I Didn't Lose my faith, I Lost my DOGMA!

Published on September 12, 2007 By Gideon MacLeish In Religion

On another thread, I was accused of being "anti-church". And while I am a devout Christian, I can't say I'm wholly opposed to the label. The legacy of all too many churches is one of hurt, pain and destruction, not of hope and happiness.

As I've taken a look at what has me so disappointed, I am finding it is not my faith that is lacking, but my dogma. See, I no longer care about "majoring in the minors" on faith. I no longer care about this group and that group and whether they have all the jots and tittles in the same place. The fact is, if you don't read Hebrew and Greek, you're probably reading a text that varies substantially from the original.

It's not that I don't care whether people are going to heaven or not. I do. It's just that I don't think that salvation is franchised out like a fast food restaurant, and that you have to believe x and y to get to heaven. I firmly believe that salvation wasn't made for people with PhDs, it was made for simple people of the sort that would have a hard time understanding a concept like predestination, let alone building an entire doctrine around it.

When you look throughout history, it's not religion starting wars, it's dogma. It's not religion blowing up people in shopping malls, it's dogma. Religion builds, dogma divides.

I don't consider myself a universalist. I know very well what I believe. But I don't consider it essential that you concur.

Comments

Jythier

on Sep 12, 2007

You're such a paradox, Gid! You long for fellowship, but there's no church for you.

I know you want a church, Gid, whether it be a brick and mortar or just a group of people getting together for fellowship. Good luck with that search.

I agree with a lot of what is said here. I thought we both believed that Jesus was the way to salvation, regardless of the 'minors' of faith. (I still think that's true, but feel free to correct me)

The problem is that even with a PhD, sometimes you still can understand faith, and you end up in a church... but you have a PhD. So you might have a pride issue, which leads to being a leader, which leads to needing to be looked to for doctrine...

"Well, he's a lot smarter than I am, let's ask him!"

And he may not actually be gifted in interpretting scriptures, or he'll do what I do, and make stuff up based on what I think God should be like. I try to always leave off with "but that's just my opinion" but others don't necessarily do the same thing, or care if people take their word as better than scripture.

Gideon MacLeish

on Sep 12, 2007

I agree with a lot of what is said here. I thought we both believed that Jesus was the way to salvation, regardless of the 'minors' of faith. (I still think that's true, but feel free to correct me)

Oh, I agree with that. I'm just sick at what I'm seeing.

There are many in the church who claim that "the church isn't a haven for saints, but a hospital for sinners". Yet if a hospital routinely turned away sick and dying patients, people would be outraged. When the church does it on a regular basis, nobody seems to care, or worse, they believe the church is justified.

I'm not saying the church should tolerate false teachers in the church. They shouldn't. But when false teachers show up, the Bible's pretty clear on how to deal with them. And most churches do what they want, not giving a whit what God wants.

Jythier

on Sep 12, 2007

My church is full of sick and dying patients. Er, not literally.

Anyway, I've never seen anyone turned away from my church. But, maybe they do it quietly.

Zoologist03

on Sep 12, 2007

I just hope my karma didn't hit your dogma, but maybe it's for the best.

~Zoo

KarmaGirl

on Sep 12, 2007

Reply By: Zoologist03Posted: Wednesday, September 12, 2007
I just hope my karma didn't hit your dogma, but maybe it's for the best.

Nah, this Karma stole his Dogma....you can have it back if you pledge 10% of your yearly wages to my church- it's all in the name of salvation, so feel good about it.

Zoologist03

on Sep 12, 2007

you can have it back if you pledge 10% of your yearly wages to my church- it's all in the name of salvation, so feel good about it.

Ah, delicious religious blackmail.

~Zoo

ThinkAloud

on Sep 13, 2007

The fact is, if you don't read Hebrew and Greek, you're probably reading a text that varies substantially from the original.

I cant agree more

When you look throughout history, it's not religion starting wars, it's dogma. It's not religion blowing up people in shopping malls, it's dogma. Religion builds, dogma divides.

We agreeing tooo much here .... let's stop that.

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