I've been a closet admirer of your posts for a while now. They give me some strange kind of consolation. Anyway, I wanted to address this to you and make it open for anyone who wants to add a comment. I spent this past weekend giving a retreat to men in prison. Not that i could really share my belief in Jesus cause the closest I get is some wacked out gnosticism. ' I don't think that we could know what Jesus was talking about since even his disciples got Him wrong. (cf. that bible verse where one says, "Lord, will you now restore the kingdom.) people in jail are just like anybody. just whatever twist of fate. At one point though I thought I had a full grasp on that part of the bible where Jesus says, Do Not Judge. And that part about "Whoever holds lust in his heart has already committed adultery." To me that was Jesus saying, ":Look, man, if you call your brother a fool you're liable to go to hell." How can this make sense? It's about anger. What did I forget? Oh ya, I wanted to thank you. So thank you. I'm sorry you couldn't become a minister at your seminary. I think you have tons of talents to give other ppl. Have you ever done prison ministry? Those guys could use youre talents and gifts. Anyway it was worthit for a moment to understand that whatever life rolls your way comes up craps it is not your fault. Peace out.
Just wanted to pop in and mention this Forum now has a PM (Private Message) feature which you can use to exchange personal conversations between members. Its pretty cool and easy to use!
Smlchance: You're welcome. I read your post and I'm not completely sure what I'm being thanked for, I should tell you that God made me the way I am, but that's only if you believe there is a God. Some might say that I am who I am, whether I'm a Christian or not. I'm just a 24-year-old with an inkling and a great intellectual interest in religious scriptures. but I appreciate your comments about the Seminary thing. My feelings about "the Church" are on shaky ground. I had more faith that they were big enough to include someone who, "does not have a traditional Judeo-Christian understanding of Christ and God's salvation." (And I quote from the review I received from them.) hipunk: I don't know what you are referring to, profit and moderator.
"does not have a traditional Judeo-Christian understanding of Christ and God's salvation." Its not so much a question here of someone 'not allowing you' something - as if it were all about winning some favour and a key. Just to make an analogy to just about any other club, org, team etc. If I wanted to be a hockey coach but I tell them up front that I dont agree with wearing skates on the ice.. well then why would they make me a coach.. .. but never mind that - why would I want to be accepted as a coach? I dont. Obviously, this is not the Org I want to join is it? I would look into Street Hockey coaching or something else. Too early.
What's wrong with having a more inclusive, broader view of who and what Jesus was? Does the church hold a monopoly on Jesus?
Why cant the NHL just stop 'forcing their beliefs' on me and let me coach players to wear shoes instead and count 'offsides' as the same as a Goal? Why wont they broaden their views on what is skating or not skating?
Because the church is not just a club with a coach. God, the creator of existence and non-existence, the supposed creator of all things, should be big enough to call a variety of people, no?
The analogy only goes so far, man, so give it up. Then again, maybe I can play hockey with shoes, by playing street hockey, where there is no offsides either (not when I played it anyways). See, it's not the setting of the game that counts, or the details, it's the playing of the game. Street hockey, ice hockey...it's all still hockey. Just done differently. Likewise, from the beginning there were different views about who and what Jesus was. Only when the Church gained power and started crushing all ideas different from theirs came this arrogance that only the Church knew who Jesus was, and that they could dictate it to the rest of us. Yeah, ha ha, but clearly there are more Christians than just the Roman Catholics.
No. Its not about being 'big enough' that anyone can do or say anything and everything is equally valid, important or helpful. Why not a Satanist and why not a 'variety' that teaches total nonsense and is silly, and a clown on 4th sundays and then contradict all of that on Wednesday night services? Of course anyone can and does do whatever they want, but a responsible organisation that I have any shred of respect for will actually believe what they say and say what they believe. Why cant I become a Cleric for Islam just because I believe Muhammed has written a false doctrine? Thats not fair - shouldnt Allah be 'big enough' to let me teach the Koran is insufficient?
Well that's for sure. If it were about logic and fairness, why would half the people on CBN that preach intolerance be ordained, and not me? I don't know Erasmus. Maybe you've got God's email address just like Pat Robertson. You seem to assume you know God's will for me, but I'm a little uncertain how you would know. The Holy Spirit maybe? Maybe the Holy Spirit is in you and not in me.
You are the one that doesn't make sense, Erasmus. You are comparing the creator of all things to hockey. It's apples and oranges. Religion isn't a sport. Hockey coaches not letting you play without your skates isn't anything like the creation of and reason for existance... And I have to point out - if Martin Luther used your logic we wouldn't have protestant churches today. Who get's to define when the church is done progressing? I'm sure it isn't you.
K I'm being a little bitchy here. Sorry. It's just that my life plans were altered greatly these past few weeks, and I'm trying to be patient.
Your asking the wrong person the wrong question. What you might need to do is find a Church where you all agree. Maybe a Bahai Church or a New Age Church.. something like this. Again, I get back to my question on why you would accept an ordination (why would you Want it?) from a Club in which you dont agree with the rules, terms and what is going on? Forget being 'allowed' to join. Why would I want to join (and how could I be sincere) a Club that is made up of people who all agree to ride Harley-Davidson when I intend to ride a Kawasaki. "Hmph.. so they wont LET me join eh?" Well I dont really see where I would be thrilled to be joining since I dont even own a Harley and dont intend to? Hey.. I cant speak for God but I think if we agree God is a rational being (or any sort) then His Will for you is not that you join a group of people which you disagree with and who disagree with you and then what.. you just sit there contradicting them all day? Why dont you contact some people who were associated with 'The Jesus Seminar' and see if they can find a place for you. Im sure you are just what they are looking for!
Its all good... years later you may very well realise that if you were to have received this - it would have been a rock and not a fish. Dont forget - you being ordained may well alter your life plans but there are 30, 100, 1000 Parishioners whos life plans are altered by your ordination or not. Its not about you as much as its about them. No word yet on whether they are bummed or not?
What a sarcastic and crappy thing to say man. Actually people are bummed; angry even. All my professors, and everyone I work with. It's just a few select people on a committee that are holding all the chips. (Which is disturbing to see where the power lies in this process of ordination.) I don't completely disagree with the Church. I disagree with the reasons that this committee have given me. Sheesh, those 30, 100, 200,000 people are just the people I am talking about who won't be receiving good news in a new way. Go take your rocks and fish someplace else.
I wasnt being sarcastic at all but I supposed since you are bitchy its coming at you that way. The commitee is there for a reason. They are (hopefully) put there on behalf of the congregation to work for their benefit. It might not be to their benefit to be fed false doctrines on Sunday or recieve 'new views' instead of Good News. It sounds like that is what they were saying to you. Why are you unhappy with their reasons? You DO NOT hold a traditional view of Christianity and seem to be indicating this with intentions of bringing new views aboard. (not necessarily bad but in your case seems to mean a different Gospel than the ones they received already)
