"I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE, no man comes to the father except through ME!" -Jesus Christ (Emphasis added) (John 14:6)I am pretty sure that sums it up right there and you need to rethink and worry about your salvation. How can you get away with telling other Christians that they are wrong when they merely have doctrinal differences. How can arguing about doctrine not be futile? There is no real way to prove that you are right or wrong (necessarily), thats why the doctrine exists. The only time doctrine should be seriously argued is when its affecting dogma. I understand that we cannot all agree on how we should honor and worship God. But the real question is -- do we have to? If I want to honor God by never having an alcoholic drink or dancing, why should you condemn me for my beliefs? As long as you aren't getting drunk (Proverbs 23:20) or dancing provocatively (2 Samuel 6:14) how can I say you are doing something wrong? Just because my doctrinal beliefs and practices are one way, does not mean they are the way.
Also, why does every spiritual thing have to include 100% of the Bible in it? This is a little confusing so I'll explain a little more, then I'll close the argument. Let's say that a group of children put on a play for a church. These kids do a reasonable job at their play and use satire and humor throughout. The play has clear Christian values and undertones, however, it really only addresses the topic of loving your neighbor -- thats all, nothing more. The play does not offer a plan of salvation, does not show the miracles and works of Jesus, does not show any old testament values or laws that should be followed. It only focuses on the issue of loving your neighbor as yourself. Is this play heretical? Did the kids or director do something wrong? I don't think so. These kids chose a topic to teach about. (Now, when you think about it, MOST children's plays the pastor will give some kind of invitation afterwards so keep that in mind) Just because they didn't do everything doesn't mean that they did something wrong. Now to close the argument, think of a sermon. Does every sermon talk about every aspect of God and the Bible? Obviously not. I for one have never heard a pastor try to talk about Jesus dying on the cross and Saul disobeying with a burnt offering without the prophet. So if sermons are allowed to focus on small individual topics, why can't other approaches to teaching about God? Why do we get so bent out of shape when someone makes a movie or cartoon and misses a detail, or leaves something for the critical eye to catch and complain about?
I tell you, arguments between Christians about trivial things needs to stop. God did not intend for his people to be confrontational about details and things like that. We need to come together as one. Divided but a whole. If God is a trinity and we follow the concept of 3 is 1 and 1 is 3, why can't we do the same as Christians? Why can't we be many people individually, but come together on our dogmatic grounds to become one entity? Are we not all one in God's eyes? None better than the other? I heard in church the other day "What can we see everyday that God can never see?" The answer was "His Equal." In God's eyes we were all equal sinners, and now, he loves us all equally as Christians. Yes, we can still anger, disappoint, and upset him at different levels, but somehow he manages to never love differently. We as humans can likely never achieve such love. But we CAN obtain enough harmony with each other to show the world a thing or two. I mean think about it, our churches would explode and new one built everywhere if we would accept each others differences and believed in "to each his own" on certain things. Instead, we argue about our differences in doctrine and lose sight of the true goal.
Anyway, sorry for the slightly agitated post, but I was annoyed by some recent closed minded confrontational Christians. I pray that I am able to see past differences and accept people as Christ followers many more times than not.
Your friend, brother, and companion in Christ,
-Zachary Haas
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