#no he wasn't religious but he did grow up surrounded by it. he had faith in his peers

[opaleyedprince]

one more dacre post for the evening if you will permit me

thinking abt him growing up and his life before the hunters attacked. was probably a small town, not a lot to do, what's a big family to do but spend a lot of time at the local church - one of the more well-maintained buildings around. no fighting in the church, no words of anger, it was a safe and peaceful place per the adults' rules.

not that it stopped dacre from the occasional scuffle, but he did admittedly like it. he liked the piano and he liked singing. learning from his elders - in the pack and in the general town population alike. and he enjoyed being able to cheer up the younger members of the family with his skills, liked being able to do something right for once. most of all, he liked the rosary given to him by his pack; a bead painted by each member.

as a child, dacre probably wasn't even able to harm pest animals. he was the sort of kid who cried when he accidentally stepped on a bee - and not just because it stung him when he did. he was the kind of kid that pretended not to care + be rough and tough, but had a big soft spot, something the younger kids knew even when the adults assumed he was simply a troublemaker

[onyxandemerald]

Having Religious Trauma when your family Wasn't Religious; A Story Time

This was a super weird memory to unpack and honestly I was laughing at it the whole time. You can too, its okay. Its funny.

My family was not religious. My dad was a '60s Catholic school dropout who worked on a farm at 8 just to get by, and I now fully believe my mom's ancestry was full of cunning folk from Poland that fled to USAmerica during WWI. They had assimilated, so we took turns making Polish food on Christmas, but that was the closest thing I had to a tradition my entire childhood. Not even the language had been past down. However, there was an unspoken understanding about things like the horseshoe above the front door ("It brings us good luck") and great-grandma's terror around dolls.

I grew up a Harry Potter kid. My dad was my best friend and loves reading but it gives him a hard time, so we watched the movies together and its still a pillar of our friendship (He Knows). My mom read me real old-timey fairy tales like she grew up on, and was obsessed with The Brother's Grimm. A copy follows me everywhere I live even if I barely read it now as an adult. My mom was another kid who grew up outside with her brothers and sister just playing in the woods and has always has been obsessed with owning a farm and being surrounded with animals and greenery. Growing up she made sure I always had a yard to play in and chickens to hold. It was natural to catch me running around the yard naked as a toddler, but I was chronically bullied by my peers in school and my cousins at family gatherings. My only solace ever was in the trees in the yard and those trees became my best friends and at times my only friends.

The way my childhood went, I grew up way more attuned to nature and spirit, a comfort I never felt in my culture or around people, any people.

So cue middle school, and some of my friends start talking about this youth group. I've never heard these words before, but I would love any opportunity to meet new kids my age who might not instantly hate me. I begged my parents to go. I knew nothing about religion other than it existed, and sometimes they spoke in funny languages and did things with their arms that- holy crap that looks like a spell! Those guys are wizards!! I'm in!!!! My parents had no idea what was going on but they gave in and I went to a church youth group and I was forever scarred.

You guys know what happened. It was a stuffy, mildewy building that was not old enough to be as dusty as it was. The music was Not Good, and the messages kept contradicting itself or dropping in and out of tune. The crafts weren't fun and everybody looked like they hated being there. We did. I was so MAD!

These guys were supposed to teach me how to do spells! I know its real, so why are you wasting my time! I came here to learn MAGICK! I knew that I felt magic, but this church was making a mockery of what the sacred is supposed to be. Religion is supposed to uplift us. Spirituality is meant to heal us and our wounds. Our souls are designed to bring us together in harmony. But in that building, I felt none of that. It felt like an elementary school gymnasium. I knew immediately there was no spirit, no Gd there, and they were lying about being holy men.

As a 13 year old, the conclusion I drew from this was that Gd was dead and we had killed him. I felt cheated, and my instinct was to refute the entire institution.

I had absolutely lost all faith in myself. I don't know what I was hoping for, maybe I was expecting lightning out of my finger tips, but this experience had eroded any idea that magic could be inside of me. It gave me the illusion that religion is just a cheap trick and magic was just a fantasy plot meant to entertain us while we all just accept that we're dying a slow and agonizingly boring death. I began to believe this about all religions, and religion as a concept. Up until this point I had never met a religious person who genuinely enjoyed it. Going to church always was treated like a chore, and so I thought hating religion was going to save people from this same fate.

