Christians: Where do you draw the line? (Jesus, Creator, Moses) - Page 24

Scuba Pete · #**231** 05-13-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sojourner

Except that, in the sense that we are a community of faith, it behooves us to gather in one place at one time and do some things together in common, so that we can profess our one faith in the one God, and what that means for us. Some structure is necessary in order to form the community -- not for the sake of the structure, itself.

As long as we do this INDIVIDUALLY I don't see a problem. It's when we try to make rules out of suggestions or faded traditions that we run into legalizing our freedom. It's simply counterproductive for Christians to do this.

sojourner · #**232** 05-13-2008, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

As long as we do this INDIVIDUALLY I don't see a problem. It's when we try to make rules out of suggestions or faded traditions that we run into legalizing our freedom. It's simply counterproductive for Christians to do this.

Remember, structure does not necessarily imply conformity.

Dunemeister · #**233** 05-13-2008, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scuba Pete

As long as we do this INDIVIDUALLY I don't see a problem. It's when we try to make rules out of suggestions or faded traditions that we run into legalizing our freedom. It's simply counterproductive for Christians to do this.

This obsession with legalism worries me. Luther had his issues with the Roman Catholic Church involving what he called legalism. And Luther was correct about the legalistic abuses of the 16th century church. Unfortunately, Luther's heirs took legalism to extremes and started to see legalism wherever there was anything that appeared to be a standard for Christian life. But it is not legalistic to affirm that Christians are responsible for acting in conformity to a certain moral standard. For example, insisting that it is not legitimate for a married Christian man to bed another woman is not legalistic. It's good ethics.

Nor is it legalistic to formalize our praxis. For example, the church has formalized what it means to enter into the Christian community and to participate/identify with the Christian community. The former action is formalized via baptism, which involves a certain ceremony where the community welcomes the new believer and the new believer formally renounces his old ways and agrees to uphold the beliefs and ethics of the community to which he or she is attaching herself. The latter action is communion. By taking community, the person participates in the life of Christ along with his fellow believers. None of this is legalism in any sense.