Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Raymond de Hoop <rdehoop AT keyaccess.nl>]

Dear Walter,

You wrote, 

> As you are well aware, Christianity is not a monolithic intsitution, its a
> bewildering array of sects, Baptist, Congregational, Pentecostal, Catholic,
> Christian Scientist, Mormon, Universalist.

I am very well aware of that. That's why I wrote my response.

> To say that one is in error
> because one is not in line with "the main vision of the Trinity" seems
> incredulous to me.  ALL have a right to their beliefs and interpretations of
> Holy Writ, even if they fail to meet the "high standards" of Academia.

I did not write that you were in error because you did not meet the high
standards of Academia. I reacted because your mail suggested that your
interpretation or representation of the doctrine of Trinity -or the doctrine
of Christ being God, or what ever you like to call it-  was THE christian
view on Christ. That is what made me react, because you wrote:

>>> Surely you are aware that Christians understand that it was Christ who
>>> made the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day, and that it was Christ
>>> who appeared to Moses at Mount Sinai giving the Law to Israel ?

It sounds to me like "the Chinese people love Mao", because you heard  a
Chinese man saying he did. Christians understand... ? I consider myself to
be one, but did absolutely not recognize myself. And, if I understood Liz
well, she thought you had your tongue in cheek!

> So, I can assure you that based on my religious upbringing, which was of a
> Protestant, Fundamentalist background,

Lets shake hands! 

> I WAS NOT JOKING about Christ being
> the God that worked 6 days and rested on the 7th, and that he gave the Torah
> to Israel at Mt. Sinai. That your religious background and training holds
> these views as ridiculous is your perogative.

I do not hold these views as ridiculous. I didn't say that; but do not
suggest that it is THE christian view.

> That is one of the problems I
> see in the body of Christ, the differing sects devouring each other,
> claiming ONLY they have the correct interpretation of Holy Writ and that the
> other sects are WRONG.
> 

As I wrote, there are extremes. But I still hold my view that it is not the
main line of christianity, even seen from the many angles you summed up
above. And whether the main line or the extremes are correct does not bother
me here --that's realy off-topic. But, that view on Christ you presented is
what YOU learned, but don't present it as THE christian view (which
subsequently might be rejected), because (as you wrote yourself):

> As you are well aware, Christianity is not a monolithic institution


Al the best,
Raymond