Question for those who oppose mandate of Meatless Friday's

My guess is that responses to your question will be along the lines of: 1)doctrines of demons or 2) those are requirements of attending a private school - not matters of faith.

For me it comes down to this.

We are all free to believe as we believe. We are free to associate with those who believe as we do.

If someone doesn't believe that Christ gave authority to the Church, then they are free not to be members of the Church.

If someone doesn't believe what Baptist's believe, then they are free not to be members of a baptist church.

Ron

 

Here is a questions for you:

If I am a catholic and I eat meat on fridays, do I risk damnation because of it?

If I am an IFB and I sign the contract but go dance in my dorm room to some rock music, do I risk damnation because of it?

Thanks,
jason

 

You have hit the nail on the head in my opinion.
There are those who are Baptists, Rcs or whatever in name but are such in name only due to laziness or having only a tepid faith.

For those who wish to live their faith in a more full and conscientious way consent to guidelines or rules or whatever through free choice or else they move away.

I fast or pray or attend church through my personal free choice because I want to have Jesus My Lord central in my life. I have joined a conservative church through free choice and am prepared to follow stipulations imposed.

 

I agree. To me it's a part of freewill. It's a lot like the new commandment of Jesus Christ to love God above all things, and love our neighbor as ourselves. If we do this, we fulfill all the other commandments, all the "thou shall nots". It is a higher standard based on love.

 

I think very few of those in the Christian school or college would say that obeying the rules does anything for salvation or grace.

If someone chooses not to eat meat on Friday out of personal conviction that is totally up to them (Romans 14).

But as a church mandate as a means of achieving grace it is adding works to grace, which, imho, flies in the face of scripture. If grace can be earned, than is it really grace?

 

Is it then, simply a matter of obedience to church authorities?

Out of curiosity since I really don't know. Is Meatless Friday still a Church mandate?

 

Yes, we are still required to abstain from meat on Fridays in Lent. On other Fridays during the year we are to either abstain from meat or perform some other self imposed discipline.

Abstaining from meat on Fridays is a communal practice of self disciple to remind us that we are to be more concerned with the spiritual than with the worldly. The slight pangs of discomfort that we experience from such self disciplines are meant to strengthen our resolve to more fully seek God, follow Christ, and resist the temptations to sin.

It is imposed on the Church as a whole as a reminder that we are one in Christ.

Ron

 

So, now I am confused. What does "required to abstain" mean? Earlier we are told that it is not a salvation issue, but if the church mandates something, and you disagree or don't do it, it is a salvation issue (as you would know what you are doing and be outside the church).

Can someone please explain this?

 

I am a little confused as well.
I have never been to a church that would make me sign something to not listen to music or drink or anything, though I am sure they are out there. I wouldnt go to one though.

having said that however, I dont know that it is the same thing.

I believe a Pastor in charge of his church saying "Dont drink", for instance, would be mandating it because he feels as though it is sinful, and wants to keep impurities out of his church.
The Catholic church not eating meat on Fridays is simply mandating the parishoners to fast for sacrificial reasons.
The two really arent parallel at all.

I have been to churches that did a church-wide fast. I cant remember the reason and I didnt participate, but I dont necessarily see a problem with it. What I am sort of concerned with, is that in this day and age, going a day without meat is no sacrifice at all, especially since fish and other seafood is allowed. Cereal for breakfast, tuna or peanut butter for lunch, and fish and chips for dinner, hardly seems like it would cause pangs of any sort. It almost seems frivolous to me.. sort of like, having thursday be "hawaiian shirt day" for all baptists..

I understand, that that could seem pretty disrespectful of me to say, but I can only speak from experience. I went to a Catholic school growing up, and I can remember fighting with the lady who drove me to school one Friday about my tuna fish sandwich. I was very concerned that my mother would pack me meat, and this lady was telling me that fish wasnt meat.. It seemed foolish to me. It might not to other people, but in my eyes, I guess all I can say is
'

I JUST DONT GET IT!!!!

 

Living4Him --

I think that the difference here is that you are asking about a school, not a church. I don't think a church would use the same ideas, although I am sure some would like to. Schools are completely different, and one cannot use a school's rules in order to define a church's rules.

I once worked in a Baptist school that would not allow me to wear my right-to-life lapel pin! They were directly related to a Bpatist church, which had no problem with my wearing it. i think schools can get by with things a church cannot and should not.