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It makes no sense to me. I was reading a question earlier posted by someone that listed like 10 things and it asked if we believed in them and what denomination we were. The differences were so small and i don't understand why we argue so much over those small things.

One example (I'm not trying to offend, this is just a personal example) is Church of Christ. They believe that to be saved you have to be baptized through water and when I try to talk about my beliefs (I'm baptist and i don't think that you have to be baptized to be saved but we are commanded to be baptized) they don't listen and just treat me like I'm wrong.

I am VERY open-minded when it comes to interpretations about the Bible and i won't say anyone is completely wrong unless it is something that is just outright stupid (like the devil is God). So i just don't understand why other people believeing in the same God can't see where others are coming from and will think they are completely wrong and that their. .

2007-05-18 12:33:31 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality

. .beliefs are the ONLY right way.
Do you think there is only ONE specific RIGHT way?
Do you think God will condemn you for your interpretation of the Bible?

2007-05-18 12:34:22 · update #1

Non-Believers: Thanks for your input on how much you really don't care. .but can't you find someone else to aruge with. :)


Schneb: I wasn't trying to say that salvation is a small thing bc you are right it is FAR from a small thing. That kinda came out wrong. I was just trying to get the point across that most of the things that we argue about shouldn't really be THAT big of an issue and that we should accept others beliefs and not treat them like they are completely wrong.

2007-05-18 12:53:34 · update #2

9 answers

You are correct, it makes no sense. That should affirm to you right away what the Bible says about people; 'everyone wants their own way.'

The Bible is in fact open to interpretation in some areas but all that means is that no one really knows what the Bible is saying about some things. For example, no one can really determine what the Bible says about the age of the Universe. It is just not clear enough no matter how intelligent and studious a person may be.

Ah, but when was the last time you heard people argue about the things that are clearly understood? Take for example Matthew 22:37; Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Can't get any clearer than that.

Who is your neighbor? Jesus explained that your neighbor is whoever you come across in life-everyone.

How do you love your neighbor as yourself? You don't love yourself by having emotional feelings- the proof that you love yourself is that you get up in the morning and care for yourself- you bathe, brush your teeth, comb your hair. You feed yourself, you make sure you get rest, relaxation and entertainment. You try to minimize pain to yourself. You educate yourself and you help yourself whenever you can.

That is the only way in which we are to love other people; the same as we love ourselves. (forget the serial killers and the other crazies)

There are many principles in the Bible that are plain and clear. The challenge is to do them rather than argue about the things that aren't so clear. And that is the real crux of the matter; being and doing rather than talking and arguing.

It is true, it is possible to learn from anyone but that goes only so far.

Being 'open-minded' is commendable but well, I encourage you to be very discriminate about who to get ideas from. Unless a person reads books and many of them, invests in other people, lives a life worthy of imitation; then you should have seconds thoughts about what you choose to learn from them.

Do you know that 50% of Americans never read another book after high school? Right there you can eliminate 1/2 of America as a source of sound knowledge and wisdom. Which 1/2 is what you'll have to figure out.

May God lead you.

2007-05-18 13:13:55 · answer #1 · answered by plane williams 3 · 0 0

I would say that the differences in the small details make a difference to individual people more so than they probably do to God in most things. This is not to say that we can just make up the rules as we go along. Most modern translations are vastly different than the greek and hebrew literal word for word translations anyway. I'm not here to get into a theological argument over which translation is the one to use (because after a thorough and exhaustive testing, I found that the KJV actually had more word-for-word literal translational flaws than any of the modern versions, having been done with limited manuscripts and translational capabilities for the middle english language), but I am trying to say that NO modern version is precise in wording and gramatical syntax. Saying this, it stands to reason that we have one of those letter-of-the-law/spirit-of-the-law conflicts. I believe we probably misinterpret a lot of basic precepts from the way God had first laid them down and for what reasons they were laid down.

Its tsupid to fight over it. hope this helps...

