Re: The Trinity of Christianity
cyberpi said:
If the author was someone other than God (swt) or Christ (pbuh), then I do NOT consider it Christianity. For me, Christianity means the teaching from Jesus Christ (pbuh). What does it mean to you?
As Saltmeister pointed out, Chrisitanity is much more than just the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the NT. In case you have not noticed, Jesus taught nothing new. He just repeated common philosophy of the day. Christianity to me means a certain culture that Caucasians in North America inherited from their European ancestors. That's because I'm a North American Caucasian.
Church history reveals the mistakes of men and I read that it's teaching has often been 180 degrees away from Christ (pbuh).
If you think a certain teaching is not Christian, all you are doing is expressing your personal opinion. You have a right to that opinion but you have no right imposing that opinion on me as a truth of Christianity.
I may not be a good Christian by the majority, nor a good Muslim, but I will pray in a mosque on Friday and attend church on Sunday.
I will pray at any street corner or bus stop and also in my home or abywhere else I go. Prayer for me is not a formal thing. It is a constant relationship with God. Like the apostle Paul said, "Pray without ceasing."
Do you know many who will?
I don't know too much about the religious life of the people I see. You are the first person who tells me he prays in a mosque on Fridays. If that is a Muslim custom, then I assume many of the Muslims I know do it. I don't know what the Mennonite Muslims do on Fridays.
What church do you attend?
Do you mean as in organized religion? Or as in spiritual communion with God? I have not been in a church building in a long time. Churches don't minister to my spiritual needs. Like I said, I am in constant communion with God. That means "church" can be anywhere.
I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit... albeit with a sprinkle and not the dunk.
So was I.
My children were baptized.
As infants or as adults? I have no idea where your family is at.
Yet, I can easily reject the Trinity as commonly expressed. So if you know what I understand and accept, is that by my post alone?
I am not sure what you mean here. If I remember correctly, you did not state a personal position in your post. What you wrote sounded like a person who is making fun of traditional Christian tenets. I cannot correctly judge a person's behaviour and beliefs by one internet post, if that is what you mean. Thus, your posts are one indication of who you are. Over time, an individual's posts show a pattern of thought and behaviour. A human being is so complex that only God can fully know a person. You come across to me as one of the more complex humans around with a very complex intellect. I will not pretend to know you fully. Nor your beliefs. I had no idea you went to a Christian church. I just somehow or other got the impression that you are a Muslim.
You know what I find truly sad? There is no open confession of sin at the baptisms in the churches that I have seen, as described in Matthew 3:6 and Mark 1:5. It scares away the masses. Why? Do you know a church that combines confession of sins and baptism?
Yesssss. Of course I do. I guess you will have to try the Mennonites. They sure believe in public confession of sin. Read my post 44 on
this thread. To see an English translation of the Confession of Faith by which I was instructed for believer's baptism see the Dordtrecht
Confession of Faith.
I see that confession and repentance is the most important part. Don't you?
Depends what you mean by this. I don't believe in it the way the conservative Mennonite churches teach it. It debases the human being and that is not what Jesus was about.
At least the RC has confession somewhere, albeit wrongly hidden away in a dark and secretive closet. Can you show me where in the bible it teaches to confess a sin in a closet?
Yes. Matt. 18:15 15 “If another member of the church
d sins against you,
e go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.
http://www.comparative-religion.com/forum/#_ftn3 d Gk
If your brother
e Other ancient authorities lack
against you
http://www.comparative-religion.com/forum/#_ftnref3The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 (Mt 18:15). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
You're supposed to talk in privacy with a person who has offended you. The flip side of the coin is that the offender can confess in privacy. Thus, confessing one's sins in private is very much appropriate. Matt. 6:6 also speaks about things that should be performed in privacy.
6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
bhttp://www.comparative-religion.com/forum/#_ftn2 b Other ancient authorities add
openly
http://www.comparative-religion.com/forum/#_ftnref2The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 (Mt 6:6). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
As far as I know, everyone can learn by reading, brain-storming, imagination, and making mistakes. But Christianity is by definition NOT defined by brain-storms or imagination. Christianity is defined by God (swt) and Jesus Christ (pbuh). Agreed?
Exactly what do you mean by "defining Christianity"?
Here you can see the method by which one organization defined Christianity. It's probably one of the more civil methods by which Christianity has been defined over the millennia. For much of its history Christianity has been defined by the war weapons of the age. This continues to the present day.
One or two other members have also responded to this so I won't go into what they have already covered. Why do you put those letters in brackets after God's and Jesus' names? That is not a Christian tradition; it's something Muslims do. So anyway, that's a major reason I responded to you as a Muslim and not a Christian. Also, if you as a Muslim-Christian do it, you are defining Christianity in yet another way. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to do this so it seems that you yourself draw on traditions that are not mandated by the Christian God or by Jesus. Thus, I think by the time everything has been said and done you have few fingers of blame left to point at Christians and how they define their religion.
