The Pharisees weren't Christian; the Apostles spent time with Jesus (y'know, God). If I can't trust the early church to be right on these matters, I can trust no one. I don't know if the early church was flawed or not, but I have to trust that the Holy Spirit led them.

I haven't taken communion in a long time. The Salvation Army doesn't observe the Sacraments. However, I believe there is Holy Mystery in the Eucharist, and if the early church believed it that's good enough for me.

Most of Christendom does. I don't know the specifics, but what I do know is that it's holy. Early Church writers held strongly to it, and you can find it in all of the ancient churches today-- never mind that the Eucharist as "symbolic" only arose during the 16th century. That's evidence enough for me.

Love God and love neighbour. God is love. Jesus Christ is our foundation, and he told us to love. Mystery is important, but love is central.

Justification by Faith and Works, real presence in the eucharist, Hell as a purgatory (or at least redemption after death), Jesus as the Word of God (as opposed to the scriptures)... I think those are the big ones for now.

not mystery, but the love of God that overflows and spills over. In the Tanakh, a prophet (Jeremiah) complains that God's Word burns his fire like bones and that he cannot keep his mouth shut. The mystery of God is to be appreciated, but it is not our sole motivator (although it certainly can be!)

I grew up Protestant, in the Salvationist tradition. I'm still heavily influenced by their emphasis on Social Justice, but I find that the core of my doctrine is more easily identifiable with that of the Eastern/Oriental Orthodox. I'm currently with the Salvation Army

I... am in total agreement. That's what I said. It looks like I left out "I'm sometimes gulity" bit. I'll go back and edit.

I'll check it out, thanks!

I've got the book and am reading it now; I've also been around the War College and talked to the guy in charge there. I'm fascinated by the idea, and being part of the Salvation Army has surrounded me with like-minded people.

I maintain that reality contains the immaterial, not necessarily existence. Existence as a term forces us into a certain understanding of the world, which would not necessarily include Reality. I would agree that there is no such thing as the immaterial in your eyes, as your (and my!) eyes can only perceive the material. However, I have experienced certain.... unquantifiable things that are [currently] best expressed through spiritual terms. Maybe one day we'll discover exactly how the the brain works in its totality. Until then, it is reasonable for me to express my experiences in an immaterial fashion.

While it may not be the most intimate way of communicating, it's still communication. I'd even argue that it's better, since dinner and a movie isn't an accurate depiction of your entire life. Hanging out, talking, watching TV, etc, all combined, are.

Agreed. I'd go a little farther and say dating must (at some level) include community, because (i) individuals change according to the setting they are in and you want to know all facets of this person, and (ii) you're not taking this person out of his community, you're trying to join it; the same goes for this person's involvement in your community. The "traditional" style of dating (which is what, 150 years old? if that? tradition develops too) is very focused on people on the individual level, where it should strike a balance between individual and community.

. If a woman honestly wants something out a relationship, don't fuck the person, say something.

Shoot, goes both ways I'd say. Don't go under the sheets until you know the person. Sex is more than just pleasure, it's intimacy, and quick flings cheapens it.

#trendy

What is Heaven , then? and Hell? I've heard dogmatic claims that hell is a pit of eternal torture a la Dante's Inferno, but the very existence of such a thing is at odds with a God of love and mercy; and up until September, I thought Heaven was a place that you went when you died if you were good and had faith and such.

So basically, I was an idiot. But the functions of both still escape me.

naw bro I don't know how to tag things.

This event was only ever going to be a blip on the radar. you have my updots, but not my attention.

I greatly enjoy the idea of the victim dictating the punishment, guided by the law (and a rep. of the state). That's not what the article was specifically talking about, but it's one of the ideas that came into my mind. Make justice come from the personal, not the abstract.

I've started using the #theology tag, but I appear to be alone. I haven't seen much in the way of religious dialogue.

This is known as apophatic theology. It's a good way to go about a religion of revelation.