08-30-2018, 08:54 AM
(08-30-2018, 03:05 AM)Ragnarök_62 Wrote:(08-30-2018, 02:46 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: Just as an oddity, does anyone fit David's idea of evangelism? Will anyone claim that worldview or anything like it?
David's post is just a bit verbose. Here's my definition.
1. Evangelism is the practice performed by annoying busybodies who butt into folks' business by telling said folks they must accept Jesus or else burn forever in hell.
2. I'm sure there are some suckers who actually take time to be extorted by the prospect of burning in hell forever. There's also a another group of suckers who think that accepting the "advice" will result in prosperity. See prosperity gospel.
Hmm... I was trying to find someone who fit David's notion, not someone who has a similar notion.
To me, an evangelical is one who believes on interpreting and living the Bible as best he can, and yes he often believes everyone should share his belief, and yes some even use or try to use the mechanisms of the state to enforce their belief. They have a problem that the Bible is a historical document written over many centuries which reflects many cultures, so a wide variety of belief sets can be built from the Bible. Many, including myself, do not believe the government should enforce religious beliefs. This should be a pain to the Evangelicals.
David puts the emphasis on Jesus, rather than the Bible, which narrows the field somewhat.
The 6th, 7th and 8th commandments forbidding murder, theft and adultery seem to be of the interests of both church and state, and I'm not sure of adultery.
Was it JustPassingThough who pressed such a deep commitment to the Bible?
That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.