Can Genuine Christianity Be Anti-intellectual?

[Gary Mac]

Roman Catholicism is a very careless faith because it claims spiritual truths apart from Holy Scripture - and that is the very point at which it becomes rather desperate. Careless faith is both irrational and anti-intellectual. And, I don't mean to imply by using the term "anti-intellectual" that they oppose intellectual snobbery. It means that they spurn the intellect and encourage blind, uncritical trust. Anti-intellectuals often set faith against reason, as if the 2 were opposites. That kind of "faith" is gullibility. It is foolishness, and not biblical faith. Biblical faith is never irrational.

Every denomination is like the catholic, just different laws for traditions is all.

A Christian is exactly as Jesus was in the Father, we are anointed of God and have His same mind and walk in it as He walks in it just as Jesus did no different at all.

If one is different from who Jesus was in the Father then you are of your own belief system. Intellectually Jesus was spot on when he said to be like he was in the Father in John 17, and be ye therefore perfect in the Father as he was perfect in the Father.

Intellectual studies is not going to make one of Christ, the only way is the same God come to you and open up all of His heaven in you just as He did in Jesus in Matt 3;16.

 

[Nedsk]

Every denomination is like the catholic, just different laws for traditions is all.

A Christian is exactly as Jesus was in the Father, we are anointed of God and have His same mind and walk in it as He walks in it just as Jesus did no different at all.

If one is different from who Jesus was in the Father then you are of your own belief system. Intellectually Jesus was spot on when he said to be like he was in the Father in John 17, and be ye therefore perfect in the Father as he was perfect in the Father.

Intellectual studies is not going to make one of Christ, the only way is the same God come to you and open up all of His heaven in you just as He did in Jesus in Matt 3;16.

In your view are Catholics christians?

 

[Gary Mac]

In your view are Catholics christians?

By experience a Christian is Christ like no different from who Jesus was, he was anointed of God as well as all are who has receieved the same Spirit from God as Jesus did in Matt 3:16 when God opens up to Jesus who He is and all of His heaven in that man.

We are no different from the same and if one is different from what Jesus had in the father then he is not christian at all but of a different belief system from that of Jesus and have his same mind that the Father opens to him by His Spirit and we walk as He walks in His same mind just as Jesus did no different any all.

I'll let you be the judge of the Catholic or any other belief system, denomination. So you can tell me if they are exactly as Jesus was sent by God to lead us to have the same from Him as he received from Him, and have Gods same anointing, which is Christ in you with He in you and you in Him as one as He was in Jesus and Jesus was in Him as one as he prayed to his God for us to be exactly like Him in John 17.

When people, no matter who they are, see Him as He is ye shall be like Him no different from what Jesus had in himself from the father, 1 John 3. That is what a Christian is -- Gods anointed. Same signs following.

Not many has found His way to be like Him though for Jesus was spot on when he said the kingdom of God doesnt come with observation but is within you. Luke 17:20-21,

Not many believe Jesus in these things though and that is exactly why all these religious enterprises has different rules to control their beliefs for their gods.

A Christian is exactly as Jesus was in the Father. You be the judge if they are or not for God demands it if us to be like Him and in His same image.

 

[Nedsk]

By experience a Christian is Christ like no different from who Jesus was, he was anointed of God as well as all are who has receieved the same Spirit from God as Jesus did in Matt 3:16 when God opens up to Jesus who He is and all of His heaven in that man.

We are no different from the same and if one is different from what Jesus had in the father then he is not christian at all but of a different belief system from that of Jesus and have his same mind that the Father opens to him by His Spirit and we walk as He walks in His same mind just as Jesus did no different any all.

I'll let you be the judge of the Catholic or any other belief system, denomination. So you can tell me if they are exactly as Jesus was sent by God to lead us to have the same from Him as he received from Him, and have Gods same anointing, which is Christ in you with He in you and you in Him as one as He was in Jesus and Jesus was in Him as one as he prayed to his God for us to be exactly like Him in John 17.

When people, no matter who they are, see Him as He is ye shall be like Him no different from what Jesus had in himself from the father, 1 John 3. That is what a Christian is -- Gods anointed. Same signs following.

