How much truth is there in religion?

A poll

At the Second Church of Odyssey you'll find different ways of expressing your beliefs, finding prayer support or being encouraged through regular devotionals.
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jasonjannajerryjohn
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How much truth is there in religion?

Post by jasonjannajerryjohn »

Here's a little poll I'd like to ask everyone here and I'm interested to hear your answers and discussion. Please select the answer that best fits your view:


How much truth is there in religion?

A: Basic truth in all religions.
B: Basic truth in some religions.
C: Basic truth in one religion only.
D: Little truth in religion.
E: No truth in religion.
F: Other (Please Specify).

What do you consider your religious persuasion?

A: Catholic.
B: Orthodox.
C: Baptist.
D: Methodist.
E. Lutheran.
F: Presbyterian.
G: Pentecostal.
H: Seventh-Day Adventist.
I: Anglican.
J: Unitarian.
K: Nondenominational.
L: Non-religious. (atheist, agnostic)
M: Other (please specify).

Do you consider your religious beliefs to be:

A. Liberal
B. Moderate
C. Conservative
D. Other

Do you consider your political beliefs to be:

A. Liberal
B. Moderate
C. Conservative
D. Other
Last edited by jasonjannajerryjohn on Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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John Chrysostom
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Post by John Chrysostom »

How much truth is there in religion? I would say F: Other, I think there are seeds of truth in every religion. I would argue that many Christian denominations have many of the basic truths while my specific one has the fullness of truth but at the same I think we see other religions striving for truth too and finding parts. For example I would say that I have a greater appreciation for the sayings of Buddha and other Eastern mystics than ever before because I appreciate their wisdom about denying the passions and asceticism. I appreciate the words of Timothy Keller a Presbyterian pastor much more now then when I was a lukewarm Protestant. And I have re-read C.S. Lewis in a new light since becoming Orthodox.

What do I consider my religious persuasion? B: Orthodox (Thank you for including that as a choice!)
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Post by jasonjannajerryjohn »

I did it just for you Rand. The painting gave it away. ;)
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Post by Christian A. »

F. I agree with Ayn. There can be small seeds of truth in most religions, but I believe my religion and what I believe is the closest I can get to all absolute truth. However, my religion tells me that unbelievers minds are blinded by their sin, so they naturally have a bias against correctly understanding God. Therefore, I tend to think that those in my religion are the few who can understand truth about God, because they are in a right relationship with Him.

C. (sort of) I think most Baptists are free will and Arminian. I would call myself a Reformed Baptist who holds to the doctrines espoused by Luther and Calvin (among others) in the Protestant Reformation.
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Post by Tea Ess »

F. I will also agree with those above, as 'seeds of truth in each religion' describes the reality quite well. Ultimately, only one of these religions can be right, according to logic.

K. I belong to a Non-Denominational church, with a congregation at very different stages of their Christian walk. I am fairly new to this church, having moved in the last couple of years, so I feel I am not adequately prepared to clearly state our beliefs and stances on certain subjects. I may or may not make a Q&A thread for my church.
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Post by jasonjannajerryjohn »

I would like to add the following questions:

Do you consider your religious beliefs to be:

A. Liberal
B. Moderate
C. Conservative
D. Other

Do you consider your political beliefs to be:

A. Liberal
B. Moderate
C. Conservative
D. Other
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Post by John Chrysostom »

Could you maybe define what you mean by Liberal, Moderate, and Conservative as it relates to religious beliefs?
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Post by Tea Ess »

Yes, some explanation and definition would help. I would consider my immediate family conservative politically and conservative religiously. However, when you compare our lives with those of a Mennonite family, then we would appear more liberal. It depends on what exactly be are basing 'conservative' off of.

Oh, and happy belated birthday Ayn Rand!
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Post by jasonjannajerryjohn »

I'm not providing a definition. I'm asking how you personally consider your beliefs. Which word would you use to define them?
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Post by John Chrysostom »

I would say I'm more conservative compared to many Christians given my belief in monasticism, asceticism, Liturgy, closed communion, and a hierarchical clergy.

As far as political views I would say Other, being Libertarian.
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Post by Kait »

How much truth is there in religion?

B, I suppose? I think all religions have value and most of them have elements of truth.

What do you consider your religious persuasion?
M, other. I am religious but I don't subscribe to any particular set of beliefs. My conception of God is very Judeo-Christian, though.

Do you consider your religious beliefs to be:

A. Liberal

Do you consider your political beliefs to be:

A. Liberal
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Post by Blitz »

How much truth is there in religion?
F: I believe that some religions came close but some very far from the truth.
What do you consider your religious persuasion?
C: Baptist.

