[TruthTalk] The place of creeds in relation to truth

[Judy Taylor]

From: "ShieldsFamily" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Amen, David.  Also keep in mind that creeds can be created and used to control other people by forcing them to conform to the beliefs/behaviors of those in authority over them. Izzy   jt: Not only can, they are and were created for just that purpose beginning with an unsaved Roman (Constantine) who convened an ecumenical council to try and force a type of unity.   It was written of Calvin after the death of Servitus: Calvin�s plea for the right and duty of the Christian magistrate to punish heresy by death, stands or falls with his theocratic theory and the binding authority of the Mosaic code. His arguments are chiefly drawn from the Jewish laws against idolatry and blasphemy, and from the examples of the pious kings of Israel. But his arguments from the New Testament are failures. He agrees with Augustin in the interpretation of the parabolic words: "Constrain them to come in" (Luke 14:23). But this can only refer to moral and not to physical force, and would imply a forcible salvation, not destruction. But he cannot get over those passages which contradict his theory, as Christ�s rebuke to John and James for wishing to call down fire from heaven (Luke 9:54), and to Peter for drawing the sword (Matt. 26:52), his declaration that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), and his whole spirit and aim, which is to save and not to destroy. In his juvenile work on Seneca and in earlier editions of his Institutes, Calvin had expressed noble sentiments on toleration; even as Augustin did in his writings against the Manichaeans, among whom he himself had lived for nine years; but both changed their views for the worse in their zeal for orthodoxy.   From: "Lance Muir" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Linda:In 'Amening' David on this business of creeds, may I ask: 1. When you speak of Jesus what would you mean for us to understand? 2. Is you RCC family member on an equal footing, 'credally' with yourself? Why? 3. Is every person on the face of the globe on an equal footing 'credally' so long as they, by the Spirit of God, read and believe Scripture? 4. Is it accurate to speak of both everyone, as per number 3, being 'correct' when speaking of Jesus' Gospel yet, in another sense, everyone being 'incorrect'? 4. If the 'plumbline' for 'truth' is Scripture then: a. is every word that we use beyong Scripture somehow 'relatived'? b. Is our very choice of any Scripture over another itself 'relatived' becuase both a & b are a kind of 'credal' statement? -----  From: "ShieldsFamily" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Amen, David.  Also keep in mind that creeds can be created and used to control other people by forcing them to conform to the beliefs/behaviors of those in authority over them. Izzy