Do you have to believe in the Trinity to be a Christian?
- Thread starter Bright Raven
- Start date
I think it would have been better if he had used his critical observation to read the four gospels in parallel, the way scholars and historians do.
You can easily see that Luke and Matthew followed Mark's order of events yet fundamentally changed his gospel to advance their own inspired agenda.
How is that? I myself believe in the "Holy Spirit." Maybe you are picking up that I conclude such a phrase is theological in nature and is just some all-too-human believer's attempt to attach a meaning to scripture.
But just because it is a human construct does not mean it is useless or erroneous.
I have a problem.
You say it doesn't matter what you believe. I don't understand how this could ever be true--especially when it comes to our faith.
In fact, this website is filled with diverse beliefs--even though we all--I presume--read the same texts.
THAT would be BR's point...God's written word states it clearly unless you read it eisegetically, in which case it is your problem, not God's.
The intent is believe scripture.
But beyond the topic of this thread (and I agree that specific belief in the Classic Trinity is certainly not the salvific "threshold"), it would be helpful to know your Theology Proper position overall in multiple discussions on TOL.
I'm a bit confused (and mildly put off) by your reluctance to "identify" yourself. It makes meaningful discussion or processing your comments all the more difficult.
At least you clearly and concisely defining deity would help, including both what it IS and what it IS NOT.
Perhaps you ought to identify your "belief system" as well? I wonder
about your position?
It seems like you ought to try and articulate that sentence better?
Only, if you desire your fellow posters to understand what you're trying
to convey , of course?
PneumaPsucheSoma
TOL Subscriber
I've done so many times, including a complete outlined Statement of Faith.
I'm a Uni-Hypostatic Multi-Phenomenal Trinitarian. (The "Classic" formulaic is a Multi-Hypostatic Uni-Phenomenal Trinity, though I know you'll never be able to comprehend the difference.)
Well, if I don't, Google gives us ALL an even footing, does it not?
PPS, could you translate that into English? Or, would that be beneath you?
"God's written word" is one thing. The billions and billions of different interpretations of that word is something else again.
It makes absolutely no common sense to claim that the Bible is God's word, since the many different translations and theologies found within it prove otherwise.
And if the Bible is God's inviolate and inerrant word, then that does not mean that human interpretation of that word is ALSO inerrant.
The sense of the sacred is always mediated through different and diverse individual cultures, time periods and human believers.
PneumaPsucheSoma
TOL Subscriber
Our human interpretations are just that--interpretations.
And God is all infinite and immense. Thus, we are always fated to cherry-pick our way through his orchard. We cannot grasp the Whole. We are stuck with being finite and human.
Does that make more sense?
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
But you cannot drift into tyranny by expecting or demanding every single Christian to believe the same thing.
It has never worked, nor will it ever.
You're leaving out the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I always pray
for guidance and wisdom before reading and studying the written
word of God.
PneumaPsucheSoma
TOL Subscriber
Ummm... No. Enjoyment is not the word. Not even close.
You may be able to create a spellbinding group of intellectualized
word phrases, however, your lack of wit or discernment of the
presence of wit, takes away some of your leverage.
I'm sure you'll, "Google up" some fancy words, and come back with
a half way decent retort.