What is your basis for truth
Submitted by Forgiven on November 22 2000 18:33:27
In reply to Abandon the truth? submitted by Jimf3 on November 22 2000 09:07:35
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One of the hardest questions is how you decide on what basis do you make your judgements about what is true and what is not. The bible offers perhaps four models: 1) Direct revelation from God - e.g. Abraham, Moses; this is the ideal, but in practice we are too selfish and fallen for this to be often a safe route. 2) The written law - e.g. Deut 13 which warns us not to obey the prophet even if he shows signs and wonders if he then leads you away from the God of Israel 3) Obedience to the teaching that the person who bought you to Christ then goes on to share with you. I Cor 4 v14f 4) What the living church teaches. This is an extension of 3 and picks up on the biblical injunction to submit to the elders of your congregation. Over the years the church has come to recognise the value of a further source of authority - what has been believed always, everywhere, from the begining (there's a cute latin tag for it.....) This is based on the belief that over the years it is reasonable to assume, as was promised, that God's spirit has been active leading us into all truth; therefore any radically new ideas which oppose beliefs that are so long established are probably wrong. On the whole the more of these that you have lined up on your side, the more likely you are to be right, whilst if you're opposing all these pretty solidly, then you're likely to be in trouble. It happens to be the case that the proponents of the legitimacy of gay sex are running up against these big time; the arguments in favour are based on assumptions that once applied to wider issues leave the theology of the church in tatters. As a result I have little serious doubt that, unfortunately :-), gay sex is not an option for me. "I believe that the suffering of this present age are as nothing compared with the glory that will be revealed for the children of God" as Paul puts it - or the alternative paraphrase "Life's a dump, but then you die". Perhaps I'm wrong - so for the duration of my life down here I'm more miserable than I need to be; but in the context of everlasting life, it will, looking back in a few THOUSAND years, have been not massively important. Meanwhile your abuse is quite enough to convince me that you aren't really at peace with God in your beliefs.... |
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