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A person's religious beliefs are a reflection of their
overall 'belief system'.
composed of their Assumptions, World
View, Doctrines, Convictions,
and Opinions, and some would include Preferences.
Bible Doctrine is the collection of beliefs in the Jewish &
Christian scriptures.
Each person should strive to live by them by the power of God, and not your
own strength. Some teachings in the Bible are straightforward and clear,
and a life of Faith implies that God calls us to obedience to the light
He has given us. Some are subject to personal 'convictions', while
some are obscure or difficult and can allow a variety of 'interpretations' - but
these are much fewer than many want to accept. May God give us all
insight, honesty, and Grace to distinguish the 'clear' from the 'interpretive',
and to live in harmony with each other when we have differing 'opinions'.
see also orthodox,
 | Doctrine - The Certainty of
‘Cardinal Doctrines’ are important biblical teachings as demonstrated by
straightforward, clear scripture. e.g. Deity of Christ. The Trinity of the
Godhead, Salvation by faith. Many churches have a "Statement of
Faith" that clearly expresses the 'Cardinal Doctrines'. Sometimes
churches include in their statement of faith ‘Secondary Doctrines’ which
are also derived from
clear scripture, are important for their impact on faith and godliness, but
are not essential for salvation. Cardinal Doctrine & Secondary
Doctrines, and their directly assumed application to
practice, defines Orthodoxy - the Faith of our Fathers. |
Even with "doctrine" some godly Christians may differ on
what should be included as 'Cardinal' or 'Secondary' doctrines. An
example is "Inerrancy" as an integral part of the "Inspiration
of the Scriptures" which most 'conservatives' include as a 'Cardinal'
doctrine, however some consider as down on the level of a 'Conviction'.
| "Conservative" vs.
"Liberal" - Most
'conservative' churches would consider that "Cardinal Doctrines"
are independent of "Hermeneutics", or "Interpretation",
since cardinal doctrines are straight-forward reading and understanding of
scripture. "Secondary Doctrines" however, are not
necessarily so straight-forward, and hence can depend upon a particular
interpretive methodology. "Liberal" churches, on the
other hand, would not even consider any belief as 'cardinal' or even
'secondary', since there is usually no consideration of any divine authority
in biblical writings, and so anyone's personal 'interpretation' is just
fine. |
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