Brian writes jar:
quote:
If you were a Christian, you’d be expressing the tenets of Christianity, but what you are expressing in no way resembles any extant denomination of Christianity.
You seem to feel this way simply because jar dares to say that his beliefs could be wrong, and you clearly imply - repeatedly - that because of this jar isn't a true Christian. I'm not a Christian at all so it doesn't matter much to me whether any of you are "true" Christians, but I know for a fact that you're wrong when you keep saying that some 1,500 or so denominations all agree with you on this.
The Episcopal church absolutely does not agree with you on this. It comes nowhere close. I was reared in that church, and we were taught at a very early age, in Sunday school, to realize that nothing about us humans is infallible, not even our beliefs. We were encouraged to question things with enthusiasm, that by doing so we were making the best use of the gifts God gave us.
I don't remember ever hearing anyone at church say that I should specifically question the existence of God, but they never said I shouldn't. I think the existence of God made perfect sense to them and they trusted that it probably would with me (ultimately it didn't, but isn't that the whole point?) - they had probably ruminated on a godless universe at some point themselves and, after some critical thought and prayer concluded that yes, in fact, God does exist. Why would they not afford me the same opportunity to question God myself and reach my own conclusion? And why would simply pondering such questions have to mean that one is not a true Christian?
Why would any religion discourage its followers from thinking? You're an obviously intelligent person, Brian, and I don't believe you're being entirely honest when you imply, through your line of questions, that such notions have never occurred to you, and that you've never given a moment's meditation to them.
™ Version 4.2
