Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Alex Murphy

Ok, well it might be helpful (so I'm not chasing rabbit trails), if you told me:

1. Which ones you automatically reject as "cults" and...
2. Which statements that remain you believe are false.

If you don't want to do that, then to answer your question generally, #1 is clear, anyone knows that. Similarly for #10. And #7. And #4. The statements regarding those points are known by virtually anyone with a casual knowledge of those faiths.

The proof of the rest can actually be found at the link I provided in post #457. That website's chart has links to the relevant statement of faiths of the faith in question. It links directly to the different faith's own websites.

I do not feel I should be forced to provide those links separately, as they are all separately provided at the site in #457. But as an example, let me anticipate that you have difficulty believing my assertion that Lutherans "discourage, but do not explicitly condemn, premarital sex".

http://www.elca.org/socialstatements/sexuality/

That is the relevant statement and note, in the section entitled "Promiscuity" (which is the only one that seems to address the issue), while "casual sex" is condemned, it doesn't say "premarital sex". In other words, anyone who is an average person in todays sexually free society, very well could interpret that as, "Well, I don't SLEEP AROUND, I don't have CASUAL sex, but I don't believe we should wait until marriage before I have sex, for goodness sakes!" And there's nothing in the Lutheran statement to say they are wrong.

I don't know why a reasonable person would say differently. Note, in the same section ( http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/denominations_ethics.htm ) , the other churches that have taken a stand (made a statement on the issue) CLEARLY state that ALL sex before marriage is wrong, again, backed up by their own website's statements.

So, go ahead, go to the website in #457. The statements are all there. I'm not going to track down each statement and prove it with independent websites (as again THAT IS there on the website from #457, it will just take some work on your part to see it).

If you have a question about a particular statement however, then tell me. I'll be happy to track down a specific objection. But again, I don't want to chase down rabbit trails, on groups you may consider cults.


464 posted on 03/12/2007 4:35:11 PM PDT by FourtySeven (47)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 461 | View Replies ]


To: FourtySeven
Let's start with the big errors first, because everything you've posted since points back to them. The big error begins all the way back with your post #414, and especially with this assertion...
Indeed, I do tend to cringe a bit when others say, "There's over 30,000 Protestant denominations that have grown out of the Reformation", as I haven't really been able to find a website that lists all 30,000 (or 20,000 or even 10,000) denominations....there are at least 10 independent, completely incompatible [doctrinally speaking] denominations....Did God ever intend such confusion, such heights of discord and disunity, in His Church...?

Speaking for myself, I cannot see God, who is NOT the author of confusion, allowing members of His Church to wonder whether or not His Son is God, much less all the other doctrines that clearly divide at LEAST 10 Protestant denominations from another.

Now let's look again at that list of yours, which you claimed above was a list of ten incompatible Protestant denominations...
1. Jehovah's Witnesses - Do not believe Jesus is God
2. Baptist (American Baptist Church-it's funny how there are so many Baptists isnt it?) - believe in OSAS
3. Anglican - Believe baptism is an effectual means of salvation
4. United Pentecostal Church (again, this could be a subcategory all its own, but the most popular) - rejects the notion of the Trinity, instead, embraces Modalism, or, the notion that Jesus is simply a different "mode" of God, not a distinct person all His Own.
5. Methodists - reject free will
6. Mormons - believe in adding to Scripture vis a vis a "new book"(note, if asked, they will say Jesus is God, but they don't embrace either Modalism or Trinitarianism, in the classical sense)
7. Seventh Day Adventists - believe in adhering to a Sabbatarian style of worship, and reject Sunday Day worship 8. Lutherans - premarital sex is "discouraged" but not expressly forbidden
9. Church of Christ, (or Christian Science) - creation is entirely spiritual and perfect and matter does not exist
10. Rastafarians (in general) - Use marijuana in religious rituals and for medicine
Tell me when you notice any errors. I'll give you a clue - one can be found in #2.
468 posted on 03/12/2007 5:07:54 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 464 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson