Monday, June 20, 2011

Statement of Faith

LAST UPDATED 8/7/2012

Religious Views 

I'm not highly religious. I am a woman of faith and have a relationship with God that I work on every day. I was a sinner, and am saved by grace. My biggest issue with religion itself is that it is man organized, hypocritical, and it forces a set of specific, indoctrinated beliefs upon other people - none of which can any religious people can actually agree on as a whole - and I don't believe any one of us us have 100% right. It's not about a religion, it's about a relationship with God. (Read Romans) Your creed/beliefs are not what is important, it is about your love for God & how you live your life. We attend Harvest Church, which is a United Methodist church, and we love it there! http://www.harvestchurch4u.org/

The following is a statement of my faith and beliefs... this is not complete, and ever growing (and possibly changing!) as I study the word more closely for myself.

God is creator and ruler of the universe.
Jesus Christ is the only son of God.
The Holy Spirit leads, sustains and empowers believers.
The Bible is God’s word for all mankind.
Salvation is the forgiveness of our sin and a gift from Jesus Christ.
A Christian is a person who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord.

Bibliology – The Study of the Bible

Inspiration & Inerrancy of Scripture
The bible is a sacred text - God's word - however I do not believe every version is unaltered or without error. I do not believe we are supposed to "interpret" every individual verse in scripture, also known as loosening of scripture or authoritarian way of reading scripture. By doing this one misses the mark on what the gospel is all about. I believe the entire passages there are the lessons, or parables for us to learn from. I believe that reading each verse individually in an attempt to validate a point of view risks taking it out context and not what God and the writers intend for us to do.


Trinity – The Godhead, three persons, one God

The Existence
This paradox teaches that God is one God in three separate persons – Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit.  These are separate persons but are equal in every way possible from deity to will.

God the Father (Yahweh)

Eternality
God is uncreated and eternal.  There has never been a time that God did not exist.

Holiness
God cannot sin.   He is the righteous standard and has the right to condemn all how do not meet his standard of righteousness.

Wrath/Justice
While God is love, he is also a God of wrath.  He will exercise his wrath on the unrighteous who are without Christ by condemning them to Hell. God is a righteous judge, and he does not need a jury - it is not our place to judge or condemn anyone. 

Jesus Christ – The only eternal Son of God

Eternal
Jesus Christ is not created.  He is equal with the Father and is eternal.

Virgin Born/Incarnate
Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.  His mother’s egg was fertilized by God the Holy Spirit therefore he did not have a human father making him divine and equal to the Father in every way.  However, he is still a man in every way.  He is 100% God and 100% man thus making him a true God-Man.

Deity
As mentioned above, Jesus Christ is fully God in every way thus possessing every attribute of God.

Holy
Jesus Christ cannot sin because He is God. Therefore if He did sin, his death on the cross would have been in vain because He would have been condemned to Hell with the rest of man and it would have proved Him an impostor and not God.  However, since he lived an exemplary, sin-free life, he was the perfect sacrifice for man’s sin.

Resurrection
Jesus Christ bodily resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion on the cross.  This was to defeat death and sin and to prove his deity.

Ascension
Shortly after his resurrection, Jesus Ascended to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for each and every believer on our behalf.

Holy Spirit – The Third Person of the Godhead

DeityThe Holy Spirit is also fully God in every way possessing all of the attributes of God.

Convictions of SinThe Holy Spirit convicts each man of his sin.  When a unbeliever sins, the Holy Spirit convicts him of his need of a savior, when a believer sins, the Holy Spirit convicts him of his specific sin until the Child of God repents.

Sin

Definition and Condemning Factor
Sin is any action or choice that is in direct violation of God’s character or commandments.  No sin is more or less than another (aside from blasphemy). If we choose to ignore God and his convictions in our lives, we will be judged accordingly.

All Have Sinned
Yes, all have sinned. But we WERE sinners, and are saved by Grace. By God's grace, we can strive to walk without sin (but may falter at times.) But because we believe and have faith in God, we are forgiven for our sins.

Salvation

Method and Means

Salvation is by grace through faith in God.  Good works alone will not earn salvation. 

Eschatology – The Return of Christ

The Return of Christ
Jesus Christ will return to Earth before eternity begins to set up his earthly kingdom for 1000 years.

Political Views 


I don't associate with any specific party nor vote based on party.(Taken from a quiz that hit the nail right on the head - politicalquiz.net)

Conservative/Progressive score: 7/10
I am considered a social moderate. I think the progressive movement is overall well meaning, but sometimes it goes too far. On issues like abortion and affirmative action, I see the negatives of both extremes.

Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score: 6
I am a Moderate Capitalist. I support an economy that is by and large a free market, but has public programs to help people who can't help themselves or need a little help.

Libertarian/Authoritarian score: 8
I'm a Moderate. I think that we all have certain inalienable rights that must be protected, but that sometimes laws need to be made to protect the majority's lives or quality of lives. I support the second ammendment. I am against illegal drug use or public pornography because of its possible harmful effects to society.

Pacifist/Militarist score: 7
I'm a Moderate. I think that in very rare occasions, the United States should invade a country in order to make the world better by spreading democracy or ending a tyrants rule. I also think that defense is very important, and we shouldn't lower the defense budget. I think that, while the Iraq War probably was a mistake, that we can make the world a better place by sticking with it and spreading democracy in the middle east.


Overall, I would most likely fit into the category of Moderate.



The Issues

Equal Rights - LGBT
I support equal rights for any human being. I do not support discrimination or prejudice against any group of people. Religion has been used for years to support or "excuse" intolerance and bigotry.

Abortion (government involvement)
I am Pro Choice. I have learned with an open mind this does not mean pro abortion or death. I believe in personal responsibility and limited government. I do believe life begins at conception. Personally, I would not choose an abortion unless it was a definite life or death situation for either of us, and even then the decision would not be easy.

Immigration
I am for immigration - done the right way through legal channels.

Death Penalty
While I do not think of it as inhumane, or cruel & unusual punishment (the punishment fits the crime), every execution risks taking an innocent life. People have been wrongly accused for ages.I do not support the death penalty without undeniable physical evidence.

Religion & Government
I do not think any one religion should "fuel" our government & laws, as we live in a country of religious freedom, and that means any religion. As an example: By not "allowing prayer in schools" this does not stop a religious person from praying in school. It ceases group prayer when not everyone may believe the same thing. It is about tolerance for all organized religions. I'd rather teach my children tolerance, and love. A "moment of silence" allows for all to pray or think or meditate, etc.

1 comment:

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