Posted on 09/04/2022 2:02:47 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
This is very revealing what’s happening in black churches. They’ve gone off the rails.
The day ain’t over yet; but, yeah.
non denominational here
we just read the Bible
we do not have programs or tradition directing us
just the Bible
This reminds me of a passage in Daniel 4:
"This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men."
Nonsense poll. The potential for selection bias is huge. Those pastors who most strongly hold their denomination’s views on faith are also the least likely to participate in a “nondenominational” poll.
And the last "poll" they did was totally rigged to get the results they wanted (as I noted, I'm surprised they got as HIGH as "37%" having a "biblical worldview" with the "Have you stopped beating your wife, sir?" type of biased questioning they used), so this "poll" is probably equally worthless. See my analysis of the last "poll" here:
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/4063433/posts?page=63#63
>> Totally believable. Denominational pastors are behold to their denominations beliefs and practices, which in many cases can be, and many times are, non-biblical. Non-denominational are freer to hold to more biblical views. <<
I've actually found the OPPOSITE tends to be true, at least when it comes to lay people who attend "non-denominational" churches vs. lay people who attend churches with a fixed doctrine. For example, Carrie Underwood is "non-denominational" and can happily champion gay marriage in her church, because they have no set of beliefs that state otherwise. All you have to do to be a member of her church in good standing is say you "follow Jesus". Anything goes. You could probably even claim Jesus is not divine and be a good "Christian" at her "non-denominational" church.
>> They didn’t go into issues that typically divide Christians. <<
Really? Well they CERTAINLY did in the LAST "poll" that claimed "only 37%" of pastors have a "biblical worldview". It had plenty of fundamentalist protestant only criteria to give the "correct" answer in order to be "biblical". You had to accept sola scriptura and "Christ alone" protestant theology, so ANY Catholic or Orthodox pastor, no matter how devout and traditional, would AUTOMATICALLY fall into the "unbiblical" category by their "survey"
>> 2. A Catholic, a Lutheran, a Greek Orthodox, a Pentecostal might all compile a different list of "Biblical Christian" ideas. Each will perform 100% Biblical on their own list, and all the others will fall short of 100%. Yes, I'm sure Catholics are "less Biblical" by the standards of "non-denominational" pastors. But the latter are "less Biblical" by Catholic standard It also depends on the Biblical interpretation applied by those judges. Perhaps they are somehow biased. <<
Exactly my point. They cherry pick the questions and the data to get the results they want. These "polls" are worthless. In fact, as I noted above, the actual numbers probably the opposite of what they claim. A lot of self-proclaimed "nondenominational" Christians I've met or heard about don't follow the bible at all.
You don’t fit into the traditional denominations, but, you are a denomination. You do have beliefs like the Trinity, water baptism, salvation... When you read the Bible, what is your interpretation of those things? Do you see the point? Like I said, it’s like saying you are unbiased. No such thing. BTW, I fall into your category. I am a Triune God, water baptism, salvation through Christ alone believing Christian. That’s my denomination.
We go to two small independent churches and neither one is associated with any main stream churches. Both neighborhood churches and both use the KJV and preach from it every week.
Wish I could find a church like that where I live. After much research, I’ve yet to locate one.
Sorry but it’s nonsense to say non-denominational is a denomination. Denomination is more than a common philosophical and biblical worldview.
We can define *denomination* as divisions based on names. Think of founders such as Luther, Wesley, Smith... In the early chapters of 1st Corinthians, the denominational names were Paul, Peter and Apollos. Paul wastes no time teaching that those denominations were vacant and useless.
The Lord’s church is (truly) non-denominational because it is not founded by a man. The Lord’s church can save; a man-made church, not so much.
A fly in the ointment are those who call themselves non-denominational churches that welcome all types of “Christians.” “We all worship the same God; don’t worry.”
What is the dictionary definition of denomination? It’s a designation to classify a set of things. You have a set of Christian values, then that is a way to classify your set of beliefs-it’s a denomination.
What more is it then?
“The Lord’s church is (truly) non-denominational because it is not founded by a man. The Lord’s church can save; a man-made church, not so much.”
Excellent point.
There is always some form of distinctive and commonality: church, liturgical, sacramental and/or ecclesiastical set up and theology. Something more than mere Congregationalism which also exists among several traditional denominations and I don’t believe is a denominational distinctive. If you had to call them by anything, though, you could lump them under congregationist which would also include baptists and every other congregational denomination.
Essential to being a Christian, and at our church to be a pastor or member are five things:
Belief in God as the Trinity
Deity of Christ
Salvation by Grace Alone
Inerrancy and authority of Scripture
Return of Christ to rule, reign and Judge
He talked about three other rankings as well. The next group is where denominations may differ but they may still be Christians. Things like baptism (adult vs. children). I need to listen to the sermon again - but I'm guessing that gay marriage might be in this group, but then that would go against the authority of Scripture in the first group.
Third group we shouldn't divide over but it is important to inform ones own faith - things like old/young earth creation, end times positions, etc.
Fourth group is trivial - did Adam have a belly button?
Good point.
Your denomination is generalized protestant then.
Based on the third criteria on the list, your church would have a rough time locating a single "Christian" on earth prior to the 1600s.
Iv’e been saying that for years. When churches become one under man’s umbrella, they stop being Christ’s bride.
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