How about you respond to issues as you see them and stop viewing others who disagree with you as "attacking your church"?
How could you read some of the posts on RF and *not* see it as an attack on the Church?
I'm not talking about all of them of course.
Let's stop acting like we are in a war and more like we are at a round table talking with friends. Can we at least try that?
Love to. I try to measure my response according to the poster;I don't flame, I sincerely attempt courtesy, though I don't always to some posters. I respond mostly in kind to the specific issue and argument.
I respond without vitriol such as "The RCC is a counterfeit church as they reject The Almighty God's Word as The Final Authority and base their 'I'm all yours, Mary' church on man made teachings and idolatry."
And there's much worse on here. If you're after reducing this stuff, you're pointing in the wrong direction.
Okay, not so sure what you mean by I am not worthy of "them".
Worthy of belonging to a Christian Church. We are called to defend the faith, to martyrdom if necessary.
What kind of Christians hides the church he/she is a member of during a debate on a religious forum? Maybe if you belonged to the "Church of the Folks Living in the Red House in the 600 Block of Maple Street in Cleveland, Ohio, 94567."
I honestly can't believe the question has gotten this far and so far afield and off topic when a simple " I belong to a LCMS Lutheran Church" or "I'm a Unitarian Universalist" or whatever would suffice.
I do and will defend my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ even unto death. My local organization's building, not so much. I guess the disconnect is when one believes his "organization" is the church. It isn't. All those who are Christ's body are the church. They/we are members of the called-out assembly (ekklesia), which is translated as "church". Here is the Strong's concordance definition of the word:
In a Christian sense
1) an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting
2) a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake
3) those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body
4) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
5) the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven
What kind of Christians hides the church he/she is a member of during a debate on a religious forum? Maybe if you belonged to the "Church of the Folks Living in the Red House in the 600 Block of Maple Street in Cleveland, Ohio, 94567."
Again, I think anyone who is comfortable with disclosing their local church affiliation is fine and those do not wish to do so are fine, too. I have yet to see anyone on these forums for any length of time who has not said what they believe about the issue being discussed. Else, why even join the thread? I still don't think it is necessary that the denomination MUST be mentioned, and certainly not when certain people DEMAND such information. I think you and I both have seen what some will do with that information and go off on tangents with recriminations that have nothing whatsoever to do with the Freeper poster. Even when some people have given their views on doctrine or their denomination it is never enough for some unless they get a response at the snap of their fingers. People get tired of bullies.
I honestly can't believe the question has gotten this far and so far afield and off topic when a simple " I belong to a LCMS Lutheran Church" or "I'm a Unitarian Universalist" or whatever would suffice.
I hope I have explained this to you in a way that you can now understand. I think that for some bullies, there is no simple "I belong to...". It SHOULD suffice to discuss the specific issue and not let the extraneous stuff get in the way.
My identity as a believer is not in a denomination. That is not where my faith is put. The local congregation where I choose to worship does not define who I am in Christ.
It’s put in Jesus. HE is the one who saves, not baptism, not the church (any church) not adherence to doctrinal position. The Pharisees had all that and were still lost.
I belong to Christ and my identity is in Him. I am in Christ. His righteousness has been imputed to me. That’s all that counts and that’s all I need to know.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.