I don’t remember how we got on it, but my Aunt Bessie, who is a staunch member of the Church of Christ congregation, asked me if I supported the Catholic Church. I really expected her to call it a cult, but she did not. I got the chance to push a button and could not resist.
“Well, yeah. Why not?” said I.
Then she started in. Next thing I knew she was telling me how the Church of Christ is the oldest church, much older than the Catholicism. [Brakes being applied]. Whoa, Nellie. What the hell is that all about? My knowledge of history may be rusty, but I could have sworn that Christianity started with the Catholic church and that Protestantism was born thereafter. Martin Luther comes to mind.
I was wrong, apparently. You see, she has been in church and studied up on the matter. An evangalist even showed her a chart once showing how the Church of Christ is a direction line to Christ. All other churches come from Catholicism.
“We aren’t Protestant,” she stated emphatically. I was then told to read up on it. Where would one go to find proof of such nonsensical rhetoric? She further informed me that her church is not a denomination of Christianity. It is Christianity as Christ meant it to be.
You cannot argue with someone like this. No such thing as debate or dialogue. She has made up her mind that Christ himself set up her church (her words) and that they practice the way Christ and the Bible demands.
Just goes to show you that just because someone is educated does not mean that they cannot be blinded by religious lies. Folks, there are plenty of those religious lies out there and even the very smart can be duped.
“Well, yeah. Why not?” said I.
Then she started in. Next thing I knew she was telling me how the Church of Christ is the oldest church, much older than the Catholicism. [Brakes being applied]. Whoa, Nellie. What the hell is that all about? My knowledge of history may be rusty, but I could have sworn that Christianity started with the Catholic church and that Protestantism was born thereafter. Martin Luther comes to mind.
I was wrong, apparently. You see, she has been in church and studied up on the matter. An evangalist even showed her a chart once showing how the Church of Christ is a direction line to Christ. All other churches come from Catholicism.
“We aren’t Protestant,” she stated emphatically. I was then told to read up on it. Where would one go to find proof of such nonsensical rhetoric? She further informed me that her church is not a denomination of Christianity. It is Christianity as Christ meant it to be.
You cannot argue with someone like this. No such thing as debate or dialogue. She has made up her mind that Christ himself set up her church (her words) and that they practice the way Christ and the Bible demands.
Just goes to show you that just because someone is educated does not mean that they cannot be blinded by religious lies. Folks, there are plenty of those religious lies out there and even the very smart can be duped.
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8 comments:
I think an important point you left out was that she claims that somewhere in the Bible it refers to the "church of christ" which validates her thinking....catholism is not mentioned in the Bible like her denomination, The Church of Christ, so it is the first, true church. I really hope your good ole friend George calls you about this. I am thinking that since our denomination is Disciples of Christ that perhaps our denomination might have been first...we come from the disciples!...how silly. I'm praying for you (us) :)
Ms. Fat Jack
Well, to be fair, there's a lot of anti-religious lies out there that a lot of educated people hold as true.
If you want to get down to it, everyone has something they believe that someone else would see them as being blinded. :)
Jason brings up a good point. There are plenty of anti-religious lies out there about all kinds of faiths from perpetuated by educated persons.
While we are exploring the other side, I would bet money that not all Church of Christ churches promote this same doctrine that Aunt Bessie's church promotes. I can't say for sure, but it would be my guess.
Oh I don't know about that, Jack. I'd side with you, except I've heard the same thing from Mrs. Sniderman and a previous high school acquaintance.
I'll let her tell the story when she comes from today.
You are all wrong.
I was talking to Jesus last night after a short vodka and tonic.
He told me that God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. Churches have nothing to do with it.
Then he finished cutting my grass.
(I deleted the previous post because I forgot to capitalize a proper name.)
I spent a lot of time in the Church of Christ several years ago. What I learned from them was that they are the one true church with a direct line back to Jesus, and therefore only if you go to a Church of Christ and are baptized there can you go to heaven.
And yes, everyone I talked to believed that, and no, they didn't subscribe to the historical account of the Protestant Reformation. Specifically, I was told that my church (United Methodist) was founded by John Wesley, while their church was founded by Jesus.
So strong was this belief of members of that church that when I was in high school and 17 years old, their youth pastor told me that when children get older and realize their parents aren't doing what God would want, the child has to turn away from their parents and do what is right. This was in the context of trying to get me to stop attending church with my family and start attending the Church of Christ.
The minister of the Church of Christ was the only pastor in town who didn't participate in the local ministerial alliance.
Yep, I'd say Aunt Bessie summed that denomination (they don't like to be called a "denomination, either) up well.
Very interesting. I knew a Southern Baptist Pastor that said the same about the Baptists. They were before the Catholics and transcended the Catholics. When he was admitted to the hospital, he told the nurse that he was not a protestant because Baptists were there first. He was the only Southern Baptist which I knew that held that belief. Maybe Jesus started both groups. LOL. I do agree with Jason.
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