How does a non-creedal people set parameters

[Ed Pettibone]

[KeithE]

[Tim Bonney]

[Ed Pettibone]

A lengthy list of websites which may or may not inform this discussion

http://www.creeds.net/

[Tim Bonney]

[Haruo]

Lots of good stuff in that Creeds link, but I note that its only SBC link is 1963.

[Haruo]

Also, under the Apostles Creed, I note this confusing pair of statements: "The Symbolum Apostolorum was developed between the second and ninth centuries. ... The current form is first found in the writings of Caesarius of Arles (d 542)." So if the current form is found in the sixth century, what sort of "developments" were introduced in the next three centuries?

[Ed Pettibone]

[Tim Bonney]

Hauro, that would be interesting research!

Ed, I've yet to see you post your ideas on bounderies/perimeters. I am guessing you and I may be closer on this issue then we were when I was a Baptist since I now support the idea of bounderies more than I used to. But I'd like to hear your take.

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: Tim did you see where I wrote I support your reply to Bruce on his question about Jesus setting Parameters. In that one you came very close to my position on this subject. But note a perimeter is not always a circle. Only in the ABC_USA would this be questionable. Can tell you haven't been gone long.

[Tim Bonney]

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: Tim, in your post just above you gives us a lot of good ideas to chew on but right now I am in the middle of some thing related but not directly.

But while I am taking a break let me say i think you missed the point of my friendly "Only in the ABC_USA would this be questionable. Can tell you haven't been gone long. " jibe. Think about your "circle" comment, and Then Valley Forge.

Keep an eye open for a new thread here on the ABC forum Titled, Do we really want to do this? BTW how is your blood pressure? Right now mine is high and it usually runs low.

[Haruo]

"" and "" are two entirely different words. Please check which one you're talking about (all of you) and let the rest of us know. It's like "" vs. "", or "" vs. "", or "there" vs. "their" vs. "they're", or "to" vs. "too" vs. "two". It's English, folks!! Spellcheck will not help, you have to know the English language (which consists of a whole lot of spelling-rule exceptions and arbitrarinesses) to get it right.

End of rant. Esperanto really is easier.

[Ed Pettibone]

[KeithE]

[Tim Bonney]

Keith I like your desription of inclusive church and basically agree with it. But I really do believe that even in the most progressive church there are some bounderies out there.

In the most basic sense a Christian is a follower of Jesus. If you don't want to be a follower of Jesus, even in the most basic sense, then you aren't a Christian. That isn't saying something bad about you. That is just saying that by definition Christians are Christ followers. But by saying so we are drawing a line, defining the border, whatever metaphor you want to use.

[Haruo]

[Gene Scarborough]

Why do people hate narrow creeds?

Why do people even bother to mess with church when Jesus had no building or wealth?

[KeithE]

[Mike Stidham]

[Haruo]

[Haruo]

Here are the usernames of new registrants that I deleted just now, all of which registered in the last 14 hours. There was only one whom I bothered to look up, and he (Kevd) also turned out to be pure spam, as I will show below:

infedummise, Breendangm, Christineovv, Bundimpaimi, bidsdiami, Breendavin, j1tdolsu2, Christineljn, EmponoumPug, Heerough, smichukv, Wendywrl, Irrimiascense, carpinteyrofam, Houlkvove, plalcherrvg, sernordipse, Sottthoug, Barpkeype, cahthiernhg, dixiehowley, Unconejodox, Whortmamatorn, UsaxapsHisk, bbsketcphj, outletaya, zhonghevi, jordanlhl, haruma4z, ripprirebeaug, LittrinyActiz, Eleanorepov, florejarrett, DeFdBEiFajAhfde, Wendylfj, Blanchekfy, isabellaenfriedaon, Gabriellejdd, Annabellemel, vesterblomme, accovacut, feteinfastima, opepsyEageply, uyxtcuued, Anastasiaxmc, Infodedon, Candancehme, Jennifernij, Tretretle, Gabriellevpf, insastala, feldawharmby, dejwitxyzsdaweq, carteyrosaa, biulaindktv, TanoAnaelmsam, MrPromotor, Davesmealuabs, Fredericaxrl, Reriloonerere, Corneliaicf, Rillioxotrula, Elizabethfui, Fredericamgm, AstodseditSet, Blumpemn, gtwebus, Evangelinexll, carteyrohwm, ImmabeStelm, Gabriellevpv, cypocogma, Hagmaslardlug, SkageDowaffok, Candancejhu, soseSwearie, clarcaskinsdfsfs, Eleanorectg, arerndred, Qualuache, mckevwspat, Eleanorewgp, BLINEEALKAKIT, Christinezzp, Annabellerxq, lftsdjgqdndm, Hermosafoq, Corneliaifr, LachNeagmamek, ertaytpfubxf, slamslotoum, Eleanorerik, Elizabethaeq, dtbeitit, Candanceuuk, jondgthon, lepCreedmal, carteyrolmd, Abigailfej, Alla7834, deantyGat, Corneliansl, cheentikike, Amumbefellifs, attella, webtibe, webnant, lujoveyuzw, Moxoffets, Mamssuiffiste, hrqicsduii, Blanchelqe, feegolipboali, Kevd, Suttoiwrrik, Abigailfvt, Annabellelln, Christineqdh

I only looked at "Kevd" because (a) the handle is short enough to stand out in the list and (b) I could easily imagine some naive newby named Kevin Douglass thinking it would pass muster as his "real name" per our rulebook. At least he turned out to be from California, not the Ukraine. But the email he gave was "getastyle100tr@gmail.com", which did not enhance my confidence in his humanity, and when I checked his IP on the spam lists, stopforumspam.com reported "108.171.248.250 appears in our database 5897 times"... So he got speedily deleted, too. Look at all those girls with three random letters stuck on their names. Almost all of them are in China. I truly pity the person who legitimately wants to join this forum but who doesn't understand how critically important it is to use a real-looking name, first and last with a space betwixt, and to try again a day later if it didn't work. I am morally certain that every week I probably delete a genuine applicant or two just because they used a handle (even if it's a derivative of their real name) that looked too much like all these Chinese chicks. Okay, I know, that's sexist. Some of the spammers use masculine-looking garbage for names.

[Mike Stidham]

[Peter]

Ed P
are you asking what a local church should be "allowed" (sorry, could not think of a better word) Or the larger denomination like ABC. SBC, CBF, UCC, UMC, PCA and/or UPC?

[Ed Pettibone]

Ed: Gee Peter, it is good to know you are still around.

What I would like a discussion of is, Can/should a Christian community set limits on who may or may not participate in their mission? Or do limits automatically constitute a creed.