This left me super confused and frustrated. I already had a full and flesh belief of animism and the power of the universe and then within a couple of hours it was all stripped away. I knew things about spirits and the fae and I think I was already Hellenistic by then, too. I was desperate for materialism to not be all there was to life. I could not accept it. I knew there was something mystical going on behind the scenes and nobody could describe it to me or even admit that they were as confused as I were.

The trauma I got was the underlying perpetuation that I was misled by my own senses and that what I had understood so fully in my heart was a lie. I did not have anyone in my life to reflect my experiences to and no one who could relate, and this institution had been a massive joke. I realized I would have to find out on my own what religion and spirituality meant. As this went on, I got stuck in a loop of;

"Well I'm getting correspondences and I'm reading all the spell recipes and I'm reading about paranormal experiences and I'm obsessed with ghosts and cryptids, but like I'm still not really understanding. Like nobody can just give me an answer! Is magic real or not?! How does burning leaves make me rich?!"

I think that in some sort of effect, I had turned off my emotions and intuition once I had the idea in my head that it was just stupid background chatter and my feelings were annoying and cumbersome and getting in the way of my learning. And then I beat myself up for not understanding spirituality! Not only were my feelings painful, they didn't make sense, but they didn't actually matter in the grand scheme of things. All Gd wanted from me was macaroni art and pony bead bracelets.

The moral of the story is this; even events that don't strike you as traumatizing can still have long term effects on your life. This is why we do shadow work because It wasn't up until I really sat down and picked apart this particular feeling that kept following me, that I was able to really understand how to let these beliefs go. I had accepted religion to be exactly what someone had told me it to be, instead of what I knew I had felt to be true in my blood and bones, and this crushed my confidence and faith in myself. Then I finally realized that I can just follow however I feel, and I can just do that with an infinite success rate for the rest of my life. Maybe I was right and there was no Gd in that building. But I have met Gods in forests, waterfalls, in my best friends' laughter, in my kitten when she falls asleep in my lap, in the jewelry I make, and in my tarot readings. Religion is meant to connect us. Spirituality is meant to uplift and empower us. Our Souls naturally want to draw us together through art and music and love. In this way, each person's spirituality will always be as unique as they are, and that's something to be celebrated. That is Magic.

[angeldcgs]

it was no secret why gael's presence had caused a stir within the congregation— they so rarely had a man in their midst, and when they did, he was there for a very singular purpose. they all knew the reason he'd been allowed to live amongst them for a short time, that his presence was merely a means to an end, but that didn't stop them from reveling in the titillation of simply being near a member of the opposite sex. of all the things agnes missed about her life before joining the group, men were not one of them. in fact, being surrounded only women at all times had been a major factor in her decision to join sister nora in branching off from the catholic church in order to help be a founding member of a religious group all their own. it had been difficult at first, with little resources and no outside support, only able to rely on the small number of nuns sister nora had been able to recruit for her cause, but she finally felt as though she was a part of something she believed in, something she could devote her life to fully, and her faith far outweighed the material struggle of their beginnings. she wasn't even cognizant of when the group's seemingly pure beliefs had seemed to pervert— it was a gradual process, and by the time agnes began to question the ethics of their actions, she was too deeply entrenched in the group to turn back. "and how were you brought up, exactly? you're familiar with the teachings of the catholic church, i presume." it was only then that she realized her ignorance regarding their visitor may be a detriment; perhaps she'd taken the wrong approach. maybe it would do her well to get closer to him, learn all that she could about his background, just so she was able to properly assess his threat level. he claimed to come with innocent intentions, but she could sense there was something more brewing beneath the surface, perhaps not as sinister as her leader's plans, but some level of duplicity nonetheless. "documents... i'm afraid i don't know what you're referring to." and she didn't. or, at least, she didn't know which documents he was referring to specifically. there was plenty of incriminating evidence contained within sister nora's office; personal journals, annotated religious texts, dossiers full of birth certificates, and passports, and all sorts of records she shouldn't have access to. though she didn't know what exactly he was referring to, the suggestion of having their secrets uncovered too soon caused panic to spike within her, palms growing damp and her heart rate quickening. explicit content? even she wasn't aware of the full extent of sister nora's inner workings, but it must've been truly salacious if it piqued his interest like this. "i apologize, mr. nielsen... i don't mean to feign ignorance, but i'm sure whatever it is you've found isn't what you think it is. sister nora is a very... eccentric character. often misunderstood, i've found, but her intentions are nothing but altruistic."