Not many has found His way to be like Him though for Jesus was spot on when he said the kingdom of God doesnt come with observation but is within you. Luke 17:20-21,

Not many believe Jesus in these things though and that is exactly why all these religious enterprises has different rules to control their beliefs for their gods.

A Christian is exactly as Jesus was in the Father. You be the judge if they are or not for God demands it if us to be like Him and in His same image.

So you can't say yes or no? When something gets this "complicated" I tend to mistrust it. Saying grass is green should.take 3 paragraphs. You either think Catholics are Christians or you don't.

 

[RayneBeau]

Every denomination is like the catholic, just different laws for traditions is all.

A Christian is exactly as Jesus was in the Father, we are anointed of God and have His same mind and walk in it as He walks in it just as Jesus did no different at all.

If one is different from who Jesus was in the Father then you are of your own belief system. Intellectually Jesus was spot on when he said to be like he was in the Father in John 17, and be ye therefore perfect in the Father as he was perfect in the Father.

Intellectual studies is not going to make one of Christ, the only way is the same God come to you and open up all of His heaven in you just as He did in Jesus in Matt 3;16.

This is the point: although we must reject rationalism, we dare not repudiate rationality - the right use of sanctified reason, sound logic, clear thought, and common sense. Those who reject rationality render all truth nonsense. They discard all the mental faculties essential to understanding. They portray faith as a blind leap in the dark, something that bypasses the intellect. Such "faith" is either feelings-based, or it is made to be a sheer act of the will. Either way, it is an impetuous faith.

 

[shnarkle]

Roman Catholicism is a very careless faith because it claims spiritual truths apart from Holy Scripture

Let me preface my comments by pointing out that this is NOT the Roman Catholicism thread, but the Apologetics thread.

Roman Catholicism doesn't hold a monopoly on being careless with spiritual truths apart from Holy Scripture. In fact, the RCC boasts in how many of their unscriptural doctrines are zealously upheld by their Protestant brethren, e.g. profanation of the Sabbath, marriage, usury, the dietary laws, etc. etc.

- and that is the very point at which it becomes rather desperate. Careless faith is both irrational and anti-intellectual. And, I don't mean to imply by using the term "anti-intellectual" that they oppose intellectual snobbery. It means that they spurn the intellect and encourage blind, uncritical trust. Anti-intellectuals often set faith against reason, as if the 2 were opposites. That kind of "faith" is gullibility. It is foolishness, and not biblical faith. Biblical faith is never irrational.

Then biblical faith need not seek to understand anything further. The prophets didn't understand what God was revealing to them so at the very least it is quite often non-rational.

Moses observes that one should never wear clothing with mixed fibers. What is the rational for this commandment?

Do you know why God finds the consumption of swine, catfish, or shellfish so detestable?

Why should one never seethe a kid in its mother's milk?

The Mosaic law prohibits one from even looking back at what one has harvested to allow the poor to pick the gleanings, but what's wrong with looking back from the plow?

 

[Gary Mac]

So you can't say yes or no?

Not really -- for the hidden things of Christ is worthy of explanation.

When something gets this "complicated" I tend to mistrust it.

I know, that is why God is so simple, you are making Him so complicated that you dont even believe what you say about the Christ, for if you did you would be exactly like Jesus was was in Christ as well, anointed of God.

Without His anointing, Christ in you, things get really complicated because you only speculate with no reality of God coming to you and manifest Himself in you as He did in Jesus to walk as He walks in His same light as Jesus did.

Saying grass is green should.take 3 paragraphs. You either think Catholics are Christians or you don't.

How the grass gets green is the real issue here.

Sure I could say grass is green for that is what is on the surface easy to see. How it got green doest come with observation, it is within the grass that manufactures the green that is the issue in Christ.

Easy to see a man or green grass but not so easy to see what made it.

Are Catholic Christian ... NO' they are Catholic, not like Jesus was at all. If they were Christian they would be of Christ as Jesus was of Christ, anointed of God no different at all.

You dont like explanation do you?

I'll ask you a yes or no question.

Are you perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect, holy, pure, and without sin, cannot sin because you are born of God, 1 John 3:9 as a Christian is and is that person of Christ as Jesus was as God demands of you if you are to be born of Him?

