05-29-2008, 12:00 AM
I see seeitall already created a link so I just copied it annd put it into the Title also.
"For me, the interesting part is that we cannot see our proximity to perfection. only our deviation from it."
That also caught my eye and I belive it is true. How can we see how far away from perfection we are if we've never known perfection. But we see our
screw-ups just fine.
"You have to accept a theology before you can deviate from it."
Not necessarily. We all have standards whether we subscribe to the same religion or none at all. When we fall short of that we percieve ourselves to have
failed. Failed to meet the standards we have subscibed to.
"The worst of it is that it is a beautiful sentiment that we should be mindful of our imperfection. We can be more accepting of public authority and
easier to deal with in general if we feel flawed. We have a vested interest in selling these ideas to our young, so we tell them how flawed they are in Bible
stories and every day life."
The real problem with the West is not the book they are reading but that they are calling themselves Christians and teaching Old Covenant Law.
The difference between Christianity and "so called" Christians and their churches is that "so called" Christians take a standard of
perfection and water it down.
Christians believe in an absolute standard of perfection knowing they cannot ever hope to reach this standard. But they also believe in infinite Grace so that
it does not count against them when they fail.
Parents have a vested interest in their children behaving themselves, that's true. And useful and doesn't harm the child if done in the right way.
Preachers also have a vested interest in that their livelyhood and authority depend upon "controlling" their congregations. (and even their ideas,..I
like to call it the "thought police") They are doing harm because they take the curses of the Old Testament and use those as levers to control people
who were never under the Hebrew Laws in the first place.
I guess what I'm seeing is unattainable goals lead to failure and pathology if not tempered in some way.
Both hell-fire and being devoured by the Eagle are frightening prospects awaiting inevitable failure.
I'm curious.
How do some of you reconcile these?
Do you water down impeccability?
Do you give yourself a break when you fail?
"For me, the interesting part is that we cannot see our proximity to perfection. only our deviation from it."
That also caught my eye and I belive it is true. How can we see how far away from perfection we are if we've never known perfection. But we see our
screw-ups just fine.
"You have to accept a theology before you can deviate from it."
Not necessarily. We all have standards whether we subscribe to the same religion or none at all. When we fall short of that we percieve ourselves to have
failed. Failed to meet the standards we have subscibed to.
"The worst of it is that it is a beautiful sentiment that we should be mindful of our imperfection. We can be more accepting of public authority and
easier to deal with in general if we feel flawed. We have a vested interest in selling these ideas to our young, so we tell them how flawed they are in Bible
stories and every day life."
The real problem with the West is not the book they are reading but that they are calling themselves Christians and teaching Old Covenant Law.
The difference between Christianity and "so called" Christians and their churches is that "so called" Christians take a standard of
perfection and water it down.
Christians believe in an absolute standard of perfection knowing they cannot ever hope to reach this standard. But they also believe in infinite Grace so that
it does not count against them when they fail.
Parents have a vested interest in their children behaving themselves, that's true. And useful and doesn't harm the child if done in the right way.
Preachers also have a vested interest in that their livelyhood and authority depend upon "controlling" their congregations. (and even their ideas,..I
like to call it the "thought police") They are doing harm because they take the curses of the Old Testament and use those as levers to control people
who were never under the Hebrew Laws in the first place.
I guess what I'm seeing is unattainable goals lead to failure and pathology if not tempered in some way.
Both hell-fire and being devoured by the Eagle are frightening prospects awaiting inevitable failure.
I'm curious.
How do some of you reconcile these?
Do you water down impeccability?
Do you give yourself a break when you fail?