Trinity, continued

I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd continue our discussion on a new post, so that others might realize it's still a hot topic and join in. Unfortunately, it's a little hotter than I had planned it to be because......well.....umm......(abashed look on face).......okay, fine, I lost my temper and wrote some things in anger. Go ahead and burn me at the stake....sniff....sniff. In my own defense, however, I really didn't mean them in quite that way. I was writing with the view of the world and how people like to nitpick and find the differences rather than work together. In no way was this meant as an attack on the people of this blog having a pleasant and useful discussion. Different points of view are necessary in order to establish the truth, or at least the truth for those people. Maybe (and here goes my brain out in left field again and a good place for someone to voice their own opinion) there isn't supposed to be one universal truth for everyone; but rather truths that fit for each culture of people. And then as each culture becomes closer to God and learns how to love each other in the way he intended, then they also become more understanding and tolerant of those who believe differently in some ways and find the ways in which they are alike. I know, I know, it's sounding like a love fest here. But I think this is more what I was trying to say before, but failed so miserably. Anyone who knows me even a little, knows that I do not intentionally try to hurt and insult others.

Okay, back on topic....and the last question asked was whether or not discussing doctrine is important anymore. Obviously it must be since there are plenty of Bible Discussion Groups out there. I think that one of the issues is that it is such a taboo anymore to try and impose your own beliefs on others. And that makes people a little leery of stating their real thoughts and opinions/beliefs. We might insult someone...gasp. And I know that I am guilty of that as well. I want to believe that we can all have our own beliefs because it's safer that way. But what if I'm wrong and there really is only one belief....and what if it's not mine! And the problem with that is that who's going to know for sure which is the right one? Only someone who has spoken to God (and anyone who says to a large group of people that they've spoken to God is probably not going to be believed anyway......i.e. Joan of Arc)

On the other hand (and I think I have more than 2 hands here at this point), if we don't discuss doctrine and come up with what we truly believe, then we don't know what we believe in and why we are worshiping. And then we are being hypocrites.....we go to church and say that we are believers, but we don't really have a belief system. We are simply going as an "insurance policy" in case it IS all true. I think there is a scripture about that (and maybe the one for this Sunday) that not only do we have to worship, but we have to believe and DO what we believe.

Okay, so after all of this rambling, I suppose that I have to say YES, discussing doctrine is not only important, but necessary for us. We need it to keep us on track with what we believe and what we should do with that belief. Otherwise, we just might come up with some really wild and crazy ideas that would do us No good and could hurt others.

Alright, I'm finished...for now