tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603499.post3410242489013677409..comments2023-11-30T03:44:34.585-05:00Comments on Opinions Nobody Asked For: Month-Long BacklogJeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11683622475941901572noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603499.post-69590673097995271282007-07-15T10:39:00.000-04:002007-07-15T10:39:00.000-04:00My response (to the Pope stuff) is finally up on m...My response (to the Pope stuff) is finally up on my blog.<BR/><BR/>http://mbnovak.blogspot.com/2007/07/old-news.htmlMatthew B. Novakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00441950586412209361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603499.post-44771983145930464572007-07-12T05:33:00.000-04:002007-07-12T05:33:00.000-04:00Jeff:Welcome back, and congratulations on getting ...Jeff:<BR/>Welcome back, and congratulations on getting married.<BR/>Give it a few years, and you'll understand why they call marriage an institution...<BR/><BR/>Ben:<BR/>The problem with Hamas's ideological purity is that killing Jews is central to it.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01314897574215489135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603499.post-72671633155268898612007-07-11T18:04:00.000-04:002007-07-11T18:04:00.000-04:00Ben: what is the threshold at which differing beli...Ben: what is the threshold at which differing beliefs become deal-breaking? For example, the catholics believe your sins aren't forgiven unless you confess to a priest. As I understand it, protestants believe it's a dialogue between the sinner and God. Assuming the sin is something hell-worthy, how can catholics square with a protestant going to heaven if he or she didn't repent through a middle-man? Fundamentally, a difference like this means that the catholic church must either abandon a doctrine, or establish that those who disagree are not on "a true path to salvation."<BR/><BR/>Why is it a priority to unify Christian churches beyond simple tolerance? And why does that priority end at belief in Jesus as savior? Wouldn't the same logic seek unity between all People of the Book? After all, they supposedly worship the same God and you could chalk up the rest as differences of implementation just like you suggest we do with the branches of Christianity.<BR/><BR/>It just seems to me that you either have to define religious doctrine as discrete and incompatible with other belief systems (which doesn't mean you can't tolerate their presence or have them as friends, etc), or you have to accept all paths to salvation as equally valid.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01305392362522857016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603499.post-88210141439755458472007-07-11T17:29:00.000-04:002007-07-11T17:29:00.000-04:00On Gaza - I heard an interesting news story on NPR...On Gaza - I heard an interesting news story on NPR about Hamas police cracking down on drug dealers and mobsters that corrupt Fatah police left alone. Not that this makes Hamas a better bargain overall, but sometimes I wish "moderates" had just a bit of Hamas's ideological purity...y'know enough to not be corrupt but not enough to go around killing Israelis.<BR/><BR/>On Catholicism - Gotta disagree with both Pierce and the Pope. As a Protestant, let me state for the record: Catholics are Christians. Catholics believe Jesus Christ is/was the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again and they believe the only means to a relationship with God is through Jesus. That's not to say the differences among Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians aren't big.....but they are all still Christians. So, yes, I can blame the Pope. I'm quite disappointed in him.<BR/><BR/>You're right that tolerance should mean "we're different but that's okay." That's why I - an unabashed evangelical Christian - count among my dearest friends Jews, Atheists, and folks with all sorts of unorthodox religious beliefs. I'd be kidding myself and them if I said my beliefs were really the same as theirs. But among Christians, more than tolerance should be sought. Unity should be the goal.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15344649128973165027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7603499.post-70989596804410168762007-07-10T20:00:00.000-04:002007-07-10T20:00:00.000-04:00Welcome back and congratulations again, my good ma...Welcome back and congratulations again, my good man.<BR/><BR/>Can you really blame the pope? It seems like the whole point of dogmatic beliefs is that alternatives are wrong "just 'cause." How many protestant churches accept Catholicism any more openly? Anecdotally, I remember many discussions with protestants when I was in college in which I was told Catholicism wasn't even a "Christian" religion, let alone a valid form of Christianity.<BR/><BR/>This doesn't mean you can't work towards tolerance. Actually, it's probably better. "We're different but that's okay" is a true philosophical tolerance. "We're similar enough" isn't, because it just shifts the exclusion boundaries without promoting actual acceptance.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01305392362522857016noreply@blogger.com