Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!ukma!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: mitel!Software!watson@uunet.uu.net (Steve Watson) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Infant baptism and bible interpretation Message-ID: Date: 15 Jan 91 10:06:35 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Mitel. Kanata (Ontario). Canada. Lines: 38 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article CONS.ELF@AIDA.CSD.UU.SE (Ake Eldberg) writes: >It was not my intention to start a debate about baptism..... >.....Sorry too that my stupid example took away all the >attention from my main point about Christianity as a historical >religion with a development behind it. Take heart Ake, it's not that bad. Even though I chose to respond ALSO to the Baptist angle, I certainly didn't miss your point, which I thought was quite well expressed. (The tendency of discussion threads to throw out side branches, which then turn into threads in their own right is a pleasant characteristic of the Net). One thing I will say in favour of the Church of Christ is this: their stated aim is to restore the New Testament church, shorn of all the accretions and corruptions of 19 centuries (thus the name 'Church of Christ'). It's a pity that the attempt went (IMHO) so badly astray, and wound up producing just another Fundamentalist sect, distinguishable from others only by the idiosyncracies of its legalisms. But one of the things I retain from my days in that church is a sort of tendency toward minimalism in my faith: a habit of asking "Is THIS essential, or just peripheral?". It makes me look at my church, or whatever I happen to be involved with and say "This is just a vehicle, just a wrapping. Unless it helps me to find that Kernel of the faith, that Holy-of-Holies, it's worthless". While I recognize the value of tradition as a guide (i.e. "These people did such-and-such, and it had this result. Maybe we should try something like that?" (or: "avoid it like the plague!")), I think we also need occasionally to try and put ourselves in the position of those first-century believers, with a shiny new Faith to live and proclaim, and no previous generations to guide them. It could lead to some valuable insights. -- +===========================================================================+ | Steve Watson Disclaimer: Blame me, not the Company I keep... | | UseNet: watson@Software.Mitel.COM UUCP: mitel!spock!watson@uunet.uu.net | +===========================================================================+