This post is a response to some comments left on this post from a few days ago. I wanted to respond in a new post so this important issue wouldn't get lost in a comment box halfway down the page. I had posted an article published by the Presbyterian church which I thought would be good for Whitworth students to read and Andrew replied (paraphrased), "Good luck getting someone from Faith Bible to read that article." Andrew, let me know if I interpreted your comment correctly.
I believe Andrew is referring to a non-denominational church up here in Spokane. Whitworth seems to be split about 50/50 between people who grew up in mainline churches and people who grew up in non-denominational congregations (I'll run over to the registrar's office and check on those stats). I personally don't care whether a church is mainline or non-denominational as long as they put Christ at the center of their worship. The problem Andrew is alluding to (I believe) is that many people who go to non-denominational churches have an inherent distrust of mainline churches. I think this is really a shame. For God's sake people! (and I'm not using the Lord's name in vain here) If you're mainline protestant, non-denominational, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic, Fundamentalist, or whatever so long as you worship Christ, you are all worshipping the same God and are a part of the same body of Christ!
I think it's unfortunate that denominational differences have separated the church. For God's sake people! Get it though your head that denominational differences are only human imposed divisions in the church. Can't you learn to see and appreciate the way the Orthodox tradition sees God or how the Evangelical tradition sees God or how Presbyterians see God or how Methodists see God? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not promoting an every man for himself kind of faith here, I think we always need to guard ourselves against the temptation of conforming God to our paeronal ideas in a heretical way, but for the most part, I think different doctrines are simply human divisions on the church. I don't know if all the Christians in the world from all different denomoinational backgrounds will ever join in a united church in earth. In fact, I'm more apt to believe that humans are incapable of doing this. Fortunately though, what is impossible with man is possible with God. Geez, won't it piss some of us off when we find ourselves sharing the same heaven with Catholics, Pentecostals, Lutherans and even (ick!) Presbyterians?!?!?!?
(Disclaimer: The last sentence was sarcastic, just in case you couldn't tell. I don't believe denominational differences will carry over into heaven and I don't think in heaven we'll give a second though to what branch of Christianity someone was a part of in their earthly life. That's kind of the point of the whole rant.)
Rant over (for now)
I believe Andrew is referring to a non-denominational church up here in Spokane. Whitworth seems to be split about 50/50 between people who grew up in mainline churches and people who grew up in non-denominational congregations (I'll run over to the registrar's office and check on those stats). I personally don't care whether a church is mainline or non-denominational as long as they put Christ at the center of their worship. The problem Andrew is alluding to (I believe) is that many people who go to non-denominational churches have an inherent distrust of mainline churches. I think this is really a shame. For God's sake people! (and I'm not using the Lord's name in vain here) If you're mainline protestant, non-denominational, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Catholic, Fundamentalist, or whatever so long as you worship Christ, you are all worshipping the same God and are a part of the same body of Christ!
I think it's unfortunate that denominational differences have separated the church. For God's sake people! Get it though your head that denominational differences are only human imposed divisions in the church. Can't you learn to see and appreciate the way the Orthodox tradition sees God or how the Evangelical tradition sees God or how Presbyterians see God or how Methodists see God? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not promoting an every man for himself kind of faith here, I think we always need to guard ourselves against the temptation of conforming God to our paeronal ideas in a heretical way, but for the most part, I think different doctrines are simply human divisions on the church. I don't know if all the Christians in the world from all different denomoinational backgrounds will ever join in a united church in earth. In fact, I'm more apt to believe that humans are incapable of doing this. Fortunately though, what is impossible with man is possible with God. Geez, won't it piss some of us off when we find ourselves sharing the same heaven with Catholics, Pentecostals, Lutherans and even (ick!) Presbyterians?!?!?!?
(Disclaimer: The last sentence was sarcastic, just in case you couldn't tell. I don't believe denominational differences will carry over into heaven and I don't think in heaven we'll give a second though to what branch of Christianity someone was a part of in their earthly life. That's kind of the point of the whole rant.)
Rant over (for now)
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