Then where in the world did whoever started your church or sect get the authority to start that church or preach the Bible according to what would only be their interpretation of the Bible with no real authority from God?
2007-12-12 04:50:31 · 14 answers · asked by cadisneygirl 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
and what then gives you the authority to make any changes in that church or that church's doctrine later, without that revelation? ex. allowing women priests, allowing gay marriages
If there is no such authority than how can any church claim to know for a fact their doctrines and their personal interpretations are correct?
2007-12-12 05:01:37 · update #1
I am not an atheist, btw. I am just wondering how anyone claims their church is right and others are wrong if they dont believe in any real claim to any kind of authority from God to start a church.
2007-12-12 05:10:40 · update #2
It is not just small little differences in christian sects. There are some differences that may seem small but in reality is the basis for their entire concept of heaven and hell, which is not small.
And the reason I was wondering this is because soo many christians on here have accused mormons of being a cult or being false because some guy started the church and changed doctrine. At least he claimed to have a right by God to do this. I dont understand how some christians can call mormons a cult and claim our church is false because of how it was started or because our doctrine is different when their church was just started by some guy that wanted to start a church and their church's intepretations of doctrine dont match that of whatever church their church broke off of.,
What is the difference?
2007-12-12 05:14:34 · update #3
There is a HUGE difference between proclaiming already established Scripture and prophecy. A prophet speaks for God. They speak scripture that is 100% accurate and must be in accordance with what has already been established.
The issue that I personally have with the prophecies of the Mormon Church (and the JWs for that matter and to be fair many of the "3rd wave prophetic movement") is that they fail the test given by God in Deuteronomy 18:20-22.
God commands that a prophet must always be accurate 100%. Your prophets are not and have never been. Not my opinion it is fact.
edit-- The difference is that when I preach or teach, I stand on the authority of inspired established scripture. I do not stand on my own authority. I am only responsible to be true to the established words of scripture.
A prophet, by contrast is a chosen vessel that hears from God's mouth new revelation and speaks (or writes) it with 100% accuracy.
2007-12-12 07:49:49 · answer #1 · answered by δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you believe Christianity should not change from it's original message then why aren't you out stoning gays, burning whores, or shooting Wallmart shoppers who go out on Sunday?
The bible explicitly calls for all believers to do these things.
Oh yeah, I remember -- because some Christians have evolved a moral system and have adapted to modern living. Why bash them for doing something that you have done by not following some parts of the old testament?
As for authority, I don't know why any religion claims to be the right one to start with. There is no evidence, just lots of people with hateful agendas. I'd prefer we all just got along.
2007-12-12 05:08:37 · answer #2 · answered by Dalarus 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Bible...is not a book...
It is a collection of books, propehcies, biographies, histories and revelations...written by over 40 people over the course of some 3000 years.
No one ever, sat down to 'write the Bible'.
They wrote from God's inspiration, and not until the Catholic Church did the Bible 'form'.
These books, were collected, and organized into a single book, and called a Bible AFTER Christianity started...
The first Christians did not interpret the Bible...they lived as Christ taught them....The Bible was organized specifically later as testament to those teachings.
To say, or suggest that Christianity is some sect who somehow interprets the Bible 'differently' is hogwash...
Because the Bible is the interpretation of the Christianity that they were living for 300 years...
The timeline....
1.Individual 'books of the bible' ...Old Testament..
2. 600-1000 year gap from 'newest scripture..
3. Christ arrives
4. Christianity
5. Individual 'books of the bible'..New Testament
6. Then, from the literally hundreds, if not thousands of historic, ancient prophecies, histories, biographies and revelations..only this select group was put in the Bible.
And that is what we've been living ever since.
Yes, Denominationally, there is some difference in beliefs among Christians..but not as it refers to basic Christianity..
Hope this helps..
Now, as to new revelations..there aren't any..which is a problem the Christians have with Mormons..who claim to get new revelation all the time...for polygamy, against polygamy, blacks rejected God, and were stained, blacks are now ok...and welcomed into the priesthood.
Very specifically..the Bible is clear on this as any other point...THIS IS IT...NOT ONE WORD TO BE ADDED OR TAKEN AWAY...new revelations, supplementary scripture, companion writings are works of false prophets and deserve condemnation as such.
Christians live as an amalgam of the OT and NT...the NT does not ban women priests..but the OT does...the NT does not not 'stone people to death', the OT does, the OT is where the warnings against homosexual behavior is.
Jesus fulfilled the law...Holiness in the OT was by deeds, and living the law, and faith...the NT is by faith alone...Jesus fulfilled those laws...so we don't have to.
Holiness by law, was replaced by Holiness by Christ...
Now lastly...anyone can start a church, and call it what he or she pleases and believe in anything it wants too..I hope that's clear...nobody is saying the Mormons can't believe what they want, no one is saying Mormons are evil, no one is saying that Mormons are not good Americans, No one is saying LDS has no legal or moral right to propagate, preach and grow.
What we are saying..is Mormons are not Christian...they took the FULL and COMPLETE revelation of God, ADDED some things and TOOK away other things, and wrote more SCRIPTURE, in direct violation of God's word.
In other words...they are saying God lied, or is wrong about some of the things in the Bible...and it wasn't until the 1850's that he decided to do something about it....
That is as Pagan a view as one can harbor...that somehow God is fallible, that he changes his mind....
Now as I say, legally, morally, ethically...by all rights you can hold pagan beliefs...but to mislead others and invite they join you based on the idea that Mormons are another branch of Christian belief..is a lie...and needs to be exposed as such.
2007-12-12 05:09:14 · answer #3 · answered by Steve M 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Hint: There's no such authority.
Suppose I were to gather a giant army and take over the United States, and establish rules requiring everyone to worship me. Do you really think that would be evidence that I must have had a legitimate revelation from God?
==================
"If there is no such authority than how can any church claim to know for a fact their doctrines and their personal interpretations are correct?"
Bingo.
It's straightforward: they're lying.
"What is the difference?"
The entire difference is that the Mormons did it more recently.
2007-12-12 04:54:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
The mystery of the 3 in ONE God is threaded throughout scripture. Father, Son and Holy Spirit - all one and the same God. ONE God - 3 parts. "But I don't understand that - how can 3 people be one person" you may say. There are numerous analogies to illustrate the principle, but it is not really necessary for us to fully understand it, after all, who can fathom the depth and the ways of God Almighty?
2016-05-23 05:44:39 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either divine providence which only they can attest to...or their all charlatans...what difference does it make???
Churches made of bricks and stone are simply monuments to faith...the true Church exists within the people who believe and anyplace they gather...that is their temple...
2007-12-12 04:54:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jesus started our 'church', and his authority is from God our Father.
2007-12-12 04:54:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The word of God itself is the authority.
There is no earthly authority to preach the truth but the word of God.
2007-12-12 04:57:03 · answer #8 · answered by hisgloryisgreat 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
not a big fan of the bible. im more of a non-fiction guy. people who frequently attend church judge those who don't. they have the i am holier than you and if you don't believe my way then you're going to hell attitude. you people are raised to worship out of fear. that is not how i want to live my life.
2007-12-12 04:56:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Well, God authorizes preachers like ministers and such, however, they aren't prophets. Prophets were used to fortell the arrival of Christ.
2007-12-12 04:54:21 · answer #10 · answered by chrstnwrtr 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