"it's not easy to demonstrate this claim"
Heh, I think i've done a pretty good job so far.
"it's not easy to demonstrate this claim"
Heh, I think i've done a pretty good job so far.
well ive had a look at Mennonite beliefs-
they are not in favour of " military service, office holding, government employment, voting, taxes, participating in the economic system, using the secular courts, pledging allegiance, using flags, public and private schooling, and seeking to influence legislation."
niether are they in favour of divorce, sex before marriage, abortion.......also looks like Movies, dancing and alcohol are frowned upon.....
Last edited by stevey; 05-15-2002 at 12:19 PM.
Steve
they are not in favour of government employment.... whew, imagine a world where the government was run by these people!!
they are not especially hot on contraception either, not in favour of much really, apart from folk music and wearing bonnets.....
still, they would not be mugging you, robbing your house, or running off with your missus/ molesting your daughters !!!
Steve
The anti contraception ones ........ me off, there are damned missionaries in Africa telling the local populace not to use contraception when there is a ****ing AIDS epidemic.
*still hates religion*
Okay, I should a little clearer. I'm attending a mennonite church, but I'm not a member of any particular denomination. I have also attended Baptist, Pentecostal, and Foursquare churches (in that order) No denomination is perfect, and one thing I disagree with in the Mennonite doctrine is that they don'y emphasize the teaching of the Holy Spirit (nor do Baptists). Pentecostals tend to focus on the Holy Spirit to the exclusion of all else, and I got kicked out of my foursquare church for accusing the pastor of making things up and not preaching from the bible. (Actually a funny story, I suspect the real reason I was kicked out was because the pastor wanted me off the drums so his kid could play) Since we live in such a small town, this was the only church left besides the vineyard and the salvation army. Both of these were pretty boring to me, and the mennonites are really nice, and there is nothing explicitly wrong in their theology (as I said, there are things that are more like differences in opinion). Also, the mennonite church is really close to my house. In conclusion, though I do not agree with all their beliefs, I agree with all their major beliefs. If you really need to classify me, you can call me "charismatic" (which is a general term for pentecostal).
Sorry for giving you my life story, but you seemed to want to know. Do you still want me to tell you all of my beliefs? (I'm taking a course in systematic theology, so it would take a very long time to cover them all)
Okay, once again, to clear up confusion:
Definition of a cult:
1. Claims to adhere to at least the basic moral and ethical values of christianity.
2. Denies the divinity of Jesus. Reduces Christ to a minor god, or more often, a prohet sent by God.
3. The founder of the cult often claims to be a prophet or a manifestation of God.
4. The leader claims that his/her revelation supersedes what is written in the Bible.
If these are true, especially nos. 2 and 4, then by definition, it is a cult. Note also that these are absolutely essential for christianity, therefore, a cult cannot be christian, though often, they will claim they are (ie. JW's, Mormons)
If you want to know if a religious organisation is a cult, ask them "Is Jesus Christ God?" If they say no, they are a cult.
(Generally, Islam, Liberalism, and Mysticism are excluded from this definition for various reasons, but literally, they are cults.)
Oh, heres my favorite website on scientologists:
Read it, it's really funny.
www.xenu.com
Last edited by mike_k; 05-15-2002 at 01:15 PM.
The anti contraception ones ........ me off, there are damned missionaries in Africa telling the local populace not to use contraception when there is a ****ing AIDS epidemic.
The Bible doesn't say anything about contraception, this was invented by the Roman Catholic church, and was also accepted by the more conservative churches.
The Bible states "do not kill". Since it is held that God grants a soul at the moment of conception, it is believed that to "abort"/"kill" a fetus is to committ murder. However, contraceptives merely prevent conception, therefore, there is nothing theologically or morally wrong.
The reason al this came to be stems from the catholic church in the middle ages. They believed:
1. The world is evil
2. The flesh is evil
3. Sex is of the flesh
4. Therefore sex is evil
5. Therefore we're not allowed to indulge except to procreate
(note: this is a bit of a simplification; I believe they also feel that God controls whether conception occurs and to attempt to control it is to act contrary to his will.)
Needless to say, this is a little contrary to scripture.
I think it was Carl Sagan that at some point on one of his books parodied with the way aliens of a technological superior society would perceive us humans with our religions. For an ant like alien it would be amusing been told of us being made at the image of god (lowercase intended... also the pun). Were these ant creatures as mindless numbs towards religion as we are and we would be tagged as herectic and disseminated.Originally posted by mike_k
If you want to know if a religious organisation is a cult, ask them "Is Jesus Christ God?" If they say no, they are a cult.
(Generally, Islam, Liberalism, and Mysticism are excluded from this definition for various reasons, but literally, they are cults.)
On a lower level I find that definition of cult as amusing. If I were muslim I would most probably had to replace "Is Jesus Christ God?" with is maome god and tag cults based on the answer...
The problem: I know! I'm right! Mine is the only religion!
That's what I find most entertaining in religion. Makes me giggle.
Just replace 'religion' there with 'soccer team', or 'political partie', or...
Show me god and you'll be damn sure I'll laugh my ass off
Regards,
Mario Figueiredo
Using Borland C++ Builder 5
Read the Tao of Programming
This advise was brought to you by the Comitee for a Service Packless World
Okay, try to clarify yet again:
This definition applies mainly to people who claim to be christian, but are not. There are cults of other religions; I was referring to cults of christianity.
Islam is excluded, because the branch occured before christianity, with the birth of Ishmael. Liberals are exclude because although ty deny the divinity of christ, they do not claim that they are god, etc. but only that it's not logically possible.
"On the contrary, in Hebrew, numbers are the absolute hardest thing to translate of all!"
Just asked my best friend who is Jewish and can translate Hebrew, he said that number translation was "easy", so umm....
Question: was the Bible (original manuscripts) written in the same Hebrew as used today? This might be why...
YES, I know some of it was in Greek later on, etc.
This is my signature. Remind me to change it.
cult Pronunciation Key (klt)
n.
A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
The followers of such a religion or sect.
A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
The object of such devotion.
An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest
"Islam is excluded, because the branch occured before christianity"
ERRRM.... nuh-uh.
My nice little picture of what a cult is:
"A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader. "
This is pretty much what I said.
