This thread was inspired by rob's comment which sparked my reply and idea for this thread:
Quote Originally Posted by robrecht:
There are things in Catholicism that I disagree with, and much with which I agree in Luther's early theology, but it seems to me he went off the deep end rather quickly with his apocalyptic expectations and specific identifications of the Pope and others as figures prophesied in the Book of Revelation.
Quote Originally Posted by Scrawly:
Not to derail the thread - but I have observed similar phenomena, even in my own life, where seemingly the deeper one plunges into theological study and devotion, the seemingly increasingly neurotic, one becomes. Why do you think this is? How ought we guard against this?
So to continue this train of thought - how do we as aspiring authentic Christian's strive for well-roundedness, being productive citizen's engaged in making the world a better place and at the same time remain faithful to biblical teaching that calls for venturing out into the deeper waters (and often against the grain) without going off the deep end into nutbar-ism? For example, I remember one time speaking with my friend over the phone about the activity of Satan, and after the conversation I reached for a tissue and the fluffy white kitten on the Kleenex box looked totally demonic to me. Suffice to say, I didn't sleep that night and the conversation put me on an unhealthy trajectory of neurosis.
Quote Originally Posted by robrecht:
There are things in Catholicism that I disagree with, and much with which I agree in Luther's early theology, but it seems to me he went off the deep end rather quickly with his apocalyptic expectations and specific identifications of the Pope and others as figures prophesied in the Book of Revelation.
Quote Originally Posted by Scrawly:
Not to derail the thread - but I have observed similar phenomena, even in my own life, where seemingly the deeper one plunges into theological study and devotion, the seemingly increasingly neurotic, one becomes. Why do you think this is? How ought we guard against this?
So to continue this train of thought - how do we as aspiring authentic Christian's strive for well-roundedness, being productive citizen's engaged in making the world a better place and at the same time remain faithful to biblical teaching that calls for venturing out into the deeper waters (and often against the grain) without going off the deep end into nutbar-ism? For example, I remember one time speaking with my friend over the phone about the activity of Satan, and after the conversation I reached for a tissue and the fluffy white kitten on the Kleenex box looked totally demonic to me. Suffice to say, I didn't sleep that night and the conversation put me on an unhealthy trajectory of neurosis.
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