I was hoping Walter would go with a Convergence church if he left the Baptists.
The man who ordained me was Roman Catholic at one time and spent several years in an RC seminary. He could tell you things you wouldn't believe. Anyway, he left and joined the Old Catholics. I won't say more about that.
In my searches years ago, I even briefly considered the RCC. In the end, there was just too much unscriptural stuff that I could not swallow. And, yes, I studied the RCC extensively, as I have most other denominations.
However, I will not say what some here have said about the RCC. They do affirm the Apostles and Nicene Creeds which are orthodox statements of the faith.
Bishop, I'm very impressed with the local convergence church.
Good liturgy and excellent preaching! But, my wife and I are relocating to an area that has none so it really isn't an option. I'm by no means finished with my studies.
We will see where the Lord takes me.
I am attending RCIA -currently on break- and I don't believe I'm rushing into anything. So far I have found reasonable answers to all the objections to the CC I held as a Baptist.
Reasonable answers can be false answers as human REASON is not final in authority but rather inspired REVELATION is final authority for faith and practice.
Inspired revelation is many times ABOVE human reason and requires FAITH rather than human REASON to accept.
I do not believe any advocate of Catholicism or Convergence churches deal with the scriptuers OBJECTIVELY or HONESTLY but rather approach it with the attempt to MAKE them fit what you already are leaning toward.
I say this because it is one thing to provide a RESPONSE to scriptures that teach contrary to your beliefs but it is quite another thing to seek the truth of those texts by objective exegesis.
For example, TS provided an RESPONSE to Romans 4:11 but his RESPONSE did not and cannot stand up to the scrutiny of objective exegesis of that text.
He could not deal directly with the immediate context and so he widened the context to generalities in order to RESPOND to a specific contextual teaching by Paul.
The defense of RCC is based upon such kind of eisgetical based RESPONSES that are REASONABLE but not Biblical.
If you found a wise and knowledgeable pastor I am sure he could answer your objections. Try a couple of IFB churches (hoping that you don't get in with the "Jack Hyles" crowd). We have people that drive 180 miles just to hear the preaching of the Word.
If I get an infraction, so be it. If I could think of an even more appropriate word for you, I'd use that. You like to use the word "cult", don't you? Well, I think you are a cult of one. I'm surprised you can even find one church that lives up to your standards.
You think you defend the scriptures and the Gospel. If Jesus were walking the Earth today, I don't think He would want you anywhere near Him. He probably couldn't meet your standards, either.
Yes, I would avoid the 'Hyles crowd'.
Just a comment there.
I personally think the problem with the Hyles organization is that Dr. Hyles had a bad habit of sweeping things under the carpet in order to "protect the ministry". He did that with his son. There is no way Hyles' son would have become a Pastor if all the filth was exposed like it should have been. A church ended up duped by the Hyles name and as a result the church was ruined by his own son. Hyles was also a very proud man who liked to create his own theology known as Hylesology. The worst of these 'new truths' was the idea of 'Easy Believism' which leaves out repentance or a change of life.
I apologize to Biblicist for calling him an idiot; I should not have said that. I should have just said that he was making idiotic statements. Anyone can make those and not be an idiot. I've done that myself.
Not trying to speak for him/her, but most of what I know about the mass indicates it to be very Christocentric - much more so than most of the Baptist churches in my area. And believe me... that's a majority here in South Alabama.
Obviously you do not know the difference between faith and feeling either and that proper feelings are determined by faith which is based upon Biblical facts not by false forms of worship.
Apparently you don't read too well either.
I never said they had to be completely separated. What I said was that feelings must directed by faith which has for its basis Biblical truth or else you have nothing but empty emotionalism and feelings that are worthless.
Catholic worship is EMPTY of Biblical truth and therefore whatever FEELINGS one gets from ceremony and lavious surroundings is worthless.
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You are from Michigan, and obviously don't know much about the western and northern parts of Canada.
Shouldn't they be worshiping with their local assembly?
Yes, and they are.
Why are they driving so far--and probably passing a bunch of baptist churches on the way?
Because they aren't passing a bunch of baptist churches on the way. There are none between them and here. Unlike some of your cities and states, we don't have Baptist churches on every corner. If you look on a map, I will put things into perspective for you. You live in Michigan; I live in Alberta. When I went to Bible College, in all of the province of Alberta there were only four Fundamental Baptist Churches, or churches that I could recommend. From Edmonton, Alberta to Winnipeg, Manitoba, there were none. That is a distance of over 800 miles that one could drive and not find one solitary Baptist church. Our provinces are much larger than your states. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are all prairie provinces--the great wheat fields of the nation. It is nothing but flat land and small towns. The growth of Baptist churches has been very slow.
Perhaps that gives you some idea of the mission field that lies to your north.
Since you know not the mind of God, your pontifications regarding Catholic worship are nothing more than absolute drivel and an embarrassment! Of course, that's never stopped you before...:rolleyes:
I give
my interpretation just as you do but I can back them up with Scripture and that is the difference between us!
"Pontifications" is a derogatory remark that mocks the head of the Catholic church not Baptists.