Gazelam wrote:Like it says in Romans 2:11-15, there are plenty who live without ever hearing the law, and will be judged as righteous. They will of coarce still need to be baptised by proxy in the temple, and accept Christ as their redeemer and savior in order to fullfill all righteousness and meet the requirements of the Law.
RM: "...the Law..." you refer to is an edict of traditional Christianism that has been adapted to Mormon Temple theology. As such it serves LDS purpose. So-be-it... However, it cannot be considered a Universal "Law". Of coarse to those who believe-in-it--Temple vicarious rituals--it is 'real'. It would be interesting to have an honest response from 'active' Mormon adults as to their belief on a 1-to-10 scale of Vicarious-Temple-Work. We both know the difficulty, generally speaking of topping Temple goals...
Some live righteously by their nature, others need to be instructed. Everyone is strong in some area, but weak in another. The priesthood is there to seal and bind the Holy Ghost to a newly baptised believers soul, to help them to grow and to sanctify their actions.
RM: No one lives "righteously by their nature." By "nature" we breath etc and inherit our physical/mental and-to-some/degree emotional attributes. We ALL need to be instructed in ALL things... Whether by "paying attention" as disciplined 'learners' or by ossmosis and simple exposure. To develop skill and expertice--as a sheet-metal-worker, doctor, etc--one has to apprentice and develop 'smarts' in their areas of endevour. It doesn't come 'naturally' except in the sense that genetically some may be blessed with higher IQs & EQs. As i suggest in my book :-)... I respectfully suggest, there is NO PRIESTHOOD to "seal-and-bind" anything. Jesus did away with Priest Craft when he kicked over the tables and exposed the fraud of those professing to serve "God"... We do have teachers and institutions of learning, non however are ordained by "God". Nor do they need to be to be a blessing to humanity...
Why is this so difficult for you to believe in? RM: Why is it so difficult for you to see the unnecessity of believing-in Mormonism? Which of course you are most welcome to do. As long as you live the Universal Laws of justice and compassion you're following "God's" ways, whatever your label.
Please put away your Spong and dust off your scriptures.
How many would you like me to sight that declare that Salvation is found in the name of Christ? Why did they seek to stone him when he declared himself to be the God of Abraham?
Salvation is found in Christ alone, whose name must be sealed onto those who seek entrance to the kingdom of the Father. And that seal comes by way of baptism.
If I am wrong, then show me from the scriptures. Your Spong is nothing more than tinkling brass. He is hollow and empty, and your quoteing his nonsence and unstudied rhetoric only serves to make you seem foolish, when we both know you are not.
Return to the fountain, your getting dehydrated.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. - Plato
Hi Gaz, your post reminds me of that old song, "Here We Go Again"... Me injecting in bold:
Gazelam wrote:Please put away your Spong and dust off your scriptures.
How many would you like me to sight that declare that Salvation is found in the name of Christ? Why did they seek to stone him when he declared himself to be the God of Abraham? RM: Please believe me whem i say: "I do not believe in "Salvation" as YOU preach it. There is no-such-thing as being redeemed by the sheding of innocent blood; animal or human."
Salvation is found in Christ alone, whose name must be sealed onto those who seek entrance to the kingdom of the Father. And that seal comes by way of baptism. RM: You, and others believe that to be the case. I, and others do not believe there is any saving-validity to being baptized in any manner. Baptism is simply symbolic. No need to mention that ever again.
If I am wrong, then show me from the scriptures. Your Spong is nothing more than tinkling brass. He is hollow and empty, and your quoteing his nonsence and unstudied rhetoric only serves to make you seem foolish, when we both know you are not. RM: I cannot prove You wrong. Seems silly to even think that way when discussing religion. You are the only one who can do that... As i've said countless times the "scriptures" are no base to discuss from when one, (me) doesn't take them to be little else than literature/docudrama. "Spong" isn't mine. He is simply a writer that i tend to agree with, in some, not all, of his insights.
Return to the fountain, your getting dehydrated. RM: Quite poetic, Bro... ;-)
So, there you have it. We probably both "seem foolish"... Could be thought worse of, eh? Warm regards, Roger