Featured Unity or Purity?

The problem up here in the north is when nobody goes....kinda forces them to close their doors....lack of funds. Now the stats for Northern NJ.....less than 2 % attend weekly services. The population is transient & the taxes are high. You loose your job &/or retire and you cant live here on your savings. People move in but more have been moving out. They don't even care about dissension in the ranks .... most church goers are to dumb to even know what theology, sotorology, or what sound doctrine even is.... not endemic to their lives. Most are pissed off Catholics anyway. Halloween trick & treat & Easter Egg Hunts are big here & Churches that dont do it are looked on as strange. Show them a nice time, sing a few "God" songs & tell them Jesus loves them & they will write you a check.

That be what going on up here in the "Noth"....least New Joisey! :smilewinkgrin:

 

That is a risk. However if a church consistently teaches what it believes it's less likely to run into that problem. Also, a well informed membership, and elders who take their pastoral charge seriously, are a good defense.

 

Where do you find enough people who care enough to do that? Oh I forgot, your from the West.

 

Archie Bunker on New Jersey: "Somebody's gotta live there!" :laugh:

 

Why can't we have both?

Truth does not have to be divisive, and unity does not have to be inclusive.

If it were so, then God would have just stamped out a bunch of robots.

http://www.equip.org/articles/truth-in-religion-the-plurality-of-religions-and-the-unity-at-truth/

 

Because people are sinful. The Bible is clear that the Gospel, and the Cross, are stumbling blocks and cause division. Jesus Himself said this is why He came...

Mat 10:34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
Mat 10:36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
Mat 10:37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

 

Somebody did.....most of the Pharmaceutical Houses....Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Phizer , BASF, Sanofi-Adventis, Novartis, Mennen, Givadan

Then M&M / Mars, AT&T & Western Electric, Goldman-Sucks, Casio, Bear Stearns

Princeton Univ, Rutgers, Stevens Institute, UNDNJ

 

When somebody tells you Reformed Theology is absurd, & those who believe it are both misinformed & mean spirited, then what do you say?

 

Usually nothing.

 

That tells me much.

 

My own church. Our members are well informed. They are quite able to identify false teaching before it gets to the elders. I thank God that our elders have stood up, more than once, to falsehood and gave it the quick boot out the door. Our church is not unique in this. I know quite a few churches that are standing firm.

 

Up here Mo, I dont even see churches conducting bible study so good for you. When this Lutheran Pastor indicated the other day that they conduct study on Wednesday & Sunday, I was impressed. When he stated it was his responsibility to school interested people in learning more & more & more, then I was intrigued.

Now how do I interact with a guy who believes in Universal Atonement v Definite Atonement? How do I take communion with people who believe in Consubstantiation & how do I deal with their belief in sacraments (infant baptism)? Even now, Im grinding my teeth.

I have no recourse but to set myself apart from them & not get polluted with their ridiculous rituals while not offending them.

I thought about it all night & this morning and I concluded that I would seriously go to my death before I would become a false Christian & accept those rituals & that Universal Atonement that smells alot like Roman Catholicism. I AM SERIOUS. Now, what to do? Am I so desperate for fellowship that Id put myself in a position to worship with these people? I really dont know what to do at this juncture.

 

What area of the country do you live in?

 

Really? You can make a judgment based on that?

 

I think these are excellent suggestions!

 

Your silence

 

Thanks but I'm fearful that strong resemblance to Roman Catholics will turn me off & I am really not interested in joining them so will look at this as an expariment. Maybe what I really need to do is get out of the area.

 

But isn't their comment mean spirited and rude ..I certainly view it as an assault!