| Ecclesiology The branch of theology that is concerned with the nature, constitution & functions of the Church. |
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13th June 2002, 07:27 PM
|  | The New Compassion
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 | | Join Date: 18th December 2001 Location: outskirts of the Romdo ruin
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Reps: 276,787,875,168,834 (power: 276,787,875,196) | | | I attend a Southern Baptist church, and I have to be brutally honest. The Sunday School classes that I have gone to have been pathetic. The Sunday School booklet used has somewhat of a theme for each lesson, but it contains only one central selection of Scripture, always less than half of a chapter. Basically, the lesson states 2-3 lines of the Scripture, makes a few generalized, dumbed down, supposedly witty, statements, and moves on to state the next 2-3 lines, until the segment of Scripture is finished. On top of this, the Bible translation used is NIV or equivalent, which is another dumbed-down far cry from accuracy and real study-worthy text. And if that's not enough, when I go in, noone has a Bible with them except me, noone even has a Sunday School book(and doesn't request one to look at), and there are NO central truths or doctrines taught, only a superficial, ambiguous, panacea and poor excuse of a charge-me-up-for-the-week pill. I am left disgusted and despondent. IMHO, there is no truth taught at all, just a vain chasing of wind. It is incredibly exasperating.
Secondly, there is virtually no help for those that are in pain. There is not enough closeness in the group where any hurts or needs could be suggested, merely a superficial, short, generalized query for(nonserious) prayer requests at the beginning of the meeting. Again, there is no worth in it.
And this is not just one church, this is many. Don't say all I have to do is change churches, and everything will be happy-go-lucky. This is a nationwide epidemic, and I am going insane. Now I say, thank you ladies and gentlemen for your time, I shall now turn the discussion back over to the ever magnanimous Blackhawk. Good day to you.
__________________ "No matter what the analogy is, any attempt to use analogy, simile, metaphor, or any other lofty rhetorical technique in a debate
being conducted on the Internet is doomed to end badly. No matter how carefully you set up your analogy, somebody will come
along and interpret it in the most stupidly literal way possible, find some tiny point where it fails to correspond perfectly with the
actual topic of discussion, and decide that this disagreement is an utterly devastating counter-argument to whatever point you
were trying to make. If the topic is anything remotely controversial, like religion or politics, tens of somebodys will jump on the
stupidly literal interpretation, and arguments about the validity of the analogy will come to totally dominate the discussion."
Chad Orzel. Uncertain Principles: Physics, Politics, Pop Culture.
Posted: September 19, 2009 8:54 AM.
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13th June 2002, 08:25 PM
|  | Veteran
24   
| | Join Date: 3rd April 2002 Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,714
Blessings: 67,241
Reps: 1,465 (power: 12) | | Our CCD class (at least this year) has a textbook that teaches us very little. It's supposed to take you through the Bible and explain the basic elements of scripture. The only problem is the lessons don't contain a lot of information to the scriptures (there are references, but we don't usually read them for various reasons), basically they tell us stories and take excerpts from plays (which they had to dumb down because they thought the text from the actual thing was to complex  ). Our class still has yet to learn the basic elements taught in the catechism (which our textbooks last year did an excellent job of starting, but we never finished the series and I'm sure most have forgotten). Our religious education curriculum needs a serious revamping (at least in the upper grades).
__________________ Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ...This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the time to preach it from the rooftops...It is you who must ``go out into the byroads'' and invite everyone you meet to the banquet...prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference...It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father.
JP2
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14th June 2002, 01:17 PM
|  | Monkey Boy
39  
| | Join Date: 5th February 2002 Location: Ft. Worth, tx
Posts: 4,903
Blessings: 61,713
Reps: 1,057 (power: 16) | | | "Today, however, many people have been going to great lengths to encourage the laity to study the bible more."
Yes I see it in Protestant circles also. I think people are finally waking up to the epidemic.
"Our religious education curriculum needs a serious revamping (at least in the upper grades)."
I am sorry to hear of your CCD class. It is much like the Sunday school I attend. A lot of fluff not much real substance. And I feel that you are right. We, as a whole universal church, need to revamp how we teach the Truths of God. Emotions and pratical teachings are not bad but so much of it makes an uniformed church. And that is what we have today.
Blackhawk
__________________
Through the power of the Holy Spirit I am resolved to fully know Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Master of my life until I am with my Father in heaven which will be my gain.
To live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 2:10
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11 |
14th June 2002, 01:29 PM
| | Monkey Boy
39
| | Join Date: 5th February 2002 Location: Ft. Worth, tx
Posts: 4,903
Blessings: 61,713
Reps: 1,057 (power: 16) | | | humblejoe,
I am also a Southern Baptist. And my Sunday school is okay. WEll it wasn't until we threw away the books that they give us to use for the lesons. They go over books of the Bible but they are so bad we had to get rid of them. Now we take the book that they choose but Go over it ourselves. Right now we are in Ephesians which is awesome.
But I digress. But basically all the SBC churches I have gone to have been very lacking in the intellectual side of things. You are right when you say this is a nation wide epidemic. I think it might even go farther than that.
