Steve I'm still confused

ReedActs@aol.com (ReedActs@aol.com)
Mon, 26 Oct 1998 21:01:20 EST



  Bro.  Starcher:
 Well Brother Reed, I guess this is one of the differences between you
and I.  I perceive that the faith I possess is historical.  That means
that I am a human being who is influenced by history and culture.
 
 Mike:
 Okay..?  I don't remember mentioning that I didn't believe history and
culture had an affect on me.
 
 Bro.  Starcher:
  I want to understand the theologies, philosophies, and ideologies which
influence my faith.
 
 Mike:
 With all due respect, it seems rather that you **want** your faith to be
influenced by the theologies, philosophies, and ideologies of the
denominational world.  Not only that, you want all other Apostolics to join in
your ecumenical spirit. 

 Bro.  Starcher:
 You seem to believe that nothing and no one has
ever influenced your Christian faith.  As you prepare your post could
you please address this subject? 
 
 Mike:
 Actually, I do believe that my "Christian faith" ( and to me that means
Apostolic faith) has been influenced primarily by Apostolic preachers, the
Bible, and the Holy Ghost.  I have no "Christian faith" outside of my
Apostolic faith. 
 
 Bro.  Starcher:
 Could you please prove that your
consciousness is is pure, that your faith and consciousness of reality
is not influenced by anyone or anything?  I would anticipate this post
will delineate how you study Holy Scripture only in the original
languages to avoid any theological influences in the translation of the
Christian cannon
 
 Mike:
 Is this meant to be answered?
 
 Bro.  Starcher:
 It will proceed to chronicle how as a child you were
never a part of a religious community which shared its faith with you.
 
 Mike:
 My Mother died an atheist.  My Dad though he claimed to believe in God never
was a member of any church.  I was never a member of any religious community.
 
 Bro.  Starcher:
 I know it will give us an insight into that personal revelation of God
by which you first came to know all of the truths of the Christian
faith.
 
 Mike:
 Hmmm.  I don't remember stating anywhere that I had a personal revelation of
all the truths of my Christian faith.....or yours.
 
 Bro.  Starcher:
 It will also tell us that you have never read a theological text
book, Christian book or magazine, by any other Christian. 
 
Mike:
 Is Bro.  Bernard a Christian?
 
 Bro.  Starcher:
 In fact, as
languages are a social and cultural construction we will probably learn
that you have your own unique language given to you by God to avoid any
possible contamination of your thought, similar to Latin I guess.
 
 Mike:
 It would be silly for me to speak it here, you wouldn't understand it anyway.
 
 Bro.  Starcher:
 When I said that I expected to hear from you in another post I was not
being condescending.  I know that you are passionately committed to the
Apostolic faith and view any dialogue with other Christians as
compromise and would feel compelled to respond to my posts.
 
 Mike:
 I love dialogue with "other Christians," I have it all the time, but from
your writings your idea of dialogue is vastly different from mine.  You come
from the premise that us, Baptists, Methodists, etc., are one big happy family
of "Christians."  I believe that those that have adhered to the Apostles'
doctrine are "Christians" and all others someday could be.

  Enough for now.    Mike Reed