"**Rowland Croucher**" wrote:
> We know what's true through our senses
Do we? Many philosophers would disagree. It IS all we have to use
(beside
our God given brain) but it may not always be trustworthy.
> So Christians have to answer this broad question by submitting to
> 'outside' authorities, like the Bible
.... which was composed by people like oneself ...
> or Jesus
.... who is dead (but alive in God) ... and we only have the fallible
bible
as a guide to who the historical Jesus of Nazareth really was ....
> or the Church
.... which is also fallible ....
> , or 'traditional belief-systems'
.... which are fallible and man-made ....
> or our reason, or, occasionally, personal 'peak experiences'
.... which is finite and fallible ....
Even combining the whole of the above one does not approach a "rock" on
which to build. That is the unfortunate human condition.
> Actually all these 'authorities' can be reduced to three: Scripture,
> Tradition, and Rationalized Experience.
>
> As an Evangelical, I'd put Scripture at the top of the 'authority
> triangle' - but bring the other two authorities to bear on its
> interpretation.
Whereas I would place reason at the top (sans experience) as both the
fallible man-made bible and fallible man-made tradition need to be looked
at
through one's God given brain rather than accepted at face value.
> I meet too many people who switch off their reason, and believe about >
> the Bible whatever 'pastor/preacher/Bible teacher' told them to believe,
> when they were impressionable.
Especially at the peak conversion time of the late teens.
> Among Pentecostals/charismatics I often meet folks who put experience at
> the top: the 2 minute 'word of prophecy' is more memorable than the
> 45-minute Bible-based sermon...
Here is a phenomenon I am familiar with. Having undergone hypnotherapy I
have been told that I am very open to hypnotic suggestion. As a musician I
know that it music has trance like qualities. That is its appeal.
Pentecostalism / the Charismatic movement is all about experience. It is
only when the experience is no longer there that one begins to use other
methods to explore God. For me the catalyst was the viral myocarditis
that
nearly killed me in 1980 producing depression and search for God through
reason when I no longer FELT God was there.
For those livingh with a depressed person I thoroughly recommend the new
book by Matthew and Ainsley Johnstone "Living With A Black Dog" (Pan
McMIllan: 2008) See his blog http://ihadablackdog.blogspot.com/
It would seem to me that mnost in the pentecostal / Chraismatic moement
are
open to hypnotic suggestion and that their church service is geared around
that phenomenon.
> Another question: how am I supposed to know not only what to believe but
> how to behave? What's 'normal' here?
Some of the prophets were not "normal" by today's standards.
Isaiah
Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from
thy
foot. And he did so, walking ****d and barefoot. And the LORD said, Like
as
my servant Isaiah hath walked ****d and barefoot three years for a sign
and
wonder.... -- 20:2-3
Ezekiel
And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung
that
cometh out of man.--4:12
Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung,and thou shalt prepare thy
bread therewith.--4:15
Hosea
And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and
children of whoredoms.--1:2
--
MY BLOG - MARK T - my thoughts on Christianity & links
http://www.blognow.com.au/strooth/
MY SOUNDCLICK PAGE- download my original songs in mp3 format
http://www.soundclick.com/marktindall
FUNDY FUNHOUSE -
http://fundamentalistfunhouse.blogspot.com/
- a resource on the current Fundamentalist Dark Age and Christian
fundamentalism.
PASTOR DALE K WHANGKE
http://dalekwhangke.blogspot.com/
Wyrst Pentacostal Church
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