[net.religion] Curb your dogma!

rwl@uvacs.UUCP (Ray Lubinsky) (03/16/85)

> 
> I wanted to reply to something that was said regarding changing views
> on subjects, such as war, women, contraception, and the "biggies", 
> homosexuality, witchcraft, sexuality.
> 
> If we change our religion to fit today, or what we want to do, then
> we have pure "religion".  In other words, man making his own way to
> God, deciding the way, the truth, and the means.  That makes me ill.
> My thinking and life must line up with God's, not His with mine.
> 
> karen

---

   Well, I'm not particularly for war, I'm quite fond of women which often
leads to contraception.  I'm neither a homosexual nor a witch.  Am I OK? Is my
thinking lining up with God's now?  Gee, I hope so.  (The Bible doesn't say
anything about rubbers, does it?)

   Get real, larryg!  Evidently you consider yourself a Christian (as I've
gathered from previous postings) but lack the faith to interpret the Bible as
it pertains to you, here and now.  Neither you nor anybody else has a direct
line to God, and as far as I can see, the written Word -- inspired or not --
can only be a humanized translation of the divine Logos.

   The spirit of God is not defined in the pages of your RSV.  Would their even
be a job for preachers and priests if this was so?  'Course not.  Religion, in
particular Christianity, has been changing for centuries because it has met
needs.  As the needs change, so the expression of the religion changes.

   Do yourself a favor.  Stop living in the first century A.D.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray Lubinsky		     University of Virginia, Dept. of Computer Science
			     uucp: decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!rwl

larryg@athena.UUCP (Larry Gardner) (03/26/85)

Jesus was very clear on what God expects.  Why would God change His
principles.  Sure the specifics change but not the principles.

By the way, the Spirit of God lives within a christian.  Therefore
we have the "mind of Christ".  We can know, through our conscience
and through prayer, what Jesus desires of us.

If I want to live by standards that my conscience speaks, what 
difference does it make to you?

If I speak of a standard of Christianity, why do you care of you 
aren't a Christian?

karen

debray@sbcs.UUCP (Saumya Debray) (03/30/85)

> 
> If I want to live by standards that my conscience speaks, what 
> difference does it make to you?
> 
None -- as long as it makes no difference to you what standards *I* choose
to live by.  Unfortunately, it seems there are far too many proselytizing
fanatics out there who act as if they have a monopoly on truth.
-- 
Saumya Debray
SUNY at Stony Brook

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