everyone had been so kind and accommodating since his arrival, more so than he had been expecting considering the nature of his visit. the congregation had been wary, generous with their time and information but hesitant to ever get too close to him. he was treated like something dangerous, a poisonous flower or wild creature, yet the allure of something new was too much to resist entirely. agnes had been one of the few who had limited her interactions with him almost completely and that strangely made him trust her more than those who he glimpsed fawning over him, though it also made him consider why she had been keeping her distance. he didn’t mean to come in and cause trouble, his intentions had been pure if self indulgent but his nosing around had revealed secrets he was certain sister nora would have preferred left undiscovered. “yes, well… i believe we must have been brought up with different definitions of the word.” he tried to smile, though it read as undeniably fake from the way it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “i don’t want to upset you, really. i just… i was looking where i shouldn’t have been and stumbled upon some troubling documents. my fault, i know, though you’ll have to forgive me for being unable to stop reading when i realised the explicit content.” troubling was an understatement, there was no use of his name within the scribbled notes he’d found while snooping late at night but there were enough context clues for him to fill in the blanks. “you know what i’m talking about, don’t you? please don’t play coy.”

[dfroza]

A call to purity

especially sexually. we may think the body is our own, but it belongs to our Creator. the treasure is the Spirit abiding within our own who illuminates the Son, who mirrors our heavenly Father.

and our Creator has said “i love you” to all of us, peace, & goodwill to the heart and to earth.

and what do we think of it? what will we do with the grace being offered to us?

Today’s reading of the Scriptures is the 4th chapter of the Letter of First Thessalonians:

[Holiness and Love]

And now, beloved brothers and sisters, since you have been mentored by us with respect to living for God and pleasing him, I appeal to you in the name of the Lord Jesus with this request: keep faithfully growing through our teachings even more and more. For you already know the instructions we’ve shared with you through the Lord Jesus.

God’s will is for you to be set apart for him in holiness and that you keep yourselves unpolluted from sexual defilement. Yes, each of you must guard your sexual purity with holiness and dignity, not yielding to lustful passions like those who don’t know God. Never take selfish advantage of a brother or sister in this matter, for we’ve already told you and solemnly warned you that the Lord is the avenger in all these things. For God’s call on our lives is not to a life of compromise and perversion but to a life surrounded in holiness. Therefore, whoever rejects this instruction isn’t rejecting human authority but God himself, who gives us his precious gift—his Spirit of holiness.

There’s no need for anyone to say much to you about loving your fellow believers, for God is continually teaching you to unselfishly love one another. Indeed, your love is what you’re known for throughout Macedonia. We urge you, beloved ones, to let this unselfish love increase and flow through you more and more. Aspire to lead a calm and peaceful life as you mind your own business and earn your living, just as we’ve taught you. By doing this you will live an honorable life, influencing others and commanding respect of even the unbelievers. Then you’ll be in need of nothing and not dependent upon others.

Beloved brothers and sisters, we want you to be quite certain about the truth concerning those who have passed away, so that you won’t be overwhelmed with grief like many others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who died while believing in him. This is the word of the Lord: we who are alive in him and remain on earth when the Lord appears will by no means have an advantage over those who have already died, for both will rise together.

For the Lord himself will appear with the declaration of victory, the shout of an archangel, and the trumpet blast of God. He will descend from the heavenly realm and command those who are dead in Christ to rise first. Then we who are alive will join them, transported together in clouds to have an encounter with the Lord in the air, and we will be forever joined with the Lord. So encourage one another with these truths.

The Letter of 1st Thessalonians, Chapter 4 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is chapter 13 of 2nd Kings that documents the death of Elisha along with the life story of various kings:

[Jehoahaz of Israel]

In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria—a rule of seventeen years. He lived an evil life before God, walking step for step in the tracks of Jeroboam son of Nebat who led Israel into a life of sin, swerving neither left or right. Exasperated, God was furious with Israel and turned them over to Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad son of Hazael. This domination went on for a long time.

