Status Updates From Predestination: The America...

"Regarding the similar debates in Augustine's own day, historian Elizabeth Clark once quipped that at no time before or since had a group of celibate men been so concerned about babies."

Snicker.

I want to read this woman now. That's hilarious.
And true!

It's odd. Theusen clearly defines many terms I've never heard of like supralapsarian and missouri Synod...but he never explains other terms, like what does Reformed mean? And what does Pietist mean? Reformed in particular is an annoying one because it seems like every theological work defines it differently, so I have no idea what it means. It doesn't seem to mean merely 'part of, or holding to the reformation'.

"All systems that deal with the infinite are...exposed to danger from small, unsuspected admixtures of human error, which become deadly when carried to such vast results. The smallest speck of earth's dust, in the focus of an infinite lens, appears magnified among the heavenly orbs as a frightful monster."

Harriet Beecher Stowe Minister's Wooing.

I think she's right. I wonder if she applied it to her own thoughts?

I think that is an error of elevating human wisdom too high.

But...I'm probably wrong somewhere in that line of reasoning. :D

Furthermore, why do we demand it of ourselves?

I think that all denominations are wrong, somewhere, because no human is omniscient, and no human can fully, completely understand the revelation of a God that is. I find that existential uncertainty to be actually comforting, because it implies that a range of creeds are acceptable in God's eyes.

Others find it horrifying, because they assume only one creed is.

...in some aspect of interpretation or belief.

So then the next step is to say that you, with your unique gift, are the only human capable of producing an infallible interpretation? Thus taking the quality of omniscience to yourself?

That, I do not get. I don't think God demands perfection from his followers, why would he demand something from them that he created them to be unable to achieve?

Just read about Joseph Smith's supposed vision where Jesus descended and told him that all the denominations were wrong.

So he made his own that was right. At least in his own eyes.

The thing that I don't get is that the first part is right, all denominations, in some aspect are wrong. Why? They are made up of humans, and humans are fallible, corrupted by sin, and not omniscient, so of course they will be wrong..

"the more thinking, inquisitive, and intelligent the community which owns a creed, the more frequent their debates and schisms."

-Cambell, Christian system, 109

This made me snort. It's kind of true, groups that follow a single slogan tend to follow it fully and never really think about its implications.