D
I propose an alternative (or perhaps supplementary) theory to conflicting dogmas.
Right now we've got the Calvinists against the Arminians, and the Pro-Tongue vs. the Anti-Tongue. Have we ever stopped amongst our bickering to realize something rather fundamental? We can't fully understand God. He is too big to fit inside the confines of our brains. And we will never in our earthly state be intellectual enough to be able to understand all of the intricacies of His Word, either.
Realizing this, we should have a reality check from time to time. What is essential to Salvation?
We all serve the same God here. But we all see Him through our limited lenses for now. Let's remember this as we fellowship here lest we get caught into endless cycles of bickering.
Right now we've got the Calvinists against the Arminians, and the Pro-Tongue vs. the Anti-Tongue. Have we ever stopped amongst our bickering to realize something rather fundamental? We can't fully understand God. He is too big to fit inside the confines of our brains. And we will never in our earthly state be intellectual enough to be able to understand all of the intricacies of His Word, either.
Realizing this, we should have a reality check from time to time. What is essential to Salvation?
We all serve the same God here. But we all see Him through our limited lenses for now. Let's remember this as we fellowship here lest we get caught into endless cycles of bickering.
Their gathering room had quite an assortment of people on any given night, and some became regulars every night. Among the regulars was a couple in the corner forever talking quietly to each other. And they kept right on talking, as the larger conversation or teaching happened. Sometimes the two would leave the larger group and continue to talk to each other.
One night Schaeffer addressed them.
He said something like, "You two are married, and you want to know everything about each other. You never will. It would take the same number of years you've been alive to talk about everything that happened to you before you met, and even then you still won't know everything about each other, but you will be twice as old. Accept that."
They were upset by what he said, left, and never came back. No one will ever know if they got the message.
I agree. We will never know everything there is to know about God. On the other hand, he married us and we love him, so it seems important to learn the important stuff about him.
I've been married to hubby for 37 years now. Last night, we stumbled onto stories neither one of us have told the other before. (Something of a miracle, considering we do talk often. lol) I am glad to learn more about him. It helps me serve/help him in little ways better. Same thing with the Lord. After all, isn't that why God lets us get to know him better?
We won't know all there is to God ever, but we can still learn more and more each day, and enjoy him more and more for the knowing of him.
Oh, and heads up, to many those arguments are sport. That's why they come here. And the topics don't change much over the years. They just rotate. Be glad you missed some of the other topics, albeit, I know they'll return too. lol