Joni I had a few flashbacks during this episode of sitting in the pastor's office in Blacksburg. I found your discussion of certainty in faith insightful. I have an ongoing conversation with a friend in the Catholic Church who is sure that the guidance of the Church is always right because Jesus set it on the path. Sadly, what this usually means is he leads every discussion by telling us that love only comes through "truth" and "doctrine". That it isn't loving to let someone live in sin. I told him we look at God from two different directions. I see God from the practical side of being human and showing love first to lead people to God in their own way, and he looks at God from the perfect and if you aren't striving for perfect (in the Church's eyes) you aren't living in love.
I guess we all have our own path to the Great Spirit and, like you, I wouldn't want to believe in a God where some are excluded just bc they aren't perfect in some human view!
Joni I had a few flashbacks during this episode of sitting in the pastor's office in Blacksburg. I found your discussion of certainty in faith insightful. I have an ongoing conversation with a friend in the Catholic Church who is sure that the guidance of the Church is always right because Jesus set it on the path. Sadly, what this usually means is he leads every discussion by telling us that love only comes through "truth" and "doctrine". That it isn't loving to let someone live in sin. I told him we look at God from two different directions. I see God from the practical side of being human and showing love first to lead people to God in their own way, and he looks at God from the perfect and if you aren't striving for perfect (in the Church's eyes) you aren't living in love.
I guess we all have our own path to the Great Spirit and, like you, I wouldn't want to believe in a God where some are excluded just bc they aren't perfect in some human view!
I like how you framed that, Jeff - seeing God from the point of view of being a fallible human vs. seeing humans from the point of an infallible God.