Then Jehoahaz prayed for a softening of God’s anger, and God listened. He realized how wretched Israel had become under the brutalities of the king of Aram. So God provided a savior for Israel who brought them out from under Aram’s oppression. The children of Israel were again able to live at peace in their own homes. But it didn’t make any difference: They didn’t change their lives, didn’t turn away from the Jeroboam-sins that now characterized Israel, including the sex-and-religion shrines of Asherah still flourishing in Samaria.

Nothing was left of Jehoahaz’s army after Hazael’s oppression except for fifty cavalry, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry. The king of Aram had decimated the rest, leaving behind him mostly chaff.

The rest of the life and times of Jehoahaz, the record of his accomplishments, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jehoahaz died and was buried with his ancestors in Samaria. His son Jehoash succeeded him as king.

[Jehoash of Israel]

In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria—a reign of sixteen years. In God’s eyes he lived an evil life. He didn’t deviate one bit from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin. He plodded along in the same tracks, step after step.

The rest of the life and times of Jehoash, the record of his accomplishments and his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. Jehoash died and joined his ancestors. Jeroboam took over his throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria in the royal cemetery.

Elisha came down sick. It was the sickness of which he would soon die. Jehoash king of Israel paid him a visit. When he saw him he wept openly, crying, “My father, my father! Chariot and horsemen of Israel!”

Elisha told him, “Go and get a bow and some arrows.” The king brought him the bow and arrows.

Then he told the king, “Put your hand on the bow.” He put his hand on the bow. Then Elisha put his hand over the hand of the king.

Elisha said, “Now open the east window.” He opened it.

Then he said, “Shoot!” And he shot.

“The arrow of God’s salvation!” exclaimed Elisha. “The arrow of deliverance from Aram! You will do battle against Aram until there’s nothing left of it.”

“Now pick up the other arrows,” said Elisha. He picked them up.

Then he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground.”

The king struck the ground three times and then quit.

The Holy Man became angry with him: “Why didn’t you hit the ground five or six times? Then you would beat Aram until he was finished. As it is, you’ll defeat him three times only.”

Then Elisha died and they buried him.

Some time later, raiding bands of Moabites, as they often did, invaded the country. One day, some men were burying a man and spotted the raiders. They threw the man into Elisha’s tomb and got away. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came alive, stood up, and walked out on his own two feet.

Hazael king of Aram badgered and bedeviled Israel all through the reign of Jehoahaz. But God was gracious and showed mercy to them. He stuck with them out of respect for his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He never gave up on them, never even considered discarding them, even to this day. Hazael king of Aram died. His son Ben-Hadad was the next king.

Jehoash son of Jehoahaz turned things around and took back the cities that Ben-Hadad son of Hazael had taken from his father Jehoahaz. Jehoash went to war three times and defeated him each time, recapturing the cities of Israel.

The Book of 2nd Kings, Chapter 13 (The Message)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for friday, december 18 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A set of posts by John Parsons that points to Hebraic History and the nature of seeking truth:

We read in the New Testament that "the Greeks seek for wisdom" (1 Cor. 1:22), which of course does not refer to the ethical wisdom of the Torah (i.e., chokhmah: חָכְמָה), but rather to the venture of the human intellect to investigate and speculate about the nature of “ultimate reality.” Since Greek culture during the time of the Second Temple was without a viable religious outlook (it’s earlier pantheon of Olympian gods had been abandoned by that time), various Greek philosophers arose to fill the void by offering an account of the nature of the universe. Some of these philosophers sought abstract essences and archetypal patterns, while others regarded reality as a product of random chance (or fate) that rendered it essentially unknowable. What was common to these speculative approaches, however, was faith in the power of human reason to discover truth apart from older mythological explanations.

Despite the fact that ancient Jewish culture likewise valued truth and wisdom, in general the sages of the Second Temple period regarded Greek humanistic wisdom as chokhmah hachitzonit, "superficial wisdom," since it wasn't deeply grounded in the revelation and conviction of a moral Lawgiver who was the Sovereign Center and purposive cause for everything that existed. For this reason the Greek worldview was deemed spiritually dangerous, since it surreptitiously implied that Torah should be understood in strictly human terms, a product of mere men, rather than as special revelation directly given from the LORD God. At issue, then, was a clash between the role of faith and the role of reason...

