Sunday, April 10, 2005

What Christian Tradition Defines You Best?

Joe Missionary pointed me to a new quiz. This one is a good precursor to some thoughts I've had recently. First, here are my results:

1: Methodist/Wesleyan/Nazarene (100%)
2: Baptist (Reformed/Particular/Calvinistic) (97%)
3: Congregational/United Church of Christ (94%)
4: Presbyterian/Reformed (89%)
5: Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England (79%)
6: Eastern Orthodox (76%)
7: Anabaptist (Mennonite/Quaker etc.) (66%)
8: Baptist (non-Calvinistic)/Plymouth Brethren/Fundamentalist (66%)
9: Lutheran (64%)
10: Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God (61%)
11: Church of Christ/Campbellite (56%)
12: Seventh-Day Adventist (46%)
13: Roman Catholic (41%)

My recent thoughts were started here. I've had them building for a while, so I'll air out a few more in this post.

First, let me just say that my quiz results reflect the fact that I am not a theologian. I'm probably becoming more and more of an UN-theologian. Why? Theologians are too opinionated.

There are some people who have invested tons of time and energy into studying the Scriptures and theology. Many of them have an outstanding grasp of who God is and what the Bible teaches. Unfortunately there are many in this group who seem to have skipped over John 15:17 and I John 4. It seems to reach the point where some act as though "they will know we are Christians by our" theology.

I was recently told of a great deal of tension in a local church, and that tension is occuring between leaders of the church. Most of it has its basis in theological debates. At what point is love more important than theology? The answer is actually quite simple, at every point. Our purpose in life should be to show love. Even in disagreement. If there is tension between two people then there is a lack of love somewhere in that relationship.

My two cents.