Comments on: Love Won Out in Palin-country this weekend

By: Michael Bussee

Michael Bussee — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:11:15 +0000

Ann: Me too. 🙂

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:53:44 +0000

It was for you, since you had said that I did not need to defend or explin. I felt otherwise. When a fellow Christian tells me that I am not a Christian — because I do not agree with their understanding of a particular Biblical passage — I speak up.

Michael,
I understand – thanks for letting me know. I am sorry that anyone would tell you or others what you are or are not regarding religious beliefs. That is kind of why I don’t care too much for large religious organizations – egos and empty words seem more important than faith, quiet prayer, thoughtful discussion, and reasoning differences out. I’m too simple to understand the kind of complexity that humans have put into religion. I like the words “follow me”.

By: Michael Bussee

Michael Bussee — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:32:54 +0000

It was for you, since you had said that I did not need to defend or explin. I felt otherwise. When a fellow Christian tells me that I am not a Christian — because I do not agree with their understanding of a particular Biblical passage — I speak up.
Not so much to defend myself, but to challenge the arrogance that one Christian can judge the salvation or “true” Christianity of another. In my mind, that’s the Holy Spirit’s job, not ours.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:12:34 +0000

Michael,
Was the post you just wrote intended for me? If so, what was it in response to? I try not to understand large religions and organizations as they are mostly things that men and women have made up over the years and are far away from the simple teachings of Jesus that I want to follow.

By: Michael Bussee

Michael Bussee — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:31:19 +0000

Ann: In our demonination (Presbyterian) we have something known as "individual conscience before God". It means that we accept and respect each other as brothers and sisters in Christ ("true" Christrans), but that each believer is free (or one could acutally say "bound") to follow his/her own understanding of God's will for them. We believe in the essential doctrines of Christianity, as can be found in the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, but leave room for indivdual believers to follow their own conscience, the guidance of the Holy Spirt and their best understanding of Scripture and of God''s will for them. We do not believe that we possess perfect knowledge. We are not inerrant. We do not sit in judgement of another's salvation or claim that they are not really "true" Christians if they disagree with us, We do not claim to have absolute understanding of the Bible. . Instead, we try to show grace and tolerance -- and leave it to the Holy Spirit to "guide us into all truth". We sometimes agree to disagree, but we find it arrogant and rather self-righteous to insist that our way, and only our way, is the right way to follow Christ's teachings.