Doing is Believing

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Doing is Believing - the story

I get just a tad angry when I see people proclaiming their own personal "Kingdom Filter"; in other words, they filter out certain people from having a place in their own little theological club, and they somehow equate this with the Kingdom of God. It's all based on their quid-pro-quo "additional" requirements that they "sneak in" through some clever, but often misguided interpretation of scripture. Like the conversations I had the past couple of days over the question "Are Mormons Christians?" A response was posted that protested that one can make the term "Christian" so broad that it becomes diluted. Well, sorry. But the fact is, to be considered "Christian" (in the sense of a converted, born-again type, in contrast to the "cultural, family, hand-me-down, census" types), it has something to do with "Following Christ". Any "abberations" (of course, based on somebody's interpretation of what is "neccessary" and "required") are not grounds for disqualification.

I am reminded of a joke about God (or maybe it was just a guide, like an angel or something) showing a new arrival into heaven around the place. Several "groups" are popinted out (ie. "There's the Presbyterians, there's the Methodists, ...etc." Then the newcomer asks "Who's that over there?" and the guide says "Shhhhh! That's the Baptists, they don't know anyone else is here"

This is exactly how I receive the announcements by certain people within Christendom that this person or that group is not REALLY Christian becuase of some "belief" or "interpretation" that they consider to be crucial. I got news for ya. The only thing that matters is what those "beliefs" cause to happen to your life.... how you live. In fact, that's what the word BELIEF means. It's the latin for "by life" or "what you live by". In that sense, what you "believe" really does count, but I rarely if ever see "belief" used in that sense. I am often apt to use "opinions" and "interpretations" rather than "beliefs" whenever I am cognizant of this. To give "intellectual assent" to something is not really "to believe it" in this case. (Clarence Jordan taught me this. I'm gonna have to say a few things about Clarence; I often end up doing so anyway)

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