Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: bendert@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Truth Message-ID: Date: 1 Oct 90 01:21:14 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 56 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu This reply is aimed letting everyone know that much of what is labeled truth in the original posting is not. I'll only respond to what I consider to be the most important parts. I don't intend to ridicule or condem the author but I must challenge what is being said. ! So what I'm ! trying to say is so many people today call themselves "christians" when they ! have not even experienced really being "born again". Assuming for a moment that you're interpretation of "born again" is the TRUE one (which I doubt). Are you trying to tell us that you have a way knowing what another person has experienced spirtually? Further that you have used this knowledge to conducted some sort of test on a large number of christians and found these results. Or is this just your way of telling us that most Christian denominations don't agree with your interpretation of "born again"? ! Let's not ask whether we should stand or kneel to pray but just "PRAY". ! That is not a life/death or heaven/hell issue but what "tradition" has ! taught us over the years compared to what JESUS says in HIS WORD is what ! we all need to investigate ...... What is TRUE SALVATION????????????????? ! This IS a life/death/heaven/hell matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You seem to be setting "Tradition" (and I have to assume that your refering to Catholic spiritual and religious Tradition since current historical and cultural tradition would be irrevlevant here) in opposition to the Word of God as it's found in the Bible. The fact of the matter is that they are not in opposition. They agree and compliment each other. ! Don't trust me or your Pastor but look it up yourself you can TRUST THE WORD! Here you are clearly telling us that private interpretation of the Bible is the ONLY thing that we can trust. The Bible was not given to you or to me individually. It was given to all of us. The way to interpret the Bible is in concert with the concensus of a well informed majority (for me this means the scholars and Saints of the Catholic Church throughout it's history). This is how we arrive at the TRUTH. In fact God guaranties that we will arrive at the TRUTH in this way. No such guarantee exist for the private individual interpretting scripture in a vacuum. ! Some of you have been questioning TRINITY, keep researching, you are on ! the right path because there is no such thing! In the near future when I ! have more time to type I will give you references not only from the Bible ! but old encyclopedias that reveal how trinity was propagated by the Catholic ! church in the 2nd century and also changed water baptism from in "The name ! of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST" to the TITLES of "the Father,son and Holy Ghost". ! Satan is called the Father of perdition.....think about it. ! Read Job 13:6-10 John 4:24 I have no doubt that the doctrine of the Trinity was propagated by the Catholic church. That's because it is the TRUTH. I am certain that you cannot refute it through Bible quotes unless you misinterpret them. I'll leave the text of the posting now. Please continue to seek the truth. I'll pray that we do. Tim Bender