Ad-Hoc Religion Forum Committee Discussion - Thread 3

3/27/02 | angelo

[malakhi]

I've reviewed the critiques and suggestions from Thread 2, have incorporated those I could, and have come up with the following Topic list. One point that was questioned by a number of people were the names of the Denominational Topics categories. I have tried to stay with names that are in common use, and/or are preferred by members of those groups. If you suggested a change here and I did not put it in place, that is probably why.

What I would like to do is to have all interested parties vote a straight up or down on the topics as they stand. If over half of the voters oppose the present list, then we'll reopen it for further changes. If the majority is in favor of the present list, then this is what we'll go with. Keep in mind that additions to the list are always possible down the road.

I will be offline from sunset tonight until Saturday night for the first two days of Passover and then for Shabbat. That will give everyone a chance to weigh in and vote. I'll tally the votes Saturday night, and let Jim Robinson know the results.

Thanks for your participation and the many great suggestions!

General Topics
Activism	Opportunities to make your voice heard.
Apologetics	Defense of doctrine.
Current Events	Religion or religion-related news of the day.
Ecumenism	Pertaining to discussion, cooperation and understanding among denominations.
History	History of religion, religion and secular history, tradition, sacred texts.
Humor	If at first you don't succeed, don't skydive.
Ministry/Outreach	Pastoral issues, proselytization, missions.
Moral Issues	Abortion, divorce, sexuality, social justice, ethics.
Prayer	Requests for prayer, articles about prayer, spirituality.
Religion & Culture	Religious critique of secular culture, influence of religion on culture.
Religion & Politics	Church/state issues, legislation, court cases, 1st amendment, the political process.
Religion & Science	Creation, evolution, ethical issues posed by scientific advances.
Theology	Nature of God and religious truth, rational inquiry into religious questions.
Worship	Methods of worship, liturgy, communal prayer.

Denominational Topics	This is not intended to be a complete list, but rather to indicate broad categories.
Catholic	Latin rite, Eastern rites.
Charismatic Christian	Assemblies of God, pentacostalism, charismatic movement.
Eastern Religions	Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Taoism.
Evangelical Christian	Baptist, sola scriptura, non-denominational, independent fundamentalist Bible believers.
Islam	Sunni, Shiite, Sufism, Wahhabism.
Judaism	Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Karaite.
Mainline Protestant	Anglican, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Unitarian, UCC.
Orthodox Christian	Greek, Russian, Armenian, Antiochian etc.
Other Christian	7th Day Adventist, Churches of God, Messianic Christians, LDS, etc.
Other non-Christian	Baha'i, Zoroastrianism, animism, Wicca, etc.
Skeptics/Seekers	Agnosticism, atheism, secular humanism, etc.

[katnip]

What powers does God give his angels?

[RnMomof7]

His angels are not omnipresent..what does that word mean to you?

[katnip]

May God bless you every second of the day Father.
I'm off for a few days now.

[father_elijah]

We know that your journey has been difficult. We in Christ's holy Catholic Church are ready to receive you with arms wide open and to share with you the riches of His grace.

[tiki]

as long as Scripture continues to say what it says

According to what I have read in your remarks over time I would think that you should have written

as long as Scripture continues to say what I say it says

I wanted to stay away from you because of your obvious anti-everything except what you believe but I just couldn't hold back this morning.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Yes, sure, and you fools help hold her enslaved in ignorance. More the pity that she listens to the false gospel of men, repeated daily by the likes of you and OP, over the True Gospel of Christ's Church. You prevent her from returning to the Truth, and thus will answer to Christ.

2 Tim. 3:2-7:

v.2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves......v.5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: FROM SUCH TURN AWAY. For of this sort are they which creepnto houses, and lead captive sill women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, EVER LEARNING AND NEVER ABLE TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.

Becky

[tiki]

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

[tiki]

2 Timothy 3

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power;

Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

?

Becky

[OxfordMovement]

Hi Becky.

