Barneyisfat

It's so hard when those you love just don't understand you. My friend Marshall and I discussed theology last night.
Marshall rejects the idea of looking analytically at the church - at what we are doing right, wrong, and indifferently - based on data and percentages. He believes that we only need to look to the Bible. I agree that we need to look to the Bible a whole lot more than we are, but the most "biblically sound" churches are the ones who I feel are the least Christ like.

Every step we make in the right direction theologically - every time we have an idea that is closer to what is real truth - brings us one step closer to sharing a theology with Satan.

Read that statement again and you will understand what I mean. If you don't here it is: Satan knows all of the correct theological answers but has never applied it to his life and been saved. He isn't living a Christ-like life. If our goal as the church is only to teach the proper theology - or if we distance ourselves from people who we feel are theologically misguided - then we have failed miserably as Christians. Wouldn't it be far greater for me to have a theological viewpoint that is only half correct (in the eyes of those who believe they have it totally correct) and live that out in love for Christ -- than for me to understand the theology 100% but not apply it to my life.

I have some weird thoughts theologically. I think that a lot of the new testament was chosen out of a myriad of writings to best represent the religious politics of those who were putting the Bible together. I believe that the synoptic gospels are the most acurate depictions of the life of Jesus. I question the motives of the author fo John and therefore it's authenticity. I don't believe the Bible was meant to be read as a textbook, or in Book:Chapter:verse:a/b/c format. I believe it is a love letter, a piece of poetry or art, but not something that we are benefitted by when we hold it under a microscope. It pisses me off when pastors go into long bouts of translating word for word from Greek into English to show how the translation is wrong or coudl be more accurate. ("The greek word here actually refers to the throne that was covered in blood in Old ... blah blah") I believe that although the English language is not the most expressive God created it and it is sufficient. I like The Message because it uses the full throttle of English to translate the Bible again into the language of the people. I don't believe Christians have to believe every word of the Bible to become a Christian. I don't believe a person has to shed every sin of the BC (before Christ) days immediately following their conversion. I don't believe we can ever be bad enough for God to stop loving us.

God bought a barrel full of manuer with the intent of washing it out and making it something new when he sent his son to die for me. Why would God revoke his willingness to love me just because I got more mud on me?

Marshall feels that I am no longer a Christian (or atleast a very weak one) because I don't have a theologically sound conservative viewpoint on things. He is upset that I tell "your mom" jokes, and that I think heresy is occasionally funny (in the context of an entirely Christian group only). He knows that I am still living for Christ, but feels that it can't be possible to be a servant of Christ without having the proper theology.

I'm not a good Christian all the time, but I feel my life lives out the faith I preach. If it is sufficient for God why can't it be sufficient for those of whom I love?