2007-05-18 12:53:25 · answer #2 · answered by Simple Man Of God 5 · 1 0

There are religions that contradict each other. This is just one example and this is one reason we have so many denominations.

The Bible, however, does not contradict itself, so if two churches contradict each other then at least one must be contradicting the Bible!

Instead of asking about the beliefs of one church or another, we should say "what saith the Scriptures"! (Gal. 4:30)

Jesus said, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved". (Mark 16:16)

Some say you are saved before or without baptism. In essence they say, he that believes and is saved shall be baptized.

This is not the same thing Jesus said. This is not in the same order.

If Jesus had meant "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved", what would he have said? I believe he said what he meant and meant what he said! I believe what Jesus said, therefore I believe Jesus! "He that believes not shall be damned!" (Mark 16:16)

In fact, every example of the conversion of a sinner recorded in the New Testament after Jesus rose from the dead and made this statement, specifically mentions baptism. Faith, Love, Grace, Mercy, Repentance, and Confession are not mentioned in every example, even though they all are necessary for salvation, but baptism is mentioned every time!

Also, no convert either ate, drank, or slept until he was baptized. It was always immediate! This shows the importance of this step in the plan of salvation.

When Saul saw and spoke to Christ on the road, Saul called him "Lord". Jesus told Saul that in the city he would be told what he "must do" to be saved. (Acts 9:6) In the city Saul fasted and prayed for three days. (Acts 9:9-11). Some would teach he was saved at that point, but he had not yet been told what he "must do".

Ananias then told him, "Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord". Obviously he had not yet called on the name of Jesus, even though he had been praying. "Calling on the name of the Lord" is more than saying "Lord" and it is more than praying, it involved obediance or something to be done. (Matt 7:21) Saul had not called on the name of the Lord until he had done what he was commanded (baptism).

Also, until this point, his sins were not washed away. We are not saved if our sins remain. Since only the blood of Christ washes away sins (Romans 5:8-10, Rev. 1:5), he had obviously not contacted that blood until he was baptized.

Baptism is "for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38) and puts us "into Christ" and "into his death" (Romans 6:3-4, Gal. 3:27, Col. 2:12). When we contact his death, we contact (and our souls are washed in) his saving blood, because that is where that blood was shed. To leave out baptism is to say we are saved without contacting the blood of Christ.

Many verses talk about the blessings "in Christ", but the only verses that use the phrase "into Christ" say we are "Baptized into Christ". To leave out baptism, is to leave out the step where we get "into" Him. We cannot be saved outside of Christ!

2007-05-18 15:24:13 · answer #3 · answered by JoeBama 7 · 0 0

This is the importance of the Bible. There is more evidence for your side of this issue than for the Church of Christ. There is no leg for them to stand regarding this view on baptism. And truthfully, I hardly find it "a small thing" when you speak of the requirements of salvation. I cannot think of any subject BIGGER than that. This alone separates the genuine from the cult.

2007-05-18 12:41:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Let's just suppose that God really does exist. How do you know that the Christian God is the real God? What about the God of Islam? Maybe Christ wasn't the Messiah and the Old Testament God is the Man. What about Zeus or Odin?

2007-05-18 12:38:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

i completely agree with you. i'm a baptist but the church i go to is very strict and thinks ccm is wrong. i personnaly have prayed often about whether it is the right thing and have come to the conclusion that it is fine for me personally to listen to ccm yet some people will openly talk about how wicked ccm is in front of my face. i do realize that people have different convictions but do we have to constantly bring up the small differences we have.

2007-05-18 12:41:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

There is a quote, was it Augustine? "In the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, diversity, and in all things, charity".

I think the bible is extremely clear on the essentials. There is no way to the Father, except by the son.

2007-05-18 12:38:01 · answer #7 · answered by Esther 7 · 0 0

In that particular example, they believe that you have to be baptized in order to go to heaven. Not exactly a minor thing.

2007-05-18 12:39:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Join the club. I don't understand you all either.

2007-05-18 12:36:55 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 3

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