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Index To Section 8B ... Controversial Issues

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Law Or Grace.. The Old Covenant or The New
Jesus and The Law The Bible contains both Old and New Testaments each with seemingly different teachings and commands. This has led  to more than a little confusion for Christians who often struggle with the tension between the Old Testament emphasis on regulations, and the New Testament emphasis on grace. Because they have not grasped the seamless relationship between the two parts of the Scriptures, they are far from clear as to what our relationship to the Old Testament should be, especially when it comes to the many laws including the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath etc.

The Law: The Misunderstood Covenant What is meant by law? Who was the Law given to? How long was the Law intended to remain in effect? What is the nature of the Law? What was its purpose? These and many other questions will be addressed in this introductory article.

Creeds
The Problem With Creeds .. The word creed is from the Latin credo, meaning, "I believe." Of course, there is nothing wrong in itself with stating a belief. This is, in fact, necessary if we will take a stand for truth. One might even agree generally with the teaching of the material in a creed; but a "creed" goes beyond stating a belief. It is essentially an authoritative statement of a particular position (or positions) to which others are expected to assent.


Judging
Judge Not?
People often believe the politically correct, liberal view that we, as Christians, are not to judge anything or any one. It is the one Bible verse that most people love to quote. They are not sure where it is found, but they do know that those are the words of Jesus. It is, in reality, a false commandment and a common cliché among liberals whose theology comes from socialists instead of Scripture. Contrary to popular beliefs.. the Bible makes some very straight forward statements about ‘judging’


Baptism
Baptism The questions we need answered from Scripture are, 1) Why - What does baptism symbolize? Is it a requirement for salvation? 2) How - Did the New Testament baptizers used immersion? Under normal circumstances, are all the various methods of baptism acceptable? and 3) When - Various denominations have their own practices that their members adhere to. Some baptize infants or very young children claiming that infants can have faith at that age or  the faith of the parents speaks for the child. The question is when should a person be baptized.


The Lord’s Supper
Feast Or Famine The Lord's Supper, sometimes called communion, the Table of the Lord, the agape or the Eucharist, is limited in most churches to a sip of wine and a piece of bread. Why then is it called a "supper" in the NT?
 

Gifts Of The Spirit
Cessationism is the belief, held by many orthodox Christians, that the "miraculous" gifts such as tongues, miracles, word of knowledge, healing and prophecy were given as affirmation of God's revelation, but were withdrawn once the church was established, either with the completion of the New Testament canon, or the death of John the last apostle. Continuationism is the opposite of Cessationism. Continuationists believe that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, specifically those often referred to as "sign gifts" (ex. tongues and prophecy), are still in use and still needed in the church. 


Women
Women in The Church Several articles on the role of women in the church... Women in the Bible, women in the heart of God, should women teach in church, women’s lib, head covering and modesty.


Tithing
Tithing The Apostle Paul never once appealed to tithing even though he obviously often suffered financial difficulties. However, he wrote rather a lot about FREELY giving financial support where one is able. (In-depth Article)

Should The Church Teach Tithing? contrast the false teachings used to support tithing with what God’s Word actually says. (16 Facts From Scripture)
 

Celebrating Christmas, Easter Etc.
Should We Celebrate Christmas? The idea that we cannot commemorate or celebrate a Biblical event without clear Biblical command or precedent is absurd. Regardless of the fact that we cannot pinpoint a definite date, setting aside one day to celebrate Christ's birth is a worthy thing to do. If Christians can, with the right heart and attitude, decorate their homes and give gifts in celebration of the birth of the Savior, then they should go ahead. If Christmas has become nothing but a time when you indulge in over the top shopping sprees spending  enormous amounts of money, eat way more than you need or is even good for you, and are completely stressed out by the whole affair - then I suggest it is time to sit back and evaluate your beliefs and your actions.

003white  Santa Claus.. Pretender To The Throne   For the most part, the world will tolerate stars, angels, Christmas trees, or a baby sleeping in a manger. But there’s still "no room at the inn" for the King who invites us to walk His lowly path. Worse.. Jesus’ place has been usurped by a pleasant fat fellow boasting a red hat and team of reindeer. So how do we understand the Santa Claus phenomenon? What do we REALLY know about Santa? Is he just a harmless, friendly fellow? Or is there something or someone else hiding behind the façade?

Should Christians Celebrate Easter? Of course, we must celebrate our Lord’s triumph over sin and the grave. However, let us call it by a biblical designation.. Resurrection Sunday, instead of a derivative of the idolatrous goddess of spring. Let us also avoid the worldly and commercial baggage associated with these holidays

Should Christians Celebrate the Jewish Feasts? Are Christians who do not observe the Sabbath and Festivals of the Old Covenant "lawless."?

Halloween is much more than a harvest festival. Its origins are deeply rooted in the occult.


Alcohol, Tobacco and Tattoos

The Bible and Alcohol, Smoking and Tattoos: Christians seem to have an incredible ability to invent rules and regulations over and above the specific prohibitions in the Bible. This unvarnished form of Pharisaism seems to be deeply ingrained in human nature.

The Bible
Bible Controversies Bible Codes, The Apocrypha, The King James Version etc. Also modern paraphrases like The Living Bible, The Message and Good News Bible.


Generational Curses
Generational Curses There are countless numbers of Christians who believe in "generational curses" or curses that run in families  Several passages in the Pentateuch (Ex. Exodus 20:5-6 and 34:7), seem to suggest that God shows loving-kindness to thousands, but visits the iniquity of the fathers on subsequent generations. Receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, and being filled with the Holy Sprit is not sufficient to free us from these supposed curses and even "born again" believers may need to be delivered from the sins of their ancestors. Although there are many, many, verses in the Bible that flatly contradict this belief, there remains the niggling fact that this passage says that the iniquity of the fathers is visited on the children, to the third and the fourth generations. In light of the contradictory passages, how are we to understand these verses?  The answer is, obviously, that we are missing something. That "something" is an understanding of the specific Hebrew words used.


Salvation
A Question of Salvation Original Sin, Predestination, Eternal Security, Inclusivism etc.


Miscellaneous Issues
Martin Luther ... There is no question that Martin Luther's refusal to bow down to the dictates of the Catholic Church let the genie out of the bottle. His reforms helped empower peasants, gave rise to Protestantism as we know it and even, in the long run, contributed to democracy and changed the course of Western civilization. On the other hand, not many Martin Luther devotees seem to be aware that his idea of Grace and Faith alone differed from ours, and that several Catholic doctrines remained firmly entrenched in his belief system. And that is not all. All too many Christians tend to gloss over the fact that Luther slandered everyone he disagreed with. He made strident and offensive verbal attacks against both the papacy and the Anabaptists, while his violent polemics against the Jews are appalling examples of extreme anti-Semitism.

Ashes To Ashes Economic ease and apparent absence of theological conflicts, has enabled cremation to become established in Christian churches as an alternative to burial. The question must still be asked, however, Is it right for Christians to practice cremation?

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