To Reiterate...
My main fear about modern forms of Christianity is that they treat men like angels and not men. Such terms as "purify", "rationalize", and "reform" thus send nervous shivers down my spine. I of course do not think that the average Christian should be in the dark, but he should also realize that there is not a whole lot of light in what we believe either. We are still very much in the shadows.
The Gospel is about realizing what is important in our relationship with God, not about purging all elements we might deem as suspicious. Christianity is a religion for human beings, not for angels. That means it will at times seem superstitious, hypocritical, and contradictory. So be it. It is a hospital for souls, not a spectacle of angelic grace.
posted by Arturo Vasquez @ 8:39 AM
1 Comments:
"The Gospel is about realizing what is important in our relationship with God, not about purging all elements we might deem as suspicious."
Yes.
I was talking to a protestant friend a couple of days ago about how certain buddhist practices unique to China are very similar to Christianity. The Christian faith flourished for a short time in China during the 7th and 8th centuries so it is very likely that [i]Christianity influenced buddhism[/i] rather than vica versa (that's a whole different subject though).
My protestant friend was underwhelmed: "It's not the similarities that are important, but the differences."
Given the source, this quote left me feeling cold. I knew that what lay behind this quote was a stripped down version of the faith of our fathers. Praying for the deceased? Pagan. Honouring the Theotokos? Pagan. Fasting? We're under grace not the law.
The similarities don't matter, but neither do the differences. The faith of our fathers in its entirity is what the Holy Spirit protects from error. This is what is important.
She's tee-total as well. Unbelievable.
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