by jimwalton » Sat Apr 21, 2018 2:12 am
Any communication, no matter what it is, whether written, oral, or even body language, is subject to interpretation. Communication theory tells us that there's the communicator, the message, and the receiver. The receiver is always in a position of interpretation. Even if God spoke to you, you'd have to interpret it. If God dropped golden tablets from the sky, there would be different interpretations of it. If God stood in front of you and wrote it down for you, you and the guy next to you would interpret it differently.
Why are there so many denominations? Because Christians are thinking people. We read, evaluate, assess, and interpret. It's OK if we see things differently. One church focuses more on teaching, and one more on helping the poor. That's a good thing. One thinks the bread and wine are symbols, and one thinks they're more than that. Who cares? Thinking people do, and they find like-minded people to worship with. Good. Some people like one grocery store, and some like another. There is strength in diversity.
I know historians who disagree on how to interpret a certain event. Why, even now we can get different opinions about what REALLY happened in the Republican National Debate. So what? People think about things, and they're entitled to their position. Some scientists think that the earth is warming because it's a natural cycle; some think it's warming because we are contributing to the problem. It makes for good dialogue, and it doesn't mean that "man made it all up" or that there is "cause for concern."
By far the great majority of Christians agree on a vast foundation of beliefs. What separates denominations is often church hierarchy (doesn't interfere with the truth of the Bible), sometimes theological positions (Calvinist vs. Arminians, both of which will be in heaven, by the way), and sometimes silly things. Sometimes, though, it is serious stuff, and people separate because they are so committed to find the truth. Christians do love each other, in case you haven't seen. I've been in many churches of many denominations, and there's always a hug and sharing the peace. The presence of denominations doesn't mean the fabrication or mess that you attribute to it.
Any communication, no matter what it is, whether written, oral, or even body language, is subject to interpretation. Communication theory tells us that there's the communicator, the message, and the receiver. The receiver is always in a position of interpretation. Even if God spoke to you, you'd have to interpret it. If God dropped golden tablets from the sky, there would be different interpretations of it. If God stood in front of you and wrote it down for you, you and the guy next to you would interpret it differently.
Why are there so many denominations? Because Christians are thinking people. We read, evaluate, assess, and interpret. It's OK if we see things differently. One church focuses more on teaching, and one more on helping the poor. That's a good thing. One thinks the bread and wine are symbols, and one thinks they're more than that. Who cares? Thinking people do, and they find like-minded people to worship with. Good. Some people like one grocery store, and some like another. There is strength in diversity.
I know historians who disagree on how to interpret a certain event. Why, even now we can get different opinions about what REALLY happened in the Republican National Debate. So what? People think about things, and they're entitled to their position. Some scientists think that the earth is warming because it's a natural cycle; some think it's warming because we are contributing to the problem. It makes for good dialogue, and it doesn't mean that "man made it all up" or that there is "cause for concern."
By far the great majority of Christians agree on a vast foundation of beliefs. What separates denominations is often church hierarchy (doesn't interfere with the truth of the Bible), sometimes theological positions (Calvinist vs. Arminians, both of which will be in heaven, by the way), and sometimes silly things. Sometimes, though, it is serious stuff, and people separate because they are so committed to find the truth. Christians do love each other, in case you haven't seen. I've been in many churches of many denominations, and there's always a hug and sharing the peace. The presence of denominations doesn't mean the fabrication or mess that you attribute to it.