Dogmatic Certainties

[Pisteuo]

bbyrd questions everything. Always has as long as I’ve been reading his posts. I even tried agreeing with him a few times and he found a way to question that! Seriously. He went for some time entrenched in heated exchanges and I never seen him get offended no matter how nasty and personal the other guys got. Say what you will, there is great value in his posts. If you can untangle them.

 

[Episkopos]

bbyrd questions everything. Always has as long as I’ve been reading his posts. I even tried agreeing with him a few times and he found a way to question that! Seriously. He went for some time entrenched in heated exchanges and I never seen him get offended no matter how nasty and personal the other guys got. Say what you will, there is great value in his posts. If you can untangle them.

I think Bbyrd (here we go speaking of someone that is present..but hey) is a good gauge for righteousness issues. But not holiness issues. People who have a hard time understanding the difference should just look at how he reacts to posts. If I post on righteousness issues...Bbyrd is right there. If I post on holiness issues...he is very much against what I'm saying.

We judge as we are. If we don't have experience with God directly, we have only a few ways we can handle that when someone raises up that issue.

But I see his contribution as valuable...keeping the above in mind.

 

[Helen]

bbyrd questions everything. Always has as long as I’ve been reading his posts. I even tried agreeing with him a few times and he found a way to question that! Seriously. He went for some time entrenched in heated exchanges and I never seen him get offended no matter how nasty and personal the other guys got. Say what you will, there is great value in his posts. If you can untangle them.

He there...totally agree with you.
He has always been unique ...
I laughed too at your comment about you posted back in agreement to to comment and he managed to even have a question about that! hahah!

Me too!!!

Also, I agree about the value in his questions...he cause a person to think twice. ( If they are listening and if they are able to question theirselves. Some just cannot question themselves)

 

[Episkopos]

People hold to things for different reasons. Some people grow up with certain beliefs...and for them that's all there is. But some people have put a lot more time and effort into thinking the ideas through...with God's help of course...to see what is actually being propagated...and over time have moved this way or that away from what was once previously held. And this is is not always to the good...although I think it necessary to "travel" in our minds" to see new places.

In Hebrew the word for "meditate" means to walk in the mind.

Now coupled with the willingness to be critical in one's thinking is God's intervention by the Holy Spirit. So people will divide over how intimacy with God is not only possible but desirable. And they who are opposed to what they have not experienced, do so, with as much conviction as they who have gone further on in the Christian walk. And how is this possible? The bible. So then it is very easy to stumble over the words of the bible...and even Christ Himself. It says so in the bible. In fact, I think that until we have reached the full stature of Christ...we all stumble over one or more aspects of God's will and ways.

I think it is very healthy, dogmatic certainties aside, to investigate the experience of others....AWAY from opinions and dogmatic stances based on a certain reading of the word...in order to find new avenues to the fulfillment of that calling in the Lord.

If we are true seekers then we will easily lay aside our various viewpoints in order to look at those of others. But the dogmatic stuff gets in the way of that...that's when fruitless arguments arise that have no point all. There is nothing edifying in that. So I tend to avoid vain discussions when I see that dogmatism...based on a very human appraisal of what is written in the bible...being presented as having more importance than an open discussion.

So then disagreements can arise...but there is such a thing as the truth. But the truth is that which brings life...not just opinions. So to me, the honesty of a believer should be in regards to speaking things that help others into life....and fortify them against evil and hurtful trends we see...not just in the world...but also in the churches.

And above all dogmatic ideologies taken from reading certain verses in a way that negates the whole counsel of God.

 

[Pisteuo]

If we are true seekers then we will easily lay aside our various viewpoints in order to look at those of others. But the dogmatic stuff gets in the way of that...that's when fruitless arguments arise that have no point all. There is nothing edifying in that. So I tend to avoid vain discussions when I see that dogmatism...based on a very human appraisal of what is written in the bible...being presented as having more importance than an open discussion.

This describes pretty well how I feel as well. Many times I write out a long post only to delete it because the other poster is so dogmatic and willing to seemingly die wrong rather than research what I have to say. It’s rare that anyone is open to change on these forums anymore. And obviously we can’t all be right. So being less dogmatic is the logical answer.
Great thread!