RE: Platitudes
September 8, 2014 at 1:52 pm
(This post was last modified: September 8, 2014 at 1:55 pm by Alex K.)
Quote:Both of them said things to the effect of "doctrine can cause division" or "when we die, we'll find out we were all wrong about doctrine". Both encouraged people to not get hung up on issues of doctrine, and instead, to only worry about "the doctrine of Jesus Christ".
Drawing from my experiences living in the babble belt, I have a more sympathetic reading of this statement:
Do not simply adhere to fixed interpretations of what is God's will made by human authorities. Always go back directly to the source, the word of Jesus Christ and your personal relationship with him, and find the answers yourself. That's what I think is a very quintessentially American way to approach religion, diametrically opposed to the Catholic way of doing things, and rather democratic in spirit.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
