Mark, most churches have a statement of faith which tells an attendant, or a member, what it is that church believes. I said that I would not 'utterly condemn any minister for any reason'. And, I even gave you my reason as to why that is. IMO - if a minister of a church, explicitly states that Jesus Christ is not God, then that minister is leading his flock astray. Does God call me to condemn the lost? God calls me to love them. Sorry if you find that 'appalling'.
Also, most Christian churches hold to the doctrine of the Triune God - it is right there in their statement of Faith. And, it is always prevalent in the gospel message. Regardless, in most Christian churches, the fact that Jesus is God is preached all the time and in a variety of context'.
Does that mean that you don't want to hear my answer...or that even if I do answer your going to pretend that I didn't? Just kidding. hehe
Like I stated, christian churches teach Jesus is God all the time, and in a variety of different context'. I was answering under the impression that a minister would knowingly, leave out the fact that Jesus is God - for whatever reason, he is under an obligation to tell the whole truth. Quite honestly, if a minister doesn't believe Jesus is God, then he needs to get out of ministry and spend some more time reading his bible.
We seem to disagree as to whether you have answered my question or not, I will leave it at that, it is late
What i can tell you is this, and I first went to a church 50 years ago
At least 90% of churchgoers(protestant anyway) will happily accept a person as a Christian if they solely believe Jesus is the son of God, it is probably quite a bit higher than 90%, but I will say that figure. And why wouldn't they?
My sister goes to a C of E church, she is very friendly with the minister's wife and she simply believes Christ is the son of God, not God Himself. Her son is a Baptist minister and he doesn't tell her she must change her opinion.
So, the reason the figure is as high as it is of people who simply accept a person with my views is as follows:
Ministers do not stress otherwise, they are not stupid, and do not have the luxury of working in cyberspace tapping away on their keyboards. As a minister said to me
If I preach that(the constant question I have asked tonight) I would empty my church of nearly all the sincere Christians in it.
That's the truth!
But there is another reason. People on the whole who come onto these websites ARE NOT reflective of the average churchgoer, of that I can assure you
Do you think the average churchgoer has heard of the ontological/economic Trinity?
Do you think they spend time considering the pre trib rapure, the book of Revelation?
OSAS?
They wouldn't give it a thought. And yet, people on these websites will often tell you you are a heretic if you have wrong opinions of many of these subjects, subjects the average church goer would never think about, that's a fact
It is a different world, believe me. those sitti g in their pews do not know a quarter of the doctrine people do on these websites, and you know what, how blessed they are not to
For they, though they know less theology know what is more important than most who do study it greatly on these websites
For they would not countenance condemning anyone for standing on the plain words of Christ when he walked this earth, the thought would horify them
Now many who come on these websites have striven greatly to learn of scholars and theologians, and I wonder how many of them firstly got down on their knees and begged God through thev Spirit to show them truth, relying totally on the Spirit for learning. And how many delved into theology because that is simply what they revelled in doing
Sadly, in so many cases the more they have crammed into their heads, the further away they have gone from simple, but potent truth.
The little grwey cells will help no one learn the spiritual. But you see, for the theologian and scholar simple is no longer enough, and that is what went wrong with faith all those years ago.
Christianity for the majority is based on the nicene creed, not the Bible.
So that is why people make the pronouncements on here the ministers won't make, and the churchgoers won't expect from anyone. For the ministers on the whole understand the spiritual reality, the head theologist cannot, it is beyond them