ddb@mrvax.DEC (DAVID DYER-BENNET MRO1-2/L14 DTN 231-4076) (03/29/84)
The current crop of born-agains, or whatever the term is ("Sorry, I'm color-blind in that range myself") asks us to accept them as true Christians and reject the established churches (particularly the Catholic church). I understand their eagerness to do so -- it's pretty hard to defend many of the things done by the established churches over the years. Unfortunately, I can't see any way a non-Christian can decide which, if any, is the real Christianity. A Christian presumably makes this decision by seeing which ones follow his idea of Christianity, which he believes is provided him by God (his idea, that is). I have philosophical problems with this approach, based on the human tendency towards self-delusion -- but in any case, valid or not it isn't available to me! I can't claim to accept anyone as christian who claims to be -- but if I had to decide between the Catholic church and the unorganized evangelicals, the Catholics would win hands down by historical precedent. -- David Dyer-Bennet -- {...}!decwrl!rhea!mrvax!ddb