While we're discussing "pop theology" I want to bring up a topic that I haven't seen addressed in articles on the Charasmatic Movement. The phenomena of "being slain in the Spirit" is a fallacy that seems to be the crowning disachievement of the CM.
My own father is a pastor of a Protestant Church (imagine his dismay when his son went Catholic) and he believes in this kind of ministry. I said that nowhere in scripture can this be found as a tradition of the early church, and he gave referrence to the guards of Jesus Tomb that were rendered unconscious, and to the posse that fell prostrate when Jesus said, "I am."
God bless him, and I love my dad so much! But when I mentioned that these were all the enemies of Christ and that there is no account of believers being so affected by the Spirit, he could offer no further defense of the practice, but held that it was not harmful and in fact very beneficial to receive a touch by the Holy Spirit.
It is my experience that when the Spirit of God touches me I am more aware than ever before, not less, and that this touch happens when I draw near to God in worship, not seeking an undue spiritual experience. And it happens at God's own discretion and pleasure, not at my expectation.
"That the Church of Christ may be guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth as promised by our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray to the Lord."
I ask because Pascal and the Jansenists had an Augustinian theology similar in many ways to Calvinism, but they remained within the RCC. It is only negative for the RCC for the fact that the Jesuits basically wiped the Jansenists out. I was not specifically intending to offer criticism of the RCC.
Kyle
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified.
God bless him, and I love my dad so much! But when I mentioned that these were all the enemies of Christ and that there is no account of believers being so affected by the Spirit, he could offer no further defense of the practice, but held that it was not harmful and in fact very beneficial to receive a touch by the Holy Spirit.
It is my experience that when the Spirit of God touches me I am more aware than ever before, not less, and that this touch happens when I draw near to God in worship, not seeking an undue spiritual experience. And it happens at God's own discretion and pleasure, not at my expectation.
Catholic Soldier, I once met a lady while visiting a friend and she said something interesting about this. She attended a charismatic church and talked about how so many would be "slain in the Spirit" during their services, but oddly when these same people were visiting another church with a hard concrete floor and not the plushy floor they had at their church, no one fell down at all! Hmmm, it makes me a little bit suspicious! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/rolleyes2.gif" alt="" />
Universal Salvation Hyper-Arminianism (you can't be saved unless you pray this prayer in your own words) Whatever it's called where people say to attract more people to Jesus, we should shape ourselves like the world. Whatever that's called. Gay "Christianity" "I can do whatever I want, God will forgive me if I confess my sin"
Oh yeah. Those are annoying. I hate those with a passion.
In the midst of your sadness and woe, when you are tormented and afflicted, have comfort! God's will is done.
True godliness is a sincere feeling which loves God as Father as much as it fears and reverences Him as Lord, embraces His righteousness, and dreads offending Him worse than death~ Calvin
