Fundamentalists abstaining from the appearance of evil?

[TCassidy]

How do we, as believers, react when our faith is falsely attacked?

Do you acquiesce to the false charges and say nothing, or do we do all we can to counter those false charges?

I, for one, will not idly stand by while my faith is attacked from either without (allowing the media to do our thinking for us) or from within (allowing legalism and false doctrine to masquerade as truth). That is what the true fundamentalists should have been preaching, teaching, and writing against since the 1940s. Had they been faithful we would not find ourselves in this quandary today.

But we let the left leaning compromised "leadership" define the issues and were too "spiritual" to contend (fight) for the faith once delivered.

Do I have a strong affinity to my IFB background? You bet I do! The true IFBs. Not the fake IFBxers I have been doing battle against for decades, but the true IFBers. The fundamental IFBers.

Just do a Search for IFBx under my user name and you will see I have always defended the true IFBs in the face of the Xer nonsense.

 

[TCassidy]

An example would be on the Baptist use of "catholic" to refer to itself. This wouldn't do today, not because belief has changed but because of word association.

Except I believe the idea of a "catholic" or "universal" church is nonsense, so your example fails on that point.

I believe the church is a local, organized, assembly, of baptized believers. The "all of the redeemed" group is the Family of God or the Kingdom of God, but never "the church" (universal).

 

[Reformed]

Except I believe the idea of a "catholic" or "universal" church is nonsense, so your example fails on that point.

I believe the church is a local, organized, assembly, of baptized believers. The "all of the redeemed" group is the Family of God or the Kingdom of God, but never "the church" (universal).

And I am a believer in such "nonsense". But this is not news.

 

[TCassidy]

Yes, I know. Most on here believe in the oxymoronic unassembled assembly.

 

[Reformed]

Yes, I know. Most on here believe in the oxymoronic unassembled assembly.

Thank you for the compliment. I am misty-eyed.

 

[TCassidy]

I am misty-eyed.

Me too, but I think it is due to my advanced age.

 

[Reformed]

Me too, but I think it is due to my advanced age.

Seriously though, it is a good topic to discuss. I sense a new thread beginning soon. Keep a weather eye on the horizon.

 

[JonC]

Except I believe the idea of a "catholic" or "universal" church is nonsense, so your example fails on that point.

I believe the church is a local, organized, assembly, of baptized believers. The "all of the redeemed" group is the Family of God or the Kingdom of God, but never "the church" (universal).

I do as well. But at the same time I (as Southern Baptist) can't read J.R. Graves or R.B.C. Howell and pretend they are referring to the RCC. The word as they used has lost its significance.

My point stands. You understand what was being said by "catholic". Many today don't, any more than they understand what may be the meaning of "fundamental".

I don't think you will "get" the point. As a Texan you are by definition a fundamentalist, or so I've been told - Texans will exercise their fundamental right to fundamentally shoot in one of those fundamental areas of the body, if provoked the right way.

 

[Salty]

How about calling ourselves plain ole Christians then?

Yet, many who call themselves "Christians" are not truly born again - think Mormors, ect.

Going back to the OP - how about this week - talk to five people you know -(outside of church) and ask them their definition of a fundamentalist?

 

[TCassidy]

Going back to the OP - how about this week - talk to five people you know -(outside of church) and ask them their definition of a fundamentalist?

Why? Do we let the world define other theological terms?

 

[Salty]

Why? Do we let the world define other theological terms?

No, we dont, but we need to make sure they understand what we are saying.

 

[TCassidy]

No, we dont, but we need to make sure they understand what we are saying.

I agree. We need to tell them the fundamentals of the Christian faith are:

1. The Deity of Christ.
2. The Virgin Birth.
3. The Blood Atonement.
4. The Bodily Resurrection.
5. The inerrancy of scripture.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Google it.

it's a strange beast, an offshoot of Armstrongism. Modern Judaizers who deny the deity of Christ

So how do you get a judaizer who deny the dirty of Christ from Radical Christian?

 

[robycop3]

My church is indy fundy, believing NO man-made doctrines of faith/worship nor any man-made rules of faith/worship.

 

[Salty]

My church is indy fundy, believing NO man-made doctrines of faith/worship nor any man-made rules of faith/worship.

Depends on interpertution.!!!
do you use musical instruments in your church - some would say that is a man-made doctrine.....

Does your pastor request people to stand up when reading the scripture text and/or responsive reading?

lots of examples that could come under that thinking.

 

[1689Dave]

It looks to me as if you are allowing the media to do your thinking for you.

And there you did it again.

That appears to be evil to me. Maybe you better stop doing that.

Thanks for the reply. As I understand, they think identifying themselves as being "Fundamental" might backfire and drive people away.

 

[1689Dave]

We don't use "Fundamental" in our church name or on our church sign (never have). If we did I would not find the above reasoning compelling for such a change.

First of all, I agree with Brother Cassidy that this is a misunderstanding of the meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:22. The idea is not to avoid every thing that might appear/seem to be evil to someone, but to avoid evil in whatever shape it appears. The misunderstanding will leave us exhausted, running in circles chasing our tails. It chains us as slaves to the perceptions of others. Now, I believe there are times we need to consider what we are at liberty to do that is seen by our brothers & sisters as sinful (1 Corinthians 8 provides a good example of this). We need not wet our fingers to stick in the wind of the world to find our directions.

Second, considering the interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 5:22, then I would place the dis-associations of the later things based on whether they appear in a shape of evil. I'd stay that would fit with some politicians! We consider the overall theory of Freemasonry to be rooted in a works-based system of salvation, so we avoid it in our church membership. Not sure about service clubs. You mean like being a member of the Kiwanis? Rotary? Lions? Etc.?

Thanks for taking time to explain this. I believe Paul would not violate a weak brother's conscience if the brother was not enlightened in certain matters. Sohe would abstain from the appearance of what the brother thought was evil. It would be like wearing a chip on your shoulder doing all the things your church might think is sin, even though it is not.

 

[HankD]

So how do you get a judaizer who deny the dirty of Christ from Radical Christian?

Ask them.

What is the Hebrew Roots movement?

Hebrew Roots Movement: A Spiraling Doctrine of Deception

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

But it does have something to do with how one is perceived. So the question is whether a church name is to convey meaning to the church or to those outside the church. If the former, then perhaps it would be a mistake to remove "fundamental". If the latter, perhaps not.

An example would be on the Baptist use of "catholic" to refer to itself. This wouldn't do today, not because belief has changed but because of word association.

Perhaps an addition to the signage that explains what you are meaning by “fundamentals”

For example brethren, I define myself as a Christian Radical, boy and does that word ‘radical’ ever get questioned! Anyway I mean it is the Latin for ‘root’ — “radix.” I see a radical as one who moves beyond the liberal and conservative branches of an institution and goes back to the fundamental questioning..... therefore I mean it to define one who goes back to the root and the root cause of things. Anyway, that is how I define one who is a “Radical Christian.” And yes it is one who also goes toward the basic fundamentals of Jesus teaching ‘s of love, of forgiveness, of obedience.... what it does not refer to is how you dress, your hair length etc.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Ask them.

What is the Hebrew Roots movement?

I don’t know, perhaps Ethiopian Jews???

If I have the name David Ben Abraham, do you perceive me to be a Hebrew?