It should be noted here that Hellenism was a philosophical outlook of life that offered enlightenment to the ancient world. Indeed, the word "Hellenist" does not refer to the ancient Greeks as much as all those who adopted the Greek cosmopolitan lifestyle, and that of course included many Jews of that period. Nonetheless, the Torah sages regarded such humanistic philosophy as devoid of ultimate value, since it had an inadequate and essentially “heartless” view of the person. The Hellensistic outlook did not regard people as moral agents created in the image and likeness of God Himself, and despite its idealization of the human being, Greek humanism (like humanistic philosophy today) had no metaphysical basis for the worth and dignity of people. Because of this, ancient Greek society, like ancient Egypt, justified slavery, the abuse of women, and ruthless exploitation. Jewish thought, on the other hand, understood people as inherently worthy, “deities in miniature,” and therefore they sought to be merciful, chaste, and charitable in their relationships.

The spread of Greek language and culture in the ancient world was a blessing, however, since the translation of the Hebrew Torah into the common Greek (the "Septuagint") in the 3rd century BC prepared the world for the universal message of the gospel, and even today the Septuagint helps us understand the words of the Koine Greek New Testament better. Moreover, the Greek Septuagint provides irrefutable proof that the Hebrew Torah text was well-attested in ancient times, which refutes fallacious claims made by other religions that Jewish people “rewrote” or invented the words of Torah for political purposes. [Hebrew for Christians]

12.17.20 • Facebook

When Yeshua said that the truth would “set us free” (ἐλευθερώσει), he was referring to the acceptance of the Witness of Divine Reality (i.e., the Word, Breath, Spirit, Voice, Message, Meaning, and Love of God) that delivers us from the lies we habitually tell ourselves. If you “persevere in my word” (μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ) he said, “then you are my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς, John 8:31-32). In other words, as we identify with his vision and redemptive mission, we will “be free indeed” from the tohu va’vohu (Gen. 1:2) – the “chaos and unreality” – that inescapably besets the way of the lie... We will be delivered from vanity and delusions of this world and its diseased affections; we will be set free from the need to justify ourselves by religion (perfectionism); we will no longer crave other people’s approval; we will not be moved by the crowd and its pressures; we will find courage to face our challenges without resorting to escapism; and we will learn how to experience peace even when we encounter frustrations. Despite our daily struggles and tests, we will be released from bondage to anger and resentment as we yield our will in trust that God is working all things together for our ultimate good (Rom. 8:28). Genuine freedom is not an “accidental property” of the heart, depending on “luck” or “fortune,” but instead is a decision to believe in the Reality of the salvation of God given in Yeshua our LORD. [Hebrew for Christians]

12.17.20 • Facebook

Though it is good to ask questions, to seek for understanding, and to study the Scriptures, we must do so using the "rule of faith," or the principle that “faith seeks understanding,” rather than the converse principle that “understanding seeks faith,” since the latter elevates human reason to be the judge and arbiter of the things of God, a role for which it is both incapable and unsuited (Isa. 55:8-9; Job 9:10; 11:7; Psalm 139:6; Rom. 11:33). This not to say that we cannot know the truth about God, though the instrumentality for knowing divine truth transcends the abilities of unaided human reason (Deut. 29:29).

Some people talk about "honest doubt" regarding matters of God, and while there may indeed be occasions to confess the limitations of our ability to understand the mysteries of heaven, we must be on guard not to ply a present lack of "semantic closure" as an excuse for despair that hardens our hearts and justifies our sin... The lower nature's machinations are so devious that we must be on guard and "test what manner of spirit" you are (Luke 9:55; 1 John 4:1; James 4:4). In the name of "honest doubt" a soul can invent all manner of difficulties of interpretation, the mind may become jaded and agnostic; the heart cools and steps away from the passion of faith... Doubt introduces hesitancy, compromise, and godless misgivings; it is a leech upon the soul, sapping the strength of conviction, weakening the balm of assurance. Be careful. Honest seeking is one thing, but practiced doubt may be an evasive measure - a diabolical ploy meant to distance yourself from responsibility to God's truth.

