Jinx 2 said:
LIB,MR BEARS said:
Jinx 2 said:
LIB,MR BEARS said:
LIB,MR BEARS said:
Dear mods, please treat me differently than all the other posters because I mean well and they are a bunch of meanies.
Sincerely,
Waco47
President Waco Chapter of
Margaret Sanger Fan Club
Where our motto is "Cut the brother out or keep the brother down."
From my point, yes, mine are personal attacks. I want you out of the pulpit, FOREVER. The word counterfeit is appropriate here. What you say/post/teach looks a great deal like scripture just as a counterfeit bill looks a great deal like the real thing. I'm not a fan of counterfeit bills nor counterfeit teaching of Christ.
No sugar coating. Just a good solid personal attack on a message board. Hiding in sheeps clothing just isn't my style.
Serious question: Does Pastor John MacArthur, in that interview with Ben Shapiro you posted on another thread, reflect your views? For the most part, yes.
And, if so, can you live with respect and tolerance for anyone--both people of other faiths or people of no faiths--who don't agree with those views? I have a lot of friends with many different faiths and many with no faith, for that matter. I have family members that fall into the same categories.
Do you even believe those who don't share those views are Christians? Or are they--as you say above--"counterfeit"? I'm not the one who determines who is a Christian and who is not. However, the bible gives us great instruction. The word "counterfeit" is directed at a teacher, not a student. Teachers of God's word are held to a higher standard.
And if they're counterfeit, what do you think should happen to them? Do you trust God to deal with them in His own way? Or do you think you need to take action, specifically via personal attacks on this thread? Are there any other ways you think you should take action? Again, to be clear, I am not coming down on people of a different faith. I am coming down on someone I believe to be a false teacher. I found the following that sums things up pretty well.
1. Gospel-Centered Churches Recognize False Teaching/Teachers (Titus 1:10-13)
When doctors are in medical school, part of their training involves diagnosing illnesses by the symptoms that present themselves. In the same way, Paul provides us with some diagnostic tools to recognize false teaching. He instructs us to observe their character (insubordinate, empty talkers, deceivers, etc.), their tactics (upsetting whole families, playing to the culture), and their motivation (shameful gain).
2. Gospel-Centered Churches Rebuke False Teaching/Teachers (Titus 1:13-14)
When Paul says "Rebuke them sharply" he uses a play on words with the false teachers' promotion of circumcision. In effect Paul says something like, "Use the sharp knife of correction with those who wield the dull blade of circumcision." Paul is not advocating legal action, nor is he promoting a witch hunt. But false teaching is so dangerous that it requires corrective action. The goal of that corrective action is "so that they may be sound in the faith" (1:13). The word translated "sound" can also mean healthy. True spiritual health comes from the gospel, not false teaching.
3. Gospel-Centered Churches Resist False Teaching/Teachers (Titus 1:15-16)
Knowledge of what the gospel teaches about various subjects is the preventative vaccine that enables the believer to resist false teaching. Truly embracing this vaccine produces not merely head knowledge of the gospel, but good works that flow out genuine saving faith.
Responses above in bold
Thanks for a respectful response. Unsurprisingly, I don't like Pastor McArthur's assumption of spiritual authority and rectitude, agree with his belief that abortion is "killing babies," or accept his guidance on how to vote. On a very basic level, saving the planet is more important to me than any other issue. And the Republicans are moving us in the opposite direction.
How can one be "prolife" and support policies that are undermining the planet that sustains us? Turns out that's very easy if you deny what's happening to the planet is caused by people and encourage your followers and party members to do the same (or acknowledge that we are having an impact, but view it as all part of God's plan for the End Times).
And who gets to decide whose interpretation of the Bible/the Gospel is correct? For example, I had some Baptist friends growing up who did not accept my infant Baptism (which had been done by my uncle, a Methodist minister) as valid. This was a big deal back in those days.
Our views of the world and our place in it are so very different as to be irreconcilable--and I have many of the same issues with Pastor McArthur's views that I do with fundamentalist Muslims, ultra-orthodox Jewish sects where women are second-class citizens, Mormons and other churches that have a strong authority/submission culture. I guess the only way to start is to figure out what we agree on. For example, perhaps we both support the rule of law even if we don't agree with all of the particulars (like legal abortion and gay marriage and unrestricted gun rights).
You said: "How can one be "prolife" and support policies that are undermining the planet that sustains us?" There is a great deal of manipulated data in the global warming/climate change crowd. It would benefit their position to call it out when it occurs as it keeps others from committing to the cause. (yes, I understand this same argument can be made for many causes on both the right and the left)
Out of the approximately 60 million abortions in the US, how many of those potentially would have grown up to be scientist, climatologist or decision makers that could have made a difference?
You said: "who gets to decide whose interpretation of the Bible/the Gospel is correct?" There are hundreds of others on this board that can do a better job of answering this question. However, I will still give you my opinion. Take it with a VERY small grain of salt. The Bible isn't just to be read but to be studied. Some of it is history, some is songs or poems, some is prayers, some is prophecy and more still. When we read it, we should consider context, audience, original language and how that language has been used previously (again, others could do much better at this than I). So we study the bible with these things in mind but we don't quit studying. We should do it for a lifetime.
I am a big fan of Alistair Begg.
https://www.truthforlife.org/ He frequently says "The main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things." I think he is right. Without looking it up, there is a story in the Bible where a man places his faith in Jesus and then baptizes all his household. That, in my eye differs somewhat from other places in the Bible regarding baptism. The thing is though, the timing of your baptism, to my knowledge isn't specifically addressed. As a result, I don't think the timing is nearly as big an issue as faith and repentance.
My concern for you isn't the timing of your baptism but is your faith. If I remember correctly, within the last month, you have said, more or less, that you have given up Christianity although, you do still pray. If I have you mistaken with someone else, I apologize.
I'd be happy for others to chime in and get their views.