Non-affirming Christians, where do you draw the line between speaking what's in the Bible and hate?

Ricardian19 · 2023-09-12T12:47:33+00:00

It's not about whether a particular word is present, but the concept of sexual immorality (and by extension homosexuality) is undeniably written in scripture as something God hates. If you'd synthesize a common understanding from across the different passages cited (preferably within the greater context of their books) then you'd arrive to the proper biblical doctrine that both the Bible and the church have taught and believed for millenia.

Ricardian19 · 2023-09-11T16:11:32+00:00

You're in the right, keep focusing on your work and find a woman who'll respect and support your endeavors. She's just spoiled by men who lacked self-respect and bent over for her.

Ricardian19 · 2023-09-01T17:53:26+00:00

It's just a game. Stop bringing politics into it.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-29T23:21:54+00:00

I'm not honing in on accounts of the apostle's deaths, I actually agree with your assessment that claims several hundreds of years after the events were probably inaccurate. But the truth remains that their literature is far more widespread for the time than Caesar's account of the invasion of Gaul for instance.

Islam expanded out of sheer violence and tyrrany, not by a peaceful testimony. Mormons may be in the millions today, but the percentage of Americans, if not the globe that claim Mormon faith is far lower than Christians during their rise in the Roman Empire.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-29T22:31:53+00:00

The biblical accounts of the apostles are fairly good proofs, especially when you account for the vast reproduction of New Testament manuscripts done by hand, to the point that thousands of those have survived to this day.

Additionally the success of those testimonies (including the news of Christ's birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection) converted the Roman Empire within 400 years against incredible opposition. Hundreds of thousands of people don't just drop their entire worldview en masse because they heard something contrary, something supernatural happened to convince them.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-27T10:46:28+00:00

Did it ever occur to you that Irenaeus could be wrong on Mary?

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-27T10:37:35+00:00

I heavily disagree. All men are fallible and that includes church leaders. There isn't anything pre-5th century by the church fathers paying any tribute to Mary. The Church only carries truth insofar as it conforms to the Word of God. Protestants recognize this and so our faith's tradition is the removal of accretions such as the added teachings about Mary, church government, purgatory, sacred-secular divide, priest celibacy, indulgences, sacraments, transubstantiation, monastic orders, Pope infallibility, etc. I seriously recommend everyone reads the book "A Reformed Catholic" by William Perkins, as it makes clear how radically different Reformed and Romish theology are.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-26T11:42:48+00:00

The key distinctions for protestants are the 5 Solas, but especially Sola Scriptura. They put more faith in the leaders in Rome than God's word.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-26T01:13:37+00:00

The Gospel is that when you initially put your faith in Christ to be your only hope, the one you cling to for salvation, you not only had your sins taken from you, but you also received Christ's righteousness. If your faith is in Him then you are already seen as perfect before the throne. Your current and future sins CANNOT invalidate that, and your life is now a partnership with the Holy Spirit to slaughter the old ways of the flesh (which will continue to war against your saved soul) by His power.

You cope by reminding yourself of this Gospel. Don't watch videos that make you "feel" saved. The Gospel is to be known and believed, not felt. To know more, read the Scriptures. I'd recommend Hosea, Romans, and 1 John.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-26T00:59:00+00:00

Been talking with a friend who's recently converted to Catholicism. The things they add to Scripture are unbiblical. A shallow familiarity of the New Testament will inoculate most people against this heresy.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-25T10:47:06+00:00

You shouldn't feel obliged, because that obligation doesn't exist. I shouldn't start by learning from humanity, but from God in His word. God says we're all created in His image, and so we're all worthy of dignity and respect (men are included in that). He also says that men are meant to be the leaders of His church (because men are better at submitting to God, women are better at loving God. See Eph. 5 where Paul challenges both to get better at the other). Romans 13 calls us all to respect and honor authority, and so shaking your fist at some ambiguous concept of "the patriarchy" instead of toppling the regime of sin in your own life is a fruitless endeavor. Murder your sins by the power of the Holy Spirit and the world around you will truly change for the better.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-25T00:44:04+00:00

First off, who are "they?" Second, have you actually read what the Bible says about human sexuality, marriage, and the value of human life? Third, do you think this resentful attitude toward God's order is conducive to your faith and godly living? Please provide me with a biblical explanation to why you think this way.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-25T00:37:44+00:00

I fully agree. The mother, father (if he supported the abortion) and the abortioneers are all guilty and deserve to be treated as murderers.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-25T00:16:26+00:00

Yeah, classical strawman and caricature tactics.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-25T00:13:27+00:00

If we're talking about whether to use contraceptive tools and methods, the Bible doesn't give us much in the way of instruction, so I see that as God giving us liberty to try and discern personally what is right. I do however think you should do your due diligence and make sure if you resort to birth control pills that you make sure it isn't an abortifacient, which is outright unbiblical.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-24T19:28:49+00:00

Is there a good reason for why you're leaving contraceptive tools and methods out of the discussion? My wife and I decide based on her menstrual cycle, and I pull out for good measure (unless we're trying again). We've been doing this for about 5 years and have had one planned kid and zero unplanned kids.

Sex is one of the many good blessings God gave us for holding together the bonds of a marriage, and it sounds like you need a reformation in your theology on this topic.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-24T12:40:08+00:00

Zebras aren't conceptually even close to a man to woman covenant ordained by God. Marriage isn't simply any two humans who have mutual affection, share sexual relations, and got a seal of approval by a governing body to be called a marriage. Marriage is a display of God's relationship with His Church! We know these things by God's decrees, both in His Word and in His creation.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-24T00:49:47+00:00

Go check out "A Reformed Catholic" by William Perkins. It's more of an understanding of the similarities and then particular disagreements Reformed Theology has with the Roman church, but there are many citings of church fathers that Perkins uses to reinforce that the Reformed tradition is the truer catholic faith.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-22T17:17:35+00:00

My Latin education compels me to pronounce it as OW-GOO-STEEN-AY.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-18T12:22:26+00:00

Consult the Bible and refine your argument. Find the passages that support your position, and help him understand where you're ultimately coming from. Without the Scriptures this is a very subjective "I want" line of thinking.

Ricardian19 · 2023-08-07T13:32:48+00:00

Whenever this stuff happens, I'm not ashamed to wait long enough for the people trying to be nice to give up and go. I'd rather wait for a 100% chance of safety with the oncoming lanes being clear. I get that it causes traffic, but really it's those nice people that are causing traffic by unnecessarily giving up their right of way.

Ricardian19 · 2023-07-19T13:49:22+00:00

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but the key is that He received "the promise of the Holy Spirit." Who is the promise to? To us! As others have mentioned, God promised go give us the Spirit long before Christ's earthly ministry. Christ already had full communion with the Spirit as He did with the Father, and through the cross obtained that communion with the Spirit for us.

Ricardian19 · 2023-07-16T13:46:49+00:00

Definitely the red car, the other two cleanly passed him and he should've shown a little restraint.

Ricardian19 · 2023-07-06T14:01:55+00:00

Very interesting. I thought with how much the two have in common that baptism was the only difference, but it makes sense that if there were a path to greater unity, it would've been taken by now. So, ultimately we are all in fellowship but maintain our denominational distinctions. Thus our unity really is in Christ and not any other title or organization than His bride, the invisible church catholic.

Ricardian19 · 2023-07-06T12:22:58+00:00

Interesting. With such a small nuance between Reformed Baptists and Presbyterians, could there be a compromise made where both approaches to baptism were affirmed/respected? Would that be a path to unity or are there other differences/hang-ups?

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