Yeah, Right, Whatever

Warning: religion post. You have been warned.

There are a few things that just seem to go with Christianity. The Cross. Christmas (for most). Easter (no matter when you celebrate it). (No, we don't need to go into some of the uglier stereotypes... thanks, though.) In fact, from dictionary.com, we have this:

Christian:Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Christ: The Messiah, as foretold by the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. Often used with the.

One of the other things that just seem to go with the belief system known as Christianity is the belief in Jesus' divinity- He is God the Son. Right?

A venerable Protestant denomination - at the behest of some of its conservative members - is preparing to vote next month on a measure declaring that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and making it mandatory for clergy to accept his divinity.t may seem like a slam dunk, but delegates for the 1.3 million-member United Church of Christ may reject the resolution. Several Bergen County pastors, who aren't delegates to the convention, said they expect the measure to fail.

Rev. Raymond Kostulias (said) "But there is a judgmental quality to it that implies very strongly that those who do not agree with us are condemned or damned or hopeless - and that's exactly the thing that UCC is against."

Uh... Rev. ... there is a judgemental quality about the Bible... or haven't you read it lately? Here's a few tidbits that you may have missed (empasis mine).

• John 1:1-2- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
• John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
• John 20:28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
• Romans 9:5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
• Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
• Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
• Philipians 2:6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
• John 14:14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

That's just a few. I could go on, but you get the idea.

This isn't a matter of being judgemental at all. It's a matter of asking a few simple questions:Is Jesus who He said He is? Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God? Do you believe what the Bible says?

The handful of United Church of Christ churches that submitted the resolution - including a congregation in Woodbridge - say Christ's divinity is the biggest issue facing the denomination.... The Woodbridge pastor said the denomination has to get back to basics.

"The whole point of this is that many of these people have a very fuzzy idea of faith in God," said the Rev. Albert W. Kovacs of the Hungarian Reformed Church. "We have significant numbers of clergy who don't believe in God."

Clergy? Who don't believe in God? Why bother?

There are "issues" within Christianity which are open to interpretation. In fact, I have a "list" of questions that can't be answered in this life- I'm planning on pulling up a chair and asking them when I get to Heaven. But some fundamentals are just not up to debate. God is God. Jesus is God the Son. Then you go to John 14:14 (Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.") and you go on from there.

I think I know what the "conservatives" within the UCC are trying to do- they're trying to cull the herd a bit. Force the issue to get some change within their denomination. Sounds like a plan to me. They're forcing a break within the church one way or the other. Everyone in the UCC will have to choose sides... literally, "Believers" and "Non-Believers."

Hmmm... wonder which side I'd fall on...