icons

A long time ago in "forest philosopher" land I did an extensive post
on icons. If St. Paul had had a camera, and had known Jesus in the
flesh he would probably have taken God's picture. (You do agree that
Jesus is God?) He would have put it on his dresser or hung it on the
wall. Do you think he would have used it for target practice? Or would
he have looked on it reverently? Of course, they didn't have cameras,
so they painted. Would he have had a "fit" to learn that others had
portraits or photos of some of the brothers and sisters? Or, let me put
it this way, do you have a picture of your mother, wife, child....?
Excuse me, but after years of dealing with all kinds of sects and cults
it's sometimes hard to take some of this stuff too seriously. They ALL
(I mean ALL) just go by the "Bible Alone". If I were to go just by the
Bible "alone" we could play a fun game of trumping with Bible verses.
Folks tell me they just go by what the "Word of God" says, -as long as
it agrees with their presupposition. But most of them really don't
understand presuppositions. It does require serious study. But I don't
pretend to go "just by the 'Bible Alone'" Luther didn't, Calvin didn't;
St.Paul didn't. Nobody ever did. Oh, I know they thought they did; and
usually were quite sure they did. It's not their sincerity I have a
problem with. It's not being able to have an honest conversation. And so,
obviously I don't pretend to play by their rules. I quit that game when
"I became a man...." We couldn't discuss baseball, for example, till we
agreed on the rules. It's the same with theology. And that's, essentially,
the point I keep coming back to. By the way, we know who I am. With whom
am I discussing this? And I hope you know enough about this stuff not to
quote OT verses about "graven images". (That was settled by the church in
787 AD.) Some people don't believe in family pictures for that reason. And
since they can read the Bible they've got to be right, too. Everybody's
right by those rules. If they just go by the Bible and pray the Holy Spirit
to guide them, who is ANYBODY to criticize them. By the way, that's how my
cousin became a Mormon! Don't you get it? In that case you're not being
taught by God. You're just guessing. And then, my guess is as good as yours.
And that's what it means to be a Protestant. Christianity is a democracy
afterall- or isn't it?? That is THE question! Boy, didn't you start something?