Recent content by IndyEllis

What a funny question.

I'm generally indifferent to whether or not I'm "saved." Should I care? Me and ego aside for the moment, how to does it benefit anyone else whether or not I'm "saved?"

Likely Jesus never said these words and the Evangelists were creating backstory for the Eucharistic worship practices that emerged in the early Church. What does this mean? That's a question that begs "mean to whom?" To Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, it likely wasn't his words so...

"You can understand a lot of puzzles about human behavior. You can understand why artists are so different from accountants. You can actually predict what kinds of books they like to read, what kinds of places they like to travel to, and what kinds of food they like to eat. Once you understand...

Different authors, different audiences, different intents. I'm not a big fan of harmonization efforts personally. They don't necessarily help me understand the authors, audiences, and intents.

These guys are a corner of Christianity that have distinctive theologies that have limited historic legacy. Most of the Communion of Saints, across the globe and centuries, might be amused by pop eschatology of a type of 20th century North American Evangelicalism.

:hug: Maybe, maybe not. Things get sockpupetted into "Thus saith the LORD" all the time. This has to be about the biggest downside to being a Deity. Breathe in. Breathe out. Smooth out scrunched up undergarments. It'll be OK... And, also... 1. Don't rape others. 2. Don't throw the...

Well of course not! We each pick our prophets.

whoa

I think it's more a story about self-surrender, dying unto self, and living generously for the benefit of others than it is anything metaphorically akin to a 1980s disaster film. Nuclear angst is out. Zombies are in. We fear destroying ourselves and each other for a lack of soulfulness.

You may need to get to know more Christians...

One of the things about a Revealed Religion is that you have to take somebody's advice. Minimally the prophet's, cleric's, copyists', and councils'. Possibly the redactors' too. And as for English-reading me, also the translators' and publishers'. Perhaps dusty's point of view here...

Religious language, especially that of Scripture and liturgy, is of a high sociolinguistic register. You're also overlooking the delectable fact that while the words get frozen, we get to subconsciously shift our beliefs over time without having to change the prescribed-as-orthodox wordings...

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” ~ George Carlin Similarly anyone left of oneself (socially, politically, theologically or whatever)is a "liberal." Anyone way left of oneself is a "flaming liberal."...

Literature.