Just take a look at this site. I have seen so much bad theology on this site I feel I want ot spit. And I am not speaking of differences between preterists and futurists or Calvinists and Arminians or Catholics and Protestants.
I am speaking of things like the last post i saw before replying in here. It said that everyone is a "Child of God." And this was from a Christian. And there are other examples I could give but I won't.
Okay I have ranted some. I feel better.
blackhawk
__________________
Through the power of the Holy Spirit I am resolved to fully know Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Master of my life until I am with my Father in heaven which will be my gain.
To live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 2:10
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11 |
14th June 2002, 05:33 PM
|  | Sexed up atheism = Pantheism
| | Join Date: 21st May 2002 Location: Bible belt
Posts: 8,135
Blessings: 102,441
Reps: 491,990,684 (power: 492,008) | | Originally posted by Blackhawk
Just take a look at this site. I have seen so much bad theology on this site I feel I want ot spit. And I am not speaking of differences between preterists and futurists or Calvinists and Arminians or Catholics and Protestants.
blackhawk
Well Hawk, not everyone is as perfect as you... 
...and not everyone is an expert Theologian like you are! :rolleyes: |
14th June 2002, 05:47 PM
| | Monkey Boy
39
| | Join Date: 5th February 2002 Location: Ft. Worth, tx
Posts: 4,903
Blessings: 61,713
Reps: 1,057 (power: 16) | | | Franklin,
that is not what I am saying. But if I said I was a scientist but did not know the basics of my field of study then I would not be a very good scientist. We all need to know our basics so that we can fully love God more. It is our responsibility to know the basic doctrines and theology of Christianity. It is not optional.
BH
__________________
Through the power of the Holy Spirit I am resolved to fully know Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Master of my life until I am with my Father in heaven which will be my gain.
To live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 2:10
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11 |
14th June 2002, 05:52 PM
| | Sexed up atheism = Pantheism
| | Join Date: 21st May 2002 Location: Bible belt
Posts: 8,135
Blessings: 102,441
Reps: 491,990,684 (power: 492,008) | | Originally posted by Blackhawk
Franklin,
that is not what I am saying. But if I said I was a scientist but did not know the basics of my field of study then I would not be a very good scientist. We all need to know our basics so that we can fully love God more. It is our responsibility to know the basic doctrines and theology of Christianity. It is not optional.
BH
Hawk, I know brother, I was just having some fun with ya...
My wife does the same thing to me when I get on my soapbox!
No offence bro, I agree with what your saying and I have no doubts that you are a true brother of the faith even though we disagree on a few things....BTW, I'm in a Baptist denom also & I agree with you about some of their material... it is mostly dispensationalistic teaching which I hope will change in the near future....
Grace and peace,
Franklin
Last edited by franklin; 14th June 2002 at 05:55 PM.
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14th June 2002, 06:02 PM
| | Monkey Boy
39
| | Join Date: 5th February 2002 Location: Ft. Worth, tx
Posts: 4,903
Blessings: 61,713
Reps: 1,057 (power: 16) | | Okay. We are cool. 
Sorry I was so touchy. I think I was in the general apologetics area too long. There they argue about what they are arguing about. Heck I think in one thread alone we have like 20 different arguments.  
blackhawk
"...even though we disagree on a few things..."
Oh so you are one of those that do not know their theology that well.
__________________
Through the power of the Holy Spirit I am resolved to fully know Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Master of my life until I am with my Father in heaven which will be my gain.
To live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 2:10
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11
Last edited by Blackhawk; 14th June 2002 at 06:05 PM.
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14th June 2002, 06:51 PM
| | Sexed up atheism = Pantheism
| | Join Date: 21st May 2002 Location: Bible belt
Posts: 8,135
Blessings: 102,441
Reps: 491,990,684 (power: 492,008) | | Originally posted by Blackhawk Okay. We are cool.
Sorry I was so touchy. I think I was in the general apologetics area too long. There they argue about what they are arguing about. Heck I think in one thread alone we have like 20 different arguments.
blackhawk
"...even though we disagree on a few things..."
Oh so you are one of those that do not know their theology that well.
ha! good one Hawk, I'm always learning new truths too...
I've sent you some replies you posted on the Trinity, remember? I know that is what you believe and that's fine but I have believed it was what the bible was teaching all along too but now I believe differently about that doctrine. I look forward to chattin with you more soon..
God Bless,
Franklin |
14th June 2002, 06:57 PM
| | Monkey Boy
39
| | Join Date: 5th February 2002 Location: Ft. Worth, tx
Posts: 4,903
Blessings: 61,713
Reps: 1,057 (power: 16) | | Gosh I can't remember all the little people who can't understand why I am always right. 
All kidding aside I hope I do get to debate with you again soon. My staff stuff keeps me way too busy for too long to get really into the Christian debates like I would like to do.
But there are perks to being a staff member. I think?  
__________________
Through the power of the Holy Spirit I am resolved to fully know Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Master of my life until I am with my Father in heaven which will be my gain.
To live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 2:10
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11 | | |
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