Last night I was sitting with a friend of mine and we were discussing the Church, talking about how different Christians and/or denominations get fixated on a certain theological issue and that "denominations cause division". Our conclusion on the issue was that people are so divided in the Church because of ignorance and pride. Ignorance results in them performing actions that are unbiblical or results in a severe disdain and "protest" of another doctrine or even form of worship. For example, I think that the Protestant Church is primarily ignorant of the things within the Catholic Church. I've learned this from time spent in research and in deep discussion with my friend Tiller. Additionally, our pride locks us up in our ignorance and keeps us from admitting error in our theology or even exploring other traditions of thought! It's really quite sad.
When I got to Bryan College as a freshman, I dreaded telling people that I was a member of the Church of God. Immediately, their pride rose up and began to oppose me. I had people thinking that that I didn't believe in the Trinity and that I handled snakes on a weekly basis. I was told that I didn't know how to read the bible (which wasn't untrue, but not for the reasons they claimed) and accused of being extremely prideful (again, not untrue but not for the reasons they stated). Every Calvinist I came across wanted to attack what I believed, and everyone wanted to prove that tongues doesn't exist anymore.
I am more or less a Calvinist now, but I still believe in tongues. Quite frankly I probably would have come to my theological standpoint a lot sooner if it hadn't been for the pride and ignorance of those people who tried so hard to change the way I thought. I was sickened by them and I even told my friend Myles, "how can they be right when they are so prideful and malicious?" If such lines of thought led to that insensitivity to the Spirit and a lack of spiritual change, then I didn't want it. Thank God that He has led me away from my own pride and helped to set up within me the wonderful ability to love and to be sensitive to others paradigms and histories and so forth.
I pray that God will eliminate pride in the Church...so that maybe ignorance can begin to be obliterated.
Peace be upon you all,
Stephen
When I got to Bryan College as a freshman, I dreaded telling people that I was a member of the Church of God. Immediately, their pride rose up and began to oppose me. I had people thinking that that I didn't believe in the Trinity and that I handled snakes on a weekly basis. I was told that I didn't know how to read the bible (which wasn't untrue, but not for the reasons they claimed) and accused of being extremely prideful (again, not untrue but not for the reasons they stated). Every Calvinist I came across wanted to attack what I believed, and everyone wanted to prove that tongues doesn't exist anymore.
I am more or less a Calvinist now, but I still believe in tongues. Quite frankly I probably would have come to my theological standpoint a lot sooner if it hadn't been for the pride and ignorance of those people who tried so hard to change the way I thought. I was sickened by them and I even told my friend Myles, "how can they be right when they are so prideful and malicious?" If such lines of thought led to that insensitivity to the Spirit and a lack of spiritual change, then I didn't want it. Thank God that He has led me away from my own pride and helped to set up within me the wonderful ability to love and to be sensitive to others paradigms and histories and so forth.
I pray that God will eliminate pride in the Church...so that maybe ignorance can begin to be obliterated.
Peace be upon you all,
Stephen
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