Do you consider your religious beliefs to be:
C. Conservative
And I am slightly leaning a little out of true conservative

Do you consider your political beliefs to be:
C. Conservative
But I do believe in some variation to conservative parties.
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Post by Knight Fisher »

F: Basically most of what Ayn Rand said.

E: Lutheran.

C: Conservative.

D: Other. I consider myself very seriously to be part of the Baloney party. Because what politicians get elected wont change anything. But I have specific views on individual issues.
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Post by jasonjannajerryjohn »

Well I'm not asking if you identify with a specific party. I'm asking what word would you use to describe your political views.
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Post by Christian A. »

Do you consider your religious beliefs to be:

A. Liberal
B. Moderate
C. Conservative
D. Other

C. Conservative. Actually, although Ayn would call himself conservative, I would think of him as liberal for the reasons he listed. :P

Do you consider your political beliefs to be:

A. Liberal
B. Moderate
C. Conservative
D. Other

C. Conservative.
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Post by John Chrysostom »

Wait what is liberal about what I listed? Liberal means favorable to progress or reform, you are a Protestant of the Reformation you are the one who reformed the Church.
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Post by Knight Fisher »

jasonjannajerryjohn wrote:Well I'm not asking if you identify with a specific party. I'm asking what word would you use to describe your political views.
Well then by my definition I'm very Liberal. By everyone else I would be considered conservative.
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Post by Christian A. »

From my point of view, my church holds the doctrines that would have been held by the apostles, while your view (monasticism, asceticism, hierarchical clergy, etc.) is one that I think would have been opposed by the apostles, and is therefore a reformation of original doctrine. But I guess you would probably say the same about me. ;)
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Post by John Chrysostom »

I would say that because the Apostles did very much support the doctrines I mentioned. Monasticism; St. Paul it is better if you remain unmarried. After St. John the Baptist Paul was one of the first monastics. Asceticism; I don't see how the Apostles would oppose this where would you say they opposed this? Hierarchical clergy, the Apostles appointed Deacons, Presbyters, and Bishops it says so quite clearly in the New Testament. Liturgy the first Liturgy was written by St. James one of the Apostles.

What doctrines do you think the Apostles held to that you hold to today?

Also Happy Birthday!
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Post by Christian A. »

I don't think Paul ever said it is better to remain unmarried. He said it is good. But he also said, "Let each man have his own wife," and, "If you do marry, you have not sinned." In addition, the writer to the Hebrews says that we are not to forsake the assembly of brethren, and yet monasticism consists of isolation and private Christian living. I don't think that's supported by Paul. Also, there's no concrete evidence that Paul was never married. I found these points by a pastor who holds that Paul was a widower:
1. Paul puts himself in the category of being “unmarried” in 1 Corinthians 7:8.
2. The word “unmarried” translates the Greek word agamos.
3. Paul uses the term agamos to refer to those who have been married but now are no longer married.
4. The context of agamos in 1 Corinthians 7:8 is dominated by Paul’s instructions to those who are married or who have been married.
5. The Greek word for “widower” was not in use during the Koine period.
6. The word for “unmarried” appears to be the masculine word for someone who has lost a spouse.
7. As a good Pharisee, it is highly unlikely that Paul would have been single his entire life.
As for asceticism, I guess it depends on your definition. If you merely mean the denying of worldly pleasures as an aid to pursuing more godly goals, then sure, the apostles would have advocated that. But if you mean something more like the Buddhist rejection of all enjoyment and pleasure, instead opting for a life of purposeful suffering, then I don't think that's something that the apostles would have taught.

Hierarchical clergy: First of all, 1 Peter 5 and Acts 20 show that the terms elder/presbyter and bishop/shepherd are interchangeable. So I would say that there are only two offices in the church: pastor and deacon. With regard to the appointing of them in the early church by the apostles, I think that was a one-time thing, because the church was just starting out, so they needed elders and deacons, and the apostles were chosen by God to appoint them. Because we no longer have apostles, we no longer have people to appoint elders and deacons. Therefore, based on different passages in the pastoral epistles, we can gather than the congregations are to recognize men in their midst who meet the qualifications for the offices of elder and deacon, and the congregation can vote to ordain them.

So, in a sense, yes, the apostles were advocates of hierarchical church government, because as apostles they had authority to appoint elders and deacons. But after they died out, there were no longer individuals with that kind of authority, so it's now left up to individual congregations to choose their leaders.

With regard to liturgy, can you give me your definition, and then give me some evidence that the apostle James was one of the first to write it?
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