM PDT by Brookhaven
Evangelicals Didn’t Even Study for This Test
...this year, LifeWay used more stringent criteria for evangelical faith, as defined by some group called the National Association of Evangelicals. Only participants who called the Bible their highest authority, said personal evangelism is important, and indicated that trusting in Jesus’ death on the cross is the only way of salvation, were labeled “evangelical.” They totaled 586 survey-takers.
Everyone expected them to perform better than most Americans. No one expected them to perform worse. Seven in ten evangelicals—more than the population at large—said that Jesus was the first being God created. Fifty-six percent agreed that “the Holy Spirit is a divine force but not a personal being.” They also saw a huge increase in evangelicals (28 percent, up from 9 percent) who indicated that the Third Person of the Trinity is not equal with God the Father or Jesus, a direct contradiction of orthodox Christianity.
As before, it’s really the contradictory answers, not the outright heresies, that should most concern us. By definition, the evangelicals in this survey believed that “only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.” Yet nearly half agreed that “God accepts the worship of all religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”
Former Newsday religion reporter Kenneth Briggs recently told Religion News Service that the faith he finds in “mega-type churches” is a “Bible-less,” “alternative version of Christianity.” Scripture, he says, has become “a museum exhibit, hallowed as a treasure but enigmatic and untouched.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
What a NASTY thing to say!
No.
Evidently not
On the brighter side, though, most heretics are actually Christian.
Then what SHOULD they do; since the KJV is NOT applicable to them?
I thought we were infidels?
Don't ask me "In what versions is His preserved word found in other languages?" I don't know, but I trust God to keep His promise, and after all, isn't that what we're supposed to do, trust God?
Here is the Catechism:
971 All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs … . This very special devotion … differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Thus, if the devotions do not assist in the adoration of the Trinity, the devotions should stop. If you recommend throwing out all devotions to Mary, because of a few people making errors, that makes no sense. Why not encourage what works so incredibly well?
In short, Catholics do not worship Mary. Anyone who tells you differently is in grave error.
One "beating-a-dead-horse" gif is as good as another. But if thinking my posting that back to your baseless comment was admiration and flattery, then, if that makes you feel better about yourself, go ahead and think that.
Since you haven't refuted even ONE point I made about your assertions on the Apocrypha, I can only surmise that either you can't (which is actually true) or you haven't even read the post. I'm guessing it's the latter since that will allow you to declare the SAME untruths - while falsely stating they have been disputed - the very next time the subject arises. It is yourself who rejects Jesus Christ, the Apostles and Scripture every time you defend the indefensible idea that the Apocryphal books are Divinely-inspired Scripture.
One last thing...why in the world would I or anyone reject legitimate Holy Scripture? Why do you think the Jewish people didn't see them that way? You really can't say it was because they rejected Jesus Christ since these extra books were around in the Alexandrian, Egyptian and Eastern Mediterranean areas and known by the Greek speaking Jews hundreds of years before Christ. They knew about the Maccabees revolt, for example - they even had a holiday based on that. So why do you imagine they NEVER accepted those books as from God? Instead of childishly slinging snark, why don't you engage a little on the actual topic?
The only question is nothing you bothered to mention because it's what you're avoiding like the plague.
That question being whether or not the Holy Spirit is a perfect member of the perfect Holy Trinity.
You insist the Holy Spirit is imperfect but that you are perfect.
I insist that the Holy Spirit is perfect, and furthermore that God did not and would not work hand in hand with Satan to deceive people for eighteen hundred years by including error in Scripture.
There's nothing else to say. You deny the perfection of the Holy Spirit, I do not.
Spew garbage about whatever you like as long as you like. Whatever trash you come out with to rationalize your insisting that the Holy Spirit is imperfect is functionally identical to your just flat out saying you deny the perfection of the Holy Spirit, therefore the perfection of the Holy Trinity, which in turn is a denial of there being a Trinity.
You can explain your line of reasoning to Christ Himself before long, life being short and all that, and I'm sure you think Christ will pat you on the back and say, "nice going boatbums, you figured out that I told a lies when I said I love mankind and that the Holy Spirit would lead men to the Truth".
It's clear to all that's exactly what you expect because you stomp your little feet and demand that people agree with your belief that a perfect, loving God, in the persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, would all three aid Satan by allowing books that are not the inspired Word of God to remain in the Bible, universally recognized as being the inspired Word of God, for nearly eighteen hundred years.
There's nothing Christian in the root of your argument no matter how many branches you scurry down to try and keep people from recognizing the foundation of your argument which is that you deny the perfection of the Holy Spirit.
Now dig up a few more horse corpeses to beat and have a wonderful day doing so
Where did Jesus Christ, the Apostles, or anything in Scripture say that baoatbums and her pals should decide what's in Scripture because they are perfect while the Holy Spirit is imperfect? The only question is nothing you bothered to mention because it's what you're avoiding like the plague. That question being whether or not the Holy Spirit is a perfect member of the perfect Holy Trinity. You insist the Holy Spirit is imperfect but that you are perfect.
How can I be "avoiding the question like a plague" when I have been answering all along? Yes, the Holy Spirit is a perfect member of the perfect Holy Trinity. Yes, the Holy Spirit is perfect and I am far from perfect (you aren't, either). That is EXACTLY why I know that those extra Apocryphal books are NOT Divinely-inspired Scripture - because God is not the author of confusion and His word is perfect, it will never pass away, it is a sure word of prophecy and totally trustworthy in all that it states.
So, how is it you are defending a Greek translation of the original Hebrew Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures and calling IT Holy Scripture? Do you not realize that you are blaming the Holy Spirit for the mistakes and errors in those extra books??? That would be like taking the Good News Bible and declaring IT is from God even with all the known mistakes in translation that were made in it. Not every translation is perfect and error free. Does that mean God's word contains mistakes and errors? GASP! Do you realize the implications of that?
And explain to me since you are avoiding this question like the plague, why is the Catholic church approved Bible missing eight books that were in the Septuagint? They threw them in the garbage but you give them a pass. Why is that?
Lastly, and this IS the last time I am going to repeat this, the Apocryphal books have NEVER been "universally recognized as being the inspired Word of God". Even when the Council of Trent finally got around to making the seven out of fifteen officially part of the canon, it was NOT unanimous. It never was and hasn't been yet. Even Jerome, when he translated the OT into Latin, used the Hebrew texts and NOT the Septuagint. When he was ordered to include those extra Greek books, he placed them in a separate section from the truly universally recognized Divinely-inspired word of God. They may have been edifying to be read by the church but they were NOT to be used for establishing doctrine.
So, NO, God did not allow books that were not Holy Spirit inspired to be included along with the writings that are universally recognized as being the inspired Word of God. Just because your religion did so dogmatically in the sixteenth century (mainly to dispute the Reformation) doesn't mean they belonged there. God HAS always let us know that. That you cannot or will not see it only shows your unwillingness to acknowledge your religion's leaders made mistakes. Don't try to pawn off that guilt trip on me.
There’s nothing Christian in the root of your argument
Then you don’t know what the word even means. Sad.
Whosoever defends the perfection all three members of the Holy Trinity is not Christian.
Yet you mock and deride the effort and time that many scholars have taken to put GOD's words into the English LANGUAGE of today; instead of leaving folks to muddle thru 1611 English verbage and style.
Didn't say it was; but thanks for answering the question that should have been asked.
Really?
Since I didn't; I'll not go down this rabbit hole; but maerely point out that there is NO instance found, in the book Rome assembled, of ANYONE praying to Mary or asking for her help.
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