Often enough people have a "problem" with faith not because there is insufficient reason to believe -- after all, every soul has intuitive awareness of the reality of God's reality and power (see Rom. 1:19-20; Psalm 19:1-4; Acts 14:17) -- but because secret sin lurking within the heart is cherished as the soul’s ultimate concern and most precious value. Such idolatry of heart is the essence of much "doubt," since faith ultimately is an act of will. "The heart has its reasons that reason knows not of" applies both to the realm of God but to the affections of the selfish heart... In that sense doubt serves as a deal made with the devil - an exchange of a "mess of pottage" for the blessing of God!

Charles Spurgeon once wrote: "It seems that doubt is worse than trial. I had sooner suffer any affliction than be left to question the gospel or my own interest in it" (Vol. 29, Sermons). Amen, the gospel cannot be esteemed apart from personal interest in its truth, for otherwise we are merely toying with its message. You must believe that the truth of God - and being properly related to this truth by means of a trusting relationship - is the most inestimably precious and important matter of your very existence... "Find God or die." We cannot escape from the double-mindedness of our way apart from sincerely turning to God and asking Him to show us his glory, his beauty, and the wonder of his great love. A divided house cannot stand. The way of deliverance from yourself - to way to be free of enslaving passions and dark desires that fragment the soul - is by means of the miracle of God: "For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want' (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:15-25), but if you are led by the Spirit, you are free from the law of sin and death and are enabled to live according to a new source of power and life, namely, the law of the Spirit of Life in Messiah Yeshua (Rom. 6:6,14; Gal. 2:20). Living in slavery to sin is to lose yourself - to have no “center,” no self that unifies your heart and focuses your reason for being... It is the hell of no longer believing in anything at all, and especially no longer believing yourself.

Soren Kierkegaard once lamented: "The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly.” There is a very real danger of “thinking about” truth rather than living it. For instance, you might study the Psalms as literature and attempt to understand the nuances of Hebrew poetry, but that is altogether different than reciting the psalms with inner passion, with simple conviction and the earnest desire to unite our heart’s cry with the devotion that gave life to the words... We must read with a heart of faith to unlock the truth that speaks to the heart. If you believe only what you understand, your faith is actually grounded in your own reasoning, not in the Divine Voice of Love...

The way of trust is always a matter of the heart’s passion and hope... The Spirit of God speaks gently: "My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways" (Prov. 23:26). When we call God "Abba," we are not using a formal name that indicates distance, but rather a term that evokes intimate closeness and reliance. Calling out to God as "Abba" signifies that we genuinely accept that God regards us as his beloved child... [Hebrew for Christians]

Zot Chanukah Sameach, chaverim. The Light still shines!!!

https://hebrew4christians.com/

12.17.20 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

December 18, 2020

Fringe Issues

“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.” (2 Timothy 2:24)

One of the plagues of modern-day Christendom is that many take up side issues and deem them all-important— a point of separation between them and other Christians. Health foods, dress codes, and church constitutions are not unimportant, but Christians can hold different opinions and still be walking with God. Note the scriptural admonitions: “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace [i.e., primary issues]; not with meats [i.e., fringe issues], which have not profited them that have been occupied therein” (Hebrews 13:9); “foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes��� (2 Timothy 2:23).

On the other hand, there are many scriptural commands to hold “fast the faithful word” (Titus 1:9); to “keep that which is committed to thy trust” (1 Timothy 6:20). Many of these points of “sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9) are absolutely essential, such as the deity of Christ, the authority of Scripture, salvation by grace, the resurrection of Christ, and many others clearly and specifically taught in Scripture. Perhaps the rule might be, if it’s an essential doctrine, teach and defend it at all costs; if it’s a secondary doctrine, teach it in “meekness” and love (2 Timothy 2:25). But if it’s a fringe issue, avoid strife over it, allowing brothers to exercise their freedom.

Is creationism a fringe issue? No! Few doctrines are so clearly taught in Scripture. Is it crucial to salvation? No! But it is essential to adequately understand the great primary doctrines for it is foundational to them all. Furthermore, it is the subject of origins, which the enemy has identified as a major battleground, vowing to destroy Christianity over this issue. Here we must stand if we are to guard our faith. JDM