Trump's Christian supporters are unchristian

[JimL]

You're right, Jimmy, that is a dumb misrepresentation of Christian theology. The fact that you have to so blatantly distort what the Bible says in order to argue against it should be a wake-up call.

Your own words there MM, your own words. How is one saved- "Only if you repent and accept his (gods) mercy through the death and resurrection of Jesus christ." Is this, your theology, correct? Then so am I. It's an idiotic thing to believe.

[JimL]

Like I said, if you think you're going to be able to stand on your own merits before an almighty God and "good enough" your way into heaven then you have nothing to worry about. But you had better be damn sure you really are "good enough" just in case this whole atheism thing doesn't pan out.

And like I said, it's an idiotic thing to believe that an omniscient, just, and merciful god would judge and punish people due to their lack of belief. Sorry, but it's just idiotic.

[Mountain Man]

Like I said, if you think you're going to be able to stand on your own merits before an almighty God and "good enough" your way into heaven then you have nothing to worry about. But you had better be damn sure you really are "good enough" just in case this whole atheism thing doesn't pan out. Or you can accept God's forgiveness now and remove all doubt.

It's up to you.

[Mountain Man]

And like I said, it's an idiotic thing to believe that an omniscient, just, and merciful god would judge and punish people due to their lack of belief. Sorry, but it's just idiotic.

If that's really what you believe beyond any doubt then no worries, right? You have it made in case you're wrong.

Of course you should be aware that you beg the question that people are justified to not believe in God's existence.

[Starlight]

Starlight does not speak for Eastern Christians. While he has professed admiration for this or that aspect of Eastern Christianity, he notably failed to embrace Eastern Christianity as a whole.

Eastern Christianity has developed its own sets of mistakes and idiocies. But they aren't the same ones as Western Christianity. And studying the different paths of theological development of two relatively independent theological traditions is informative.

[rogue06]

Eastern Christianity has developed its own sets of mistakes and idiocies. But they aren't the same ones as Western Christianity.

It would be interesting if you would elaborate.

[Starlight]

It would be interesting if you would elaborate.

Well apart from the format of their church services which isn't to my baptist-upbringing's tastes, theologically a couple of bizarre developments of theirs that stand out are: The invention of their God's "essence" vs God's "energies" distinction; and their Platonic atonement model in which Jesus pumps Divinity into Humanity by virtue of being God incarnated much like you'd pump gas into a car, as in their view Jesus's very combining of the platonic form of Humanity with the form of Divinity within his own body in the incarnation reunited those two forms that had been separated and thus restored the Image of God within Humanity.

[One Bad Pig]

Eastern Christianity has developed its own sets of mistakes and idiocies. But they aren't the same ones as Western Christianity.

Here's a quip you may have come across in the past: If you find the perfect church, don't join it - you'll ruin it!

And studying the different paths of theological development of two relatively independent theological traditions is informative.

Yes, though I'd hesitate to call them independent. After all, they spring from the same root. The fall of the Empire in the West severely hampered its ability to communicate with the East given the language barrier; after that point, divergent development was not at all unlikely.

[Starlight]

The fall of the Empire in the West severely hampered its ability to communicate with the East given the language barrier; after that point, divergent development was not at all unlikely.

Well the Greek vs Latin language barrier was there from the start, even before the split. From the very beginning the theologians in the East were reading the NT texts in their original language, while those in the West tended to be grappling with Latin translations of various (in)accuracies.

[One Bad Pig]

Well apart from the format of their church services which isn't to my baptist-upbringing's tastes, theologically a couple of bizarre developments of theirs that stand out are the invention of their God's "essence" vs God's "energies" distinction,

I don't find that bizarre at all. As far as I can tell it follows logically from Scripture. The services ARE quite different from those of Baptists (I converted from Southern Baptist, and was raised essentially Independent Fundamental Baptist). I've gone back to my old church a few times (since I was in a bluegrass band with several members there), and the services felt ...flat. If I ever somehow became dissatisfied with Orthodoxy, I don't know that I could go back to that.

...and their Platonic atonement model in which Jesus pumps Divinity into Humanity by virtue of being God incarnated much like you'd pump gas into a car, as in their view Jesus's very combining of the platonic form of Humanity with the form of Divinity within his own body in the incarnation reunited those two forms that had been separated and thus restored the Image of God within Humanity.

That IS bizarre; it is not at all anything like an accurate representation, however.

[Mountain Man]

Here's a quip you may have come across in the past: If you find the perfect church, don't join it - you'll ruin it!

Like the old joke goes...

"Why would I want to join a church? They're full of liars and hypocrites!"

"In that case, you'll fit right in."

[One Bad Pig]

Well the Greek vs Latin language barrier was there from the start, even before the split.

Yeah, but educated people on both sides typically understood both.

[Starlight]

That IS bizarre; it is not at all anything like an accurate representation, however.

You should try reading some Eastern Orthodox theologians, you might learn something.

What is your favorite way of describing the doctrine?

[rogue06]

Here's a quip you may have come across in the past: If you find the perfect church, don't join it - you'll ruin it!

Like the old joke goes...

"Why would I want to join a church? They're full of liars and hypocrites!"

"In that case, you'll fit right in."

Kind of reminds me of the old adage about churches not being sanctuaries for saints but hospitals for sinners.

[rogue06]

You should try reading some Eastern Orthodox theologians, you might learn something.

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