- Oct 22, 2021
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Hello.
I look at religion and surely for any religion you see a distinction of theology vs practice. It’s my observation that some theology is pretty much irrelevant to practice today.
For example, JW and other groups don’t believe in Christ’s divinity. And there are of course many more differences in theology held by Christian groups or individuals within a group. Or, say, ideas of creation was it literal or allegorical 6 days etc. Those teachings may be very important for you to accept or reject faith, or important in a debate with an unbeliever of person of another faith, but they don’t have much implication in your practice. Both a Baptist or a JW will pray and strive not to sin, for example. So there are doctrines that affect our actions more than others.
Also, I observe that different theologies can have different doctrines that lead to a similar practice. So people may consider one another a heretic or even an unbeliever on a particular doctrine, but in essence, believe the same thing! Like those infamous two parties of Big-Endians and Little-Endians in Jonathan’s Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” who argued and fought about the correct way to break an egg… Who cares? If the result for all intents and purposes is indistinguishable.
Of course, we have a huge subject of hypocrisy where you don’t walk the talk or where you only act on beliefs when people see you or when it’s beneficial to you or to your family or other identity group. I’m not concerned with hypocrisy. I’m concerned with sincere beliefs you undoubtedly hold to and act out in most cases. Even if there are only a few of those. Dead and living faith, as the Book of James points out.
So, my question is, what’s your view on “head knowledge” vs practice? What takes precedence? Of course they’re related, but what is more important for you personally? The correct faith or the correct thoughts and actions?
I look at religion and surely for any religion you see a distinction of theology vs practice. It’s my observation that some theology is pretty much irrelevant to practice today.
For example, JW and other groups don’t believe in Christ’s divinity. And there are of course many more differences in theology held by Christian groups or individuals within a group. Or, say, ideas of creation was it literal or allegorical 6 days etc. Those teachings may be very important for you to accept or reject faith, or important in a debate with an unbeliever of person of another faith, but they don’t have much implication in your practice. Both a Baptist or a JW will pray and strive not to sin, for example. So there are doctrines that affect our actions more than others.
Also, I observe that different theologies can have different doctrines that lead to a similar practice. So people may consider one another a heretic or even an unbeliever on a particular doctrine, but in essence, believe the same thing! Like those infamous two parties of Big-Endians and Little-Endians in Jonathan’s Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” who argued and fought about the correct way to break an egg… Who cares? If the result for all intents and purposes is indistinguishable.
Of course, we have a huge subject of hypocrisy where you don’t walk the talk or where you only act on beliefs when people see you or when it’s beneficial to you or to your family or other identity group. I’m not concerned with hypocrisy. I’m concerned with sincere beliefs you undoubtedly hold to and act out in most cases. Even if there are only a few of those. Dead and living faith, as the Book of James points out.
So, my question is, what’s your view on “head knowledge” vs practice? What takes precedence? Of course they’re related, but what is more important for you personally? The correct faith or the correct thoughts and actions?
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