Yes or No?

 

[Nedsk]

Not really -- for the hidden things of Christ is worthy of explanation.

I know, that is why God is so simple, you are making Him so complicated that you dont even believe what you say about the Christ, for if you did you would be exactly like Jesus was was in Christ as well, anointed of God.

Without His anointing, Christ in you, things get really complicated because you only speculate with no reality of God coming to you and manifest Himself in you as He did in Jesus to walk as He walks in His same light as Jesus did.

How the grass gets green is the real issue here.

Sure I could say grass is green for that is what is on the surface easy to see. How it got green doest come with observation, it is within the grass that manufactures the green that is the issue in Christ.

Easy to see a man or green grass but not so easy to see what made it.

Are Catholic Christian ... NO' they are Catholic, not like Jesus was at all. If they were Christian they would be of Christ as Jesus was of Christ, anointed of God no different at all.

You dont like explanation do you?

I'll ask you a yes or no question.

Are you perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect, holy, pure, and without sin, cannot sin because you are born of God, 1 John 3:9 as a Christian is and is that person of Christ as Jesus was as God demands of you if you are to be born of Him?

Yes or No?

Lol thanks for making my point.

 

[Gary Mac]

Lol thanks for making my point.

You are welcom -- Couldn't answer the yes or no could you LOL. Which really did confirm your point for Yes and No.

 

[Josheb]

Genuine, born of the Holy Spirit Christianity cannot be anti-intellectual. The body of truth upon which all true 'born-again' followers of Jesus Christ base their faith has depths that are mysterious - even unfathomable to the merely human mind - but truth is NEVER irrational. The difference is all-important. God cannot lie. Therefore what God says is true - and the antithesis must be false. Truth cannot be self-contradictory. Truth makes sense; nonsense cannot be true.

". . . which is based on the hope for eternal life. God, who does not lie, promised us this life before the beginning of time, . . . " Titus1: 2.

Couple of thoughts....

Defining the term "anti-intellectual" might be important and beneficial if for no other reason than people have a shared understanding of what is being discussed because.....

God has a mind, and intellect, and is a God of reason (Isa. 1:18).

God may be extra-rational, but He is never irrational.

The "anti-" cannot mean "hates" or "against" intellect but it could mean against intellectualism, or the practice of ignoring other forms of human experience and understanding in favor of ONLY the intellect.

Scripture is fairly clear knowledge, understanding, and life in Christ is foolishness to many and not based on human reasoning (see 1 Cor. 1:18).

False dichotomies between intellect and simplicity should be avoided. On their surface the Bible, the gospels, the epistolary can be understood by the simple but every one of those books in the Bible is very rich and diverse in substance, in knowledge that increases understanding, both faith and faithfulness. The same book that contains a two-sentence song (Psalm 117) also contains one of the most intricate theological treatises known to humanity Romans).

For every Nouwen or Nee there is a there is a Barth or Berkhof and Schaeffer or Chan.

There are not many "pastoral theologians," like John Stott or J. I. Packer left; those with rigorous thought and great power handling the word of God but till mindful and effective on the level of personal relationships. At few of which I am aware. Seems to be a waning existence.

The discussion of the answers to this op's inquiry is likely to evidence the pros and cons methodologically ?.

 

[GeneZ]

Oh please! The word religion is used to describe it and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the word.

Religion: 1.the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods:
Similar words are: faith, belief, divinity, worship, creed, teaching, doctrine.

a particular system of faith and worship: "the world's great religions"
SIMILAR: faith, religious belief (s), religious persuasion


It certainly is and it is all based on faith. You cannot prove that: A. Jesus was God Incarnate. B. That He rose from the dead. C. That He ascended into heaven on a cloud.


Balderdash!

That definition is not what Christianity is.... Though, too much of what is called "Christianity" has perverted into religion.

Christianity when its viable is having a relationship with God through Christ in the filing of the Holy Spirit.

Now some religions that welcome in demon empowerment? They may very well make the same claim. But, only Christianity alone is being in relationship with the One True God, through Christ.

Another factor.... Those who are religious? Will not be able to agree with what I just said..