I swither between C S Lewis (universalism) and Terry Pratchett (annihilation for those who believe that annihilation is what they'll get). And occasionally I wake up terrified that all the flaming stuff might actually be true.
I've been a Christian of one sort or another since I was 16, so that's 19 years now. I was only involved with the fundies for three of those years (and was detaching myself by halfway through the second year). It leaves an awful lot of scars for so short a space of time.
They told us once that studies showed that only 10% of the members would still call themselves Christians a decade after graduation (Angsoc's response was a quick tally-up and the declaration that we currently had a 10% ordination rate, never mind retention of faith). This was because the 90% were bad, bad people, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the CU and their doings at all.
I've already been told I'm a Patripassian tonight (we were dissecting the Creeds. As we do on a Saturday night. Possibly one or other of us should get ordained).
Yeah, I have to admit that Patripassionism has been declared heretical. On the other hand, given the number of things which are major formal heresies and are taught as if they were Christian doctrine, I figure God'll give me a pass on the old Patripassionism. (My Christian ed group had a little debate as to whether that or Pelagianism was the favoured heresy, but I've always fallen back on the out that Semi-Pelagianism is okay …)
Sadly, I don't think it is obviously and overtly any of the identified formal heresies -- mostly because there's been no way to declare definitive formal heresy since the church has been in a state of schism, and there was no Prosperity Gospel or anything like it in the 6th century. I mean, even the heretics back then weren't that absurd.
Still, I'm sure there's a way to make the case indirectly ...
The Prosperity Gospel is one of the few things that does actually make me want to yell "Heresy! Perversion of the Gospel! How DARE YOU!" but I don't do that and so I determinedly drink some tea instead.
When we obey God, we're not doing it for God...we're doing it for ourself. Because God takes pleasure when we're happy. Do good 'cause God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God, really. You're doing it for yourself because that's what makes God happy.
Also, to quote my old college chaplain, "It's true that the creeds require you to believe there's a hell. They don't require you to believe that anyone's in it."
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Date: 2014-09-06 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 08:55 pm (UTC)I've been a Christian of one sort or another since I was 16, so that's 19 years now. I was only involved with the fundies for three of those years (and was detaching myself by halfway through the second year). It leaves an awful lot of scars for so short a space of time.
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Date: 2014-09-07 08:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-07 08:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-07 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-08 07:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 09:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 09:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 09:47 pm (UTC)Whoops, missed your response lower down.
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Date: 2014-09-06 09:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-06 09:54 pm (UTC)Still, I'm sure there's a way to make the case indirectly ...
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Date: 2014-09-07 08:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-09 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-07 08:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-07 08:29 am (UTC)Also, to quote my old college chaplain, "It's true that the creeds require you to believe there's a hell. They don't require you to believe that anyone's in it."