I've Been To Church Today.

[Theland]

Having been disappointed in the past from unbiblical teaching from the Church Of England and a Gospel Hall, my sins have been weighing heavy on me lately, and I felt the need for Christian community.
So, today I attended a local Evangelical church.
I enjoyed it and was made very welcome.
This could be my spiritual home for the future.
Do any of you have any thoughts on Evangelical churches?

[JimF]

Are we weak and heavy laden?

[Peter Pedant]

// That's the thing T., the first person we have to make peace with is ourselves.//

blimey that is a bit foo for a place like AB. foo I say ( again)

yeah I thought about evangelical church and said to someone at work, can I come to yours one sunday ?

and she said in best AB fashion - - - foo
( it is black and I am the only white - it was 1980. and you know it was a church for chrissakes)

and I said what was your text sunday den
and she said - do not judge lest ye be judged

and I said -being me- Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε·
( Mt 7.1 for you godless proles) I read the bible in greek you know

and she said no you dont
and I said - what did you just say again? ...... and she said.....

I mean golly: "You'll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ... By their fruits ye shall know them"

and yes boys and gurlz I really thought ( heretic!) it was God giving me a message - - - more formal church for you my boy !

++++

(*) she said no [it was so weird being told I didnt read a language I did. but hey I am on AB so I've got used to it.] and I thought jesus gods revelation has really left this lot aside

as Naomi says - you approach the text having read absolutely nothing about it, and god will tell you what it means

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Hi Atheist, any 'archaic' language is probably from the King James Version of the Bible. You will see very few favourable references to fools or the foolish in the book of Proverbs- have a little read and it will assist you to understand the point being made. I think its fair to say He doesnt suffer them gladly! Best wishes

[Atheist]

Hazi, I don't have much sympathy with people who call people 'fools' without explaining what their judgment is based on. If I called you a fool without explaing why, I would be both rude and stupid.

[Peter Pedant]

// "Those who say there is no God are making a patently foolish statement."//

this is a gloss on " the fool says there is no god"
psalms somewhere

the difficulty about 'discussions' such as this is one side has no idea at all what the bible says

[Atheist]

PP, perhaps "the difficulty about 'discussions' such as this is one side..." doesn't give a damn what the bible says. And, the religious don't give a damn about any intelligent question which is posed to them, they simply repeat the KJV stuff without thinking for themselves. This is probably because they are not humans, but religio-bots.

[Theland]

I'll drink to that Peter. And again.

[JimF]

Once again, the assumption that anyone who disagrees with you has not read the bible is both ignorant and insulting. I have read the bible; had I not, how could I possibly criticise it? But, unlike you, I have read it with an open mind, like I have read any other work of fiction. That's what you can't seem to grasp...

[Peter Pedant]

// any 'archaic' language is probably from the King James Version of the Bible.//

much better than the Douai version which the romans are stuck with

I wont go so far to say the translators were inerrant but certainly inspired. I went to a lecture about church architecture ( yeah sudan as ever) by a Pole whose text had been translated by a polka welsh disestablished church , dripping with KJV references and it was quite something.

( AB ; how she get over church-ecclesia-congregation? well she did and the result was stunning)

[Peter Pedant]

// such as this is one side..." doesn't give a damn what the bible says.//

erm you are arguing my side which is that one side has no idea what
the Bible says - innit? - and as such it is difficult to have a rational discussion.

fr'instance - Boris says more taxes - rubbish dat!
Boris says - no more taxes - rubbish dat!
it is diffciult to say anything if you deny a concept AND its negation
rubbish dat !
conclusion - you cant have a rational conversation.....

[Peter Pedant]

// But, unlike you, I have read it with an open mind, like I have read any other work of fiction.//

erm sorry = "like I have read any work of fiction"
shows a frame of mind - that it was fiction to start off with
(PP flees darn the corridor screaming I've won I've won)

I dug up papyri wiv greek on dem yeah?
( of course I didnt, the labourers we employed did the things like dig for chrissakes and I lorded it over them ( 1978 ) like a colonial lord shouting - yalla mashi!
work harder damn you !
and then of course the question of what did it say - - comes up
= text criticism to proles like the average ABer
and a subsid question - what did it mean to the reader AD 100 ?
and a further question - what does it mean to us? now AD 2021

[Theland]

What does it mean today 2021?
Good question. What?
It was inspired and written with ordinary people in mind, who could read it and understand it with reference only to God and each other.
Somewhere down the years the scriptures have been hijacked by academia where even the dog collar requires a degree on an ology.
What went wrong?
God still speaks to me through the scriptures, in spite of the likes of N.T. Wright, various bishes of Canterbury etc demanding they interpret it.
And the Roman Catholic church are worse.

[Mamyalynne]

Didn't think anything could be too foo for you Peter.

[naomi24]

More attention seeking.

Yes, I do have a thought on evangelical churches. They're nuts.

[Theland]

Can you qualify that?

[naomi24]

You could - if you thought about it.

[Theland]

With respect Naomi, your attitude and opinions are bankrupt.

[vulcan42]

Theland you have spent many months telling us that all religions are wrong and only your concept of the bible is right. You are now considering to join an off shoot of the protestant church, what's going on?

[naomi24]

//With respect Naomi, your attitude and opinions are bankrupt. //

As is your moral code, Theland.

[Theland]

Vulcan, honest bible teaching is what I want, free from the apostate teachings of the mainstream churches.
Anything wrong with that?