In the Religion forum, on a thread titled The Struggle Against the Black Mass, From Oklahoma Archbishop’s Perspective, Mrs. Don-o wrote:
•Chapters and verses in the Bible. Also table of contents. Also the names attached to the Gospels: “Matthew,” “Mark,” “Luke,” and “John.” All added on.
•Christians in the military. Military chaplaincies. Not New Testament practices! Added on!
•Academic degrees in religious subjects. Bible colleges. Theology departments. Added on.
•Swearing on a Bible. Added on.
•Radio-TV ministry: added on.
•Belief in a sun-centered solar system, rather than the earth resting in “pillars” as it says in the Bible. Added on.
•Crosses as church furnishings (rather than as a means of execution). Steeples. Crosses on steeples. Added on.
•Church Ownership of property, e.g. a church building and grounds: added on.
•Clergy owning property (instead of selling their property and giving it to the poor): added on.
•Liability insurance and property insurance for the church, health insurance, car insurance, life insurance: added on.
•Pensions-— or, good heavens, even stated salaries -— for the pastoral staff: added on.
•A wedding ceremony in church with bride in white dress and an exchange of rings: added on.
•American flag and/or “Christian flag” in church: added on.
•Youth groups/Youth ministry. Choir. Organs and other keyboard instruments. Guitars. Four white guys singing in harmony. Added on.
•The word “Easter”
•The word “Christmas.”
•The words “Incarnation” and Trinity.” Added on.
•Christmas trees and holly wreaths. Poinsettias.
•Parades and pageants and processions
•Cakes for birthdays (and candles on cakes)
•Wedding ceremonies themselves, which were also a pagan custom, and are not commanded in Scripture
•Burying people in caskets (coffins).
•putting flowers on graves
•putting crosses on graves
•making statues and paintings of people we admire (e.g. the founding pastor of the church -— and his lovely wife!)
•all theater arts and drama
•all sports, sport teams and athletic competitions
•internet prayer posts. E-mail prayer appeals. •Had enough? Not me! I love them all, and more. Some are theology, some are custom. Some are doctrine, some are devotion. Some are creed, some are culture. All good.
What a lively church we have, AMPU.
“•The words “Incarnation” and Trinity.” Added on.”
Descriptive words like those above are used to account for the totality of what Holy Scripture teaches about a specific topic. It is a shorthand way of expressing the truth. It is not added on as a separate truth. It expresses what was revealed already.