Fair enough. Look, I am no expert of Jonathan Edwards theology. But I feel I need to defend him when someone discredits him because he was reformed. That's the very attitude this thread was about in the OP.

That's good. I agree with you.

However, as always, there's a problem with Rome not holding that view as evidenced by the quotes from Fr. Damick.

Their historical view seems to be the Church is only that which is subject to the Roman Pontiff.

Quote:

---

Fear is the beginning of love

---

This is the starting point of every great relationship. Sounds like a Dennis strategy from IASIP

It is not a relationship of equals, which is why it is appropriate. It would be better if I had said precedes, not the beginning of, but is accurate either way. You can't love what you don't know, and to know God is to fear Him.

Meh. I've found much more success in love without the fear part.

Loving what? Your wife? Kids? Your parents?

Everyone and anything. No time to waste on things that want you to fear them.

Everyone and everything is not God.

Other people is a relationship of equals. This is not. It is appropriate to fear certain things. Even more, it is stupid to not fear certain things.

Aren't you an atheist or agnostic?

Also God does not want you to fear Him. He wants you to love Him. That's the whole point.

k2aggie07 said:

---

One, shiner is not a rock or snake. It is still beer and all beer is good. Some is gooder than others. It's not even the worst beer.

Two, you can't get Yuengling in Texas and it's my favorite and it was my birthday present and I don't wanna share so I don't have to and you can't make me.

---

I just want to point out that because of you, I'm getting Shiner ads showing up on Facebook

Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled Miller light ads.

k2aggie07 said:

---

Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled Miller light ads.

---

Miller???

You know..You're really making God's command to "Love thy neighbor" really difficult right now.

It seems a natural impulse to find a disagreement and set up lines of hate of those that identify as an "other", and religious faith is, by definition, something particularly hard to compromise on. I think a legacy of political control feeds the Protestant/Catholic animosity in the west, but if you ask any one person why they dislike the positions of The Other, you'll go down rabbit holes of illogic and misunderstanding.

We all ask, "why don't we all just follow God?" To which everyone answers, "we are, you're just doing it wrong!"

Round and round we go.

Pass the Yuengling or Shiner, I'm not picky. I'll settle for a Coors Light if that's all you got.

That's why whenever possible I tried (and try) to look at things objectively. I don't think I am applying my own standard or interpretation to what is right or wrong. That's the biggest difference in the approach - the application of the "I think" standard.