Recent content by HatGuy

I think you raise some excellent points here borne from experience. Yes, there is *some* confidence that a denomination can give you in that, theoretically, if it claims to uphold doctrine x and practice y then you can assume with a clear conscience that this is what is being practiced / taught...

Even denominational churches with books of discipline (look at UMC right now) and creeds and confessions have similar problems. For example, as much as I love the LCMS (Lutheran) in principle, in practice one LCMS church could be very different from another. They have the same confession, but in...

I believe the latter.

I think what is being addressed here is motive and ambition. Luther was a fiery character for sure. Yet quite brilliant. Straightforward and sometimes crass. But his ambition appeared to be to see the truth set people free, and find unity in that truth. The situation with Zwingli was...

Oh, I get it now. Thank you! I agree!

In 1 Corinthians 9:2, Paul says: 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Indicating that some did not see him as an apostle in his time. Not everyone will recognize someone's ministry. I don't think this is a bad thing...

I am a ghostwriter, so I can tell you from my perspective. You're welcome to ask me anything :) It all depends how it's done. If the pastor (or client) has the ideas, the content (sermons, presentations, outlines etc.) it makes perfect sense to hire a professional writer who knows how to put...

I disagree with this assessment. As complicated as the computational process is; and as closely it might try to mimic a human neural network; it's still "garbage in, garbage out." AI will not be able to make unbiased decisions as it is entirely dependent on human input and always will be. It's...

I have noticed a ton of Lutherans admit it's illogical and be quite proud of that. I tend to agree with them. The Lutheran Confessions try and only present what the Bible says - and the Bible itself acknowledges some sort of predestination, but never acknowledges double predestination. The...

Some insist on formal education at their college / seminary before ordination (Assembly of God, for example). Many others rely on informal routes. The local church is where training and spiritual formation happens, as ultimately it would be viewed that it is the local church's responsibility to...

Yes, but I think this starting point already implies that the end point will be a "polishing up of the Old Man". I think, at this point, it goes a little awry for me. I mean, there are some points of agreement - but the language about what is "natural" for man, I believe, can be a little...

Not to be argumentative, but it's a debate so I guess that can't be helped... Lol... But the way this is presented makes it sound like God comes to polish up the Old Man a bit, give him a bit of a boost so he can reach righteousness. It seems to me the gospel is not a message about how we can...

Faith is essentially a relational word. It's a way of describing a relational dynamic. Trust, belief, these are ways of describing this relational dynamic. Which is why it requires both head and heart. Some people enter into the relationship with their head, others their heart, and over time...

Ah, I see where you're getting at now. Thank you!