Peril of Seeking Power

A Few Comments on the Overall Process

Ian Johnson August 21, 2022 0 Comments

Most of the currents of modern Western history can ultimately be traced to the well-meaning decisions of Christian leaders in the early centuries to seek political sponsorship. This led to the inversion of the Gospel message, forced exile of “heretics,” the rise of Islam through the influence of exiled “heretics,” and most of the subsequent upheavals in the Western world.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Changed treatment of each other, Compulsory Christianity, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Ethnic Division, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, Heresy, Islam and Christianity, Islam as a Consequence, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Religious violence and persecution, Repentance, Salvation, Social control and statecraft, Through the church, Truth and Falsehood, Wars as consequences, What is sin?

Christendom, Christian politics, Christianity, Christianity and Islam, Christianity and politics, Divisions in the Church, heresy, heretical movements, History of Christianity

A Simple Summary of Church and Western History–Introduction

Ian Johnson August 15, 2022 1 Comment

An introduction to the process by which, in seeking the approval and sponsorship of those in political power, and the delusion of holy conquest, Christianity, as defined by its victorious leaders, has consistently denied the possibility of a living, individual friendship with God. First in a series.

A God who Speaks, Compulsory Christianity, God Acts by Speaking, God Never Stopped Speaking, God Speaks to Us, God's Voice, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Social control and statecraft, Uncategorized

Church History, Friendship with God, History, History of Christianity, personal relationship, Western History

God Rejected King Saul, But Declared King David a Man After His Own Heart. Didn’t God Get this Backwards?

Ian Johnson November 14, 2021 7 Comments

God rejected King Saul, a bungler who made a few mistakes trying to do God’s will, his own way. But he accepted King David, a rapist and murderer, forgave him two unforgivable sins, promised him an eternal kingdom, called him a man after his own heart–and put him in Jesus’ lineage! Didn’t God get this backwards? NO!!

Confession and Repentance, Desire to have our own way, forgiveness and mercy, God is Love, God's Existence and Nature, God's rationality, Leaving Our First Love, Peril of Seeking Power, Refusing to hear, Rejecting God, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, Sins versus sin, Social control and statecraft, The Problem of Evil, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

after my own heart, forgive, forgiveness, King David, King Saul, man after God's own heart, rejection, remorse, repent, repentance, sin, sin vs sins, sins, unforgiveable

King Saul, The People’s Sin

Ian Johnson November 7, 2021 5 Comments

King Saul is an example of a leader appointed by God–at the rebellious insistence of the people–who followed his people’s idolatrous rebellion against God. Generally, in spiritual matters, worldly leaders follow their constituents rather than lead them. After God warned the people about the way their king would take, and sent a sign of his displeasure, they showed remorse–false, incomplete repentance–but did not change their ways. Ultimately, King Saul also followed their lead.

Confession and Repentance, Desire to have our own way, God's rationality, idolatry, Peril of Seeking Power, Rejecting God, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Sin, Social control and statecraft, The Problem of Evil, Truth and Falsehood, What is sin?

false repentance, human leaders, idol, Idolatry, in place of God, king, King Saul, leaders follow the people, rebel, rebellion, repent, repentance, Samuel, sin

Simon Magus told to Repent of His Attempt to Buy the Power of God: Acts 8:9-22

Ian Johnson September 6, 2021 3 Comments

Simon Magus was told to repent of his attempt to buy the Holy Spirit. We should also repent of our modern forms of claiming we can possess God for our own use or profit.

Church purpose versus church growth, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Heresy, idolatry, Peril of Seeking Power, Repentance, Repentance versus Remorse, Selling Forgiveness, Truth and Falsehood

baptism, buying God, buying the Holy Spirit, commerce in God, Holy Spirit, magic, repent, repentance, selling God, Simon Magus, sorcery

Matthew 5:3–Blessed Are the Beggars!

Ian Johnson June 18, 2021 2 Comments

Only beggars qualify to enter the Kingdom of the heavens around us, where God is king and his power supplies. The self-sufficient are disqualified by their own inability to fully trust in God while trusting in themselves.

God's rationality, Must Trust God to Enter, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Repentance, The Kingdom of the Heavens, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

Beggars, God's power, helpless, Kingdom of Heaven, Kingdom of the heavens, Poor, poor in spirit, powerless

CONCLUSION: THE SELFISH FOCUS OF HERETICS

Ian Johnson June 3, 2021 0 Comments

Even a very respectable denomination’s or church organization’s determination that a teaching is “heresy” cannot be taken, without examination, as absolute truth for two reasons. First, a deliberately divisive person’s–a true “heretic’s”– motives are selfish rather than doctrinal and usually well-hidden behind doctrine. Second, such people sometimes take control of even respectable denominations.

Authority Contests, Denominationalism, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults

church organization, Conclusion, denomination, division, False prophets, false teachers, following, heresy, selfish, selfishness

The “Winning” Faction may be Heretical

Ian Johnson May 31, 2021 2 Comments

Because the truth remains true even if no one believes it, it does not depend on human power relationships. Therefore, it is not safe to label people “heretics” because they disagree with us concerning doctrines that were imposed on our ancestors by right of conquest or that disagree with teachings honored by political leadership or majorities today.

A God who Speaks, Authority Contests, Church purpose versus church growth, Denominationalism, Divisions in the Church, God Speaks to Us, God's Voice, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults, Truth and Falsehood, Victory

Falsehood, heresy, Political determination, Right Doctrine, Right of conquest, Truth

Tradition May Support an Heresy

Ian Johnson May 24, 2021 1 Comment

Heresy cannot reliably be diagnosed by comparing individuals’ or other groups’ doctrinal positions or practices to the traditions of my own group and calling any that don’t match well “heretical.” Religious tradition, even Christian religious tradition, may support a heresy. Heresy is the division, not the disagreement.

Authority Contests, Disputes about words, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Religious violence and persecution

Church, Church unity, division, heresy, Religion, Religious tradition, separation, Tradition, Traditionalism

Brief Introduction to the Politicization of Christianity and its Consequences–From Jesus to 312 CE

Ian Johnson April 3, 2021 2 Comments

A brief summary of the course and causes of the transformation of Christianity from a faith that offered individual friendship with God into a politicized tool of social control up to 312 CE.

A God who Speaks, Background Information, Church purpose versus church growth, Compulsory Christianity, God Speaks to Us, God's Existence and Nature, Historical Background, Peril of Seeking Numbers, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Purpose of the Church, Replacing Relationship with Morality, Social control and statecraft, Transcendence

allegorical interpretation, Apostles, Christianity, Crisis of the Third Century, Dualism, Errors, Greek philosophy, Impassivity, Jesus, Middle Platonism, Montaism, moralism, Neoplatonism, Origen, Platonism, Politicization, Politicization of Christianity, Politics, Relationship, Roman Religion, social order, Syncretism, Transcendence

A Few Comments on the Overall Process

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A Simple Summary of Church and Western History–Introduction

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God Rejected King Saul, But Declared King David a Man After His Own Heart. Didn’t God Get this Backwards?

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King Saul, The People’s Sin

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Simon Magus told to Repent of His Attempt to Buy the Power of God: Acts 8:9-22

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Matthew 5:3–Blessed Are the Beggars!

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CONCLUSION: THE SELFISH FOCUS OF HERETICS

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The “Winning” Faction may be Heretical

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Tradition May Support an Heresy

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Peril of Seeking Power

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