I hearby christen this "The Thread That Would Not Die".....LOL

OM

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Do we want it to die?:)

Actually, I think some good lessons have been learned here. I noticed alot of things about certain groups I hadn't before, and know who to TURN AWAY FROM:)

Becky

[tiki]

Just Scripture.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I realize it was scripture, but what was the point. I believe my point was clear, when I posted the same scripture, when you notice to whom it was posted. I can't believe that you would be going along with them on what they were saying, but I'm not sure if you are rebuking me, or agreeing with me. If a rebuke, why?

Becky

[tiki]

It isn't a rebuke but I did have a point though it was more obscure than I meant it to be.

My point is that it seems futile to quote Scripture in defense of a belief in this forum when it is common knowledge that each person interprets that same Scripture according to what they already believe. On a personal level it can say something very different to you than it does to me. Where it can do some good is when someone who really has an open mind and is willing to honestly learn and even debate its meaning in a rational rather than emotional manner.

It might be a wonderful thing if we started a thread where only the Bible was debated and there was no getcha/gotchas, no personal attacks, only truth as each person sees it and see where we have things in common rather than what we disagree about.

As to RNMom I feel she is under attack but after reading her posts for over a year now and reading her attacks against any person who doesn't believe the way she does, I'm not surprised.

[Revelation 911]

Yes, sure, and you fools help hold her enslaved in ignorance. More the pity that she listens to the false gospel of men, repeated daily by the likes of you and OP, over the True Gospel of Christ's Church. You prevent her from returning to the Truth, and thus will answer to Christ.

***ding**** we have a winner who's nailed it right on the head

[Revelation 911]

See my other post #93 to her here

[RnMomof7]

You will be gllad to know that Brian would agree with that post ..He believes that Protestants are at fault for the loss of respect for life and and the birth control and abortion culture..The only moral high ground is Catholic

[Revelation 911]

He believes that Protestants are at fault for the loss of respect for life and and the birth control and abortion culture..The only moral high ground is Catholic

listen to you - trying to stir up animosity. Ma - thats his opinion and hes entitled to it. But you know what the important part is? He loves Jesus, and recognizes Christ as his savior, Im sure lives a pious life and exemplifies Christian charity through his actions. Ask yourself honestly if you have put forth the same charity lately.

Like I said and I honestly mean - is there something special I can pray for you?

[RnMomof7]

No Brian and I have talked at length about this.I was not stiring up anything,however you were trying to stir up hate with that link..I only pointed out that Brian would not be shocked at it.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Interesting comments on both sides here.

Just to clarify, I like RnMom very much, we have had extensive chats via email on various topics, we've butted heads ferociously on many threads, and though I was very saddened by her behavior recently on another thread, overall I think she is an honest, sincere Christian woman.

Her outbursts are understandable given the current climate here.

She feels my Church is fundamentally wrong on many issues, deadly wrong on some.

Yet Catholic apologetics on this site is incredibly vibrant despite the current scandal, and we are gaining new reverts and converts weekly.

She cannot see the justice in this, as she sees it as Christians walking into error.

And despite the most intense apologetic efforts of her ardently Calvinist compatriots here, folks are rejecting their version of scriptural interpretation and embracing Catholic and Eastern Orthodox interpretations in droves.

If I saw many many folks leaving Catholicism for her Orthodox Presby positions, I too would be fighting mad, lashing out, angry and even hysterical at times, for I would see it as folks leaving Christ's Truth and entering severe error, an error based on a fundamentally flawed understanding of scripture.

So be patient and give RnMom some slack. She is only doing what she thinks is necessary, for the salvation of others' souls.

And yes, I do believe to the bottom of my heart that the foundations of protestantism is the very roots of modern western decadence and decay.

See my profile page if you would like to know why I would so ardently hold such an obviously unpopular position.

Besides the subjective involvement of being a former RCC member, given what to RnMom appears to be a full frontal attack on her belief system, an attack that is frankly bearing a lot of fruit here lately, I can understand her anger at the efforts of the Catholic Caucus and desire to counter Catholic apologetic efforts here.