WebsterMark wrote on 06/10/14 at 10:30:43:Yes differences make us stronger. This is why the Christian church for example has so many different denominations. I say "denominational differences are the defenders of the truth". Collectively, denominations have all the truth spread between. No one denomination should dominate the others. If that happened, truth would get lost like it did when Roman Catholics dominated the world. In the western world anyway.
The analogy to politics is the same. Conservatives and liberals have the truth spread between. As a conservative I am strongly against liberal ideology however, I'm smart enough to know that I don't know everything. (insert Donald Rumsfeld's famous saying here). The constant back-and-forth fight between conservative and liberal ideology is what keeps our nation together. Conservatives need liberals just the same as liberals need conservatives.
What should happen, but doesn't, is individual points of differences should be debated thoroughly and completely. Abortion is a perfect example. Liberals lose if abortion is the debatef on fact, scientifically you might say. So they created the phrases pro-choice, war on women, reproductive rights etc. this keeps the discussion away from human life. I'm sure a liberal could point out a conservative point of view where we try to change the language to avoid the real topic at hand.
Good post Pine.
Sorry, Webstermark, I fail to understand.
The Christian Church has three major Confessions, that is:
- Roman Catholic,
- Orthodox (national Churches)
- Anglican/Episcopal + Lutheran.
The three above mentioned are "Confessions" because they have and enforce a Priestly Class and Priestly Education is c/o Seminaries.
Enter the Protestant Denominations: in some you need a degree in philosophy, in others all you need is "a Vocation", i.e. a "calling".
Sorry, it's not enough. Good intentions and 8th grade education does not make one a Preacher.
The Good Lord has stopped sending the Holy Spirit to little sheperd boys over well 2000 years ago, and until proven otherwise,
just as you need to attend Law School or School of Medicine to become a Lawyer or a Doctor...
there is the clear requirement for a Seminary to educate your Priestly class.
Else, you run the risk of finding yourself in the hands of a spekeasy spin doctor running his church in a garage...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Which, incidentally, is using a Masonic symbol illegally... Masonic Knights Templars, equivalent to the 30-32nd Degree Scottish Masons
You can't improvise your own God, nor your own Church.