When Atheists Attack (Each Other)

Evolution News and Views ^ | April 28 2011 | Davld Klinghoffer

[Dr. Eckleburg]

You know, I don't agree with every last thing that the church I attend states in its statement of faith. They do not demand that I do, and I am still going to heaven.

AMEN!

From the Westminster Confession of Faith (please note "Of the Holy Scriptures" is Chapter #1 and Of the Church is Chapter #25)

Chapter XXV
Of the Church

I. The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all.[1]

II. The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion;[2] and of their children:[3] and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ,[4] the house and family of God,[5] out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.[6]

III. Unto this catholic visible Church Christ has given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and does, by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto.[7]

IV. This catholic Church has been sometimes more, sometimes less visible.[8] And particular Churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the Gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.[9]

V. The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error;[10] and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan.[11] Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth to worship God according to His will.[12]

VI. There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ.[13] Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof; but is that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalts himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God.[14]

You'll note I prefer the Westminster Confession of Faith of 1646. Something about the poetry of the writing and the acuity of its intent. 8~)

[bkaycee]

Yes, the Gospel is simple, salvation by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, In Christ Alone. Jesus paid the penalty for sin for all those who accept and trust in Him.

1 Cor 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I do think “statements of belief” found in individual churches are a good thing and handy to the seeker who wants to learn what a particular church believes and teaches.

Ultimately, what you want to read from these statements is that the church is subject to the word of God in all things. Can’t go too far astray if that is the case.

[Iscool]

So you might as easily choose to worship at the local Cathedral. Or PCUSA church. Or JW. Or Baptist, Lutheran, UU…

No difference, right?

A born again Christian can worship in his garage, or in the bottom of a coal mine...On a Saturday night in a nightclub in the midst of a rock n roll band kicking out tunes...I know, I have...

A born again Christian can worship during Friday prayer services in the middle of an Izlamic mosque while they are planning the next terrorist attack...

We are in Christ and he in us no matter when, or where we are at...

[Iscool]

Can you read Acts and the Epistles and entertain the thought that there is no authority in Christ's Church? No one with authority to say "this is the Christian Faith" and "not this."

Nope...We are to study the scripture while being taught...

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We are to accept the authority of the pastor only as far as he lines up with the scripture...We are not to take the pastor's word for anything...Why should we, we have what he is teaching us anyway...And we're also instructed to prove what he says is true...

1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

That's where you guys fail...And those that tend to 'prove' all things' seem to leave your religion...We're not instructed to believe all things the clergy tells us, but to prove all things...

You have an invisible Church but no visible Church. You lack an important part. Where do you go to "take it to the Church"?

1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

The answers are in the scriptures...

[caww]

Got it and will read after the week-end..am working for the most part. Thanks for the link.
CW

[Iscool]

I have attended the Assembly of God church...I have attended Baptist churches...I have set in Congregational churches...I’ve attended a Presbyterian church...And a few others...I have even twice attended a Catholic and ate the infamous cracker...

Was there an advantage to that??? Yes, I learned a lot about what they teach and how they worship...

And although there were differences, most things they had in common one of which was that they taught folks how to accept Jesus as their personal Savior, except for one...

And another is they didn’t candy coat sin...You learned what sin is...And the remedy for it, except for one...

And there’s only one of the bunch that I will never again attend...It is far to anti- and unbiblical...

[Iscool]

True, but you can willingly leave. This is sin: willingly doing something that separates you from God.

You can leave God but you can't leave the Catholic Church...Now that's scary...

[Iscool]

If St. Paul were today to decide to go to the Church in Corinth, where would he go?

He may have been at someone's house...Likely tho, he was in the open field at that back end of the farmer's market...Bible doesn't tell us there was any particular church building in Corinth...As was stated correctly, the church is not a building...

[boatbums]

Ephesians 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Thank you for those verses. How wonderful and loving of our God to gift this body with all the things necessary for strength, growth, maturity of the faith and all for the glory of God!

[metmom]

Thank you. You put that way better than I could have.

Now, in before *Lookee, the Protestants think the Bible is God and worship a book*.....

[boatbums]

John 10:27 "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow ME". John 10:28: "I give them eternal life, and they shall NEVER perish; NO ONE can snatch them out of MY Hand". John 10:29: "My Father, who has given them to Me, is GREATER than all; NO ONE can snatch them out of My Father's Hand". John 10:30: "I and the Father are one."

Amen!!! It was those exact verses that the Holy Spirit used to turn on the light of my understanding of the Gospel. PTL!!!

[count-your-change]

“And there’s only one of the bunch that I will never again attend...It is far to anti- and unbiblical...”

And for your own reasons you won't put a name to this one of the bunch?

[presently no screen name]

WOW! PTL - exactly! I love those verses. What a reminder of what a God we serve and how He protects us and how possessive of us He is. Imagine that - The CREATOR of all!!

We have plenty to shout about, be happy about, give thanks for and praise Jesus for! Thanks for sharing why those verses are special to you, boatbums, it gave me opportunity to meditate on those Scriptures again.

[Iscool]

And for your own reasons you won't put a name to this one of the bunch?

Awww, c'mon...Haven't you ever seen the puzzles where they have the pictures and tell you to pick out what doesn't fit in???

You have an orange, an apple, a strawberry, a cherry and an elephant...Which one doesn't fit???

[Natural Law]

"I don't recall anywhere where Protestants ask Catholics what they believe."

There are a few Protestants who do ask, but the majority of the Protestants who troll these threads aren't interested in what Catholics actually believe. They have their handy-dandy list of lies about the Church that they endlessly recite telling Catholics what Catholics actually believe. The worst are the failed and ad jure excommunicated Catholics who never had a clue.

[Natural Law]

"For example, the Catholic church teaches that baptism saves, but there’s not one Catholic who I’ve ever met who is convinced that they are saved because they’ve been baptized."

That is because Calvinists apparently are incapable of comprehending any doctring that doesn't begin with "sola". Catholics believe that Baptism is necessary for Salvation, but by itself does not save.

[Natural Law]

"I can recall anyone on these threads that wouldn't refer to their catechism, statement of beliefs, confession, etc"

But then again some of us are not ashamed of our affiliations.

[Iscool]

Now, in before *Lookee, the Protestants think the Bible is God and worship a book*.....

That don't work either...I sometimes set a cup of coffee on my bible (and spill it)...You won't see anyone setting a cup of coffee on top of a statue of Mary...And you won't see my bible planted in a bath tub...

[count-your-change]

I'll go with the orange because of all that's the only that must be peeled before eating. Unless you count the elephant but a good barbecue man might not.