Christianity begins with revelation. It would be misleading to classify this revelation simply as a "doctrine" and "explanation" for it is far more than that - the revelation of God Himself is in the mystery of Christ. It is nevertheless communicated in words, in statements, creating the problem of everything depending on the believer's accepting the truth of these statements, profoundly concerned with the accuracy of their transmission from the original sources and precise understanding of their exact meaning with condemnation of false interpretations to almost the point of a obsession and fanatical insistence on hairsplitting distinctions. This obsession with doctrinal formulas, juridical order and ritual exactitude has removed the heart of Christianity, the living experience of which far transcends all conceptual formulations." - THOMAS MERTON

"In a word, God is invisibly present to the ground of our being: our belief and love attain to him, but he remains hidden from the arrogant gaze of our investigating mind which seeks to capture him and secure permanent possession of him in an act of knowledge that gives power over him. It is in fact absurd and impossible to try to grasp God as an object which can be seized and comprehended by our minds." THOMAS MERTON

"Any man that says, I love God, but hates his brother, is a liar: For, how can a man that doesn't love his brother who he can see, love God who he can't see?" 1 John 4:20

"To The Extent You Did It To One Of The Least Of These My Brothers, You Did It To Me" Matt 25:40

Contrary to fundie Beliefs, ALL Of Humanity Are Christ's Brothers, Including Non-Believers...

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider all others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" Phil 2:3-5

"I tell you that this man, the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:-10-14)

It Was Not Their Knowledge And Obedience That The Pharisees Lacked, But Their Mercy, Their Failure to See Beyond Men, Behind Letters. But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.Mat 12:7; Hosea 6:6

Under God's Grace It is only by imitating God's grace to our fellow man, by showing kindness and forgiveness, even though it's not deserved, can we be exercising faith in the Christ. Those With Faith in Christ Are Those That Can See Him Within Themselves, In Turn, All OthersWe look deep within and see the universal Spirit, we obtain the ability of "awareness" of God's inner dwelling, this is our "mental strength," "our inner peace that excels all thoughts" and our "power what is beyond normal" giving us a "way out" for survival, while living. Those Without Faith Look Externally For God, To The Word's of Men and Religious OrganizationsSeeking the noise of other men, taking the words of men as the Word of God, obtains us a false sense of security. We rely on what we perceive to be the inerrant Word of God, when in turn we fail to find him within our interior silence, never knowing his presence and peace that excels all thoughts with the Shalom and joy of trust. We cannot see God in others when we cannot see Him in ourselves.

Fundamentalists of all religious cultures object to the notion that all religions are one, and believe that their version, interpretation and unique road to God is the only religion on the Earth and has no equal, leaning on words and letters of fallible men in substitution of God's Spiritual Word. In fear of ambiguity and entering into the "unknown," they search for clear-cut answers, architectural explanations within the grasp of human logic, failing to find God deep within their interior nothingness and rise up against what they consider to be "liberalism," in an attempt to remove it from theminds of the children and the general populationbut they do not yet understand the spirit of the law, consequently they are legalistic, parochial, and dogmatic. They are threatened by anyone who thinks differently from them, and so regard it as their responsibility to convert or save the other 90 or 99 percent of humanity who are not "true believers." They are religious for clear cut answers, with the security of a big daddy God and organization, to escape their fear of living in the mystery of life, living in the uncertainty of the unknown.institutional, fundamental, beginning the work of submitting themselves to principle-the law

Persons Who Lack Faith In Christ, But Are Living in Harmony With The Law of Christ: "are a law to themselves, as their conscience bears witness with them between their own thoughts accusing or even excusing."

Does God Differentiate Between The Ignorant And The Evil? He Must. This is Unconditional Love, and Inclusiveness. Ignorance is our attempt to look external for the things within, to seek the noise of activity over the peace of our silence, to fail to perceive the forgiveness that resides beyond the surface and releases us from our egos and that of other men. Romans chapter 2 and chapter 8

"Not everyone who (has faith in me and) calls me their LORD will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who (put faith in me and show agape love toward their fellow man) obey my Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their LORD. They will say, "We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles." But I will tell them, "I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!" Matt 7:21-23(Words in Brackets Added) "For he that loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law" -Romans 13:8

"Treat Other People Exactly As You Would Like To Be Treated by them - This Is The Essence Of All True Religion." - Matt 7:12 Phillips Modern Translation

Those being "accused or excused" by God: As Paul separates the ignorant from the evil. Their conscience is what bears witness and God alone will be the judge. "For whenever people of the nations that do not have the law (of Christ), do by nature the things of the law, these people although not having law, are a law to themselves. The are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts , while their conscience is bearing witness with them and , between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused." Romans 2:14-15

"Circumcision of the body is a good thing if you obey the law. But if you break the law, you are like a man who has not been circumcised with this mark of the Jew. So if a man who has not been circumcised obeys the law, will he not be like a man who has been circumcised? Some people have not been circumcised, but they obey the law. They will show that you should be punished. You have the written law and you have been circumcised, and yet you break the law. If a person is a Jew only on the outside, he is not really a Jew. And true circumcision is not something that is done on the outside of the body. If a person is a Jew inside, he is really a Jew. It is God who praises him, not people. True circumcision is done in the heart. It is in the spirit, not in the body. Such people are not praised; but God praises them. Romans 2:25-29

-- (@@@@I love you.com), September 04, 2002

Answers

Time to wake up

-- (@@@.@@@.com), September 04, 2002.

I only wish I knew what your intent is, quoting all that as if it were news here. The following excerpt is revealing:

''Contrary to fundie beliefs, ALL Of humanity Are Christ's brothers, including non-believers''

Has any Catholic believer told you Christ has no other brothers but Catholics? Maybe you imagined Catholics go around saying all other souls are going to hell; and only we shall be saved. You would be sorely mistaken, as well as specious. As well as conveniently anonymous and self-absorbed, I might add.

Your obsession with fundies has no name. Is it that you can't accept a single Church founded by Christ? Does your disrespect for fundies mean you respect no single apostolic truth? Is it our faith you see as a fundamental flaw? Am I asking too many questions???

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), September 04, 2002.