Dogmatic Arrogrant Arrogance.
It is much more pleasant to associate with people who are searching for truth than be among people who claim that what they dogmatically believe to be truth is truth because it has been taught as traditionally orthodox truth or agrees with their philosophy.
Isn't is ironic that even though all denominations claim that what they believe is biblically true, that the heresy of one denomination another denomination claims to be orthodox truth, and the orthodox truth of one denomination is said to be heresy by another denomination.
I have known many of the dogmatically truth believers (including myself when I was dogmatically dogmatic that the doctrines I believed in were all true) to end up with egg on our face because the truth we believed to be dogmatically true was dogmatically false.
Dogmatism is the practice of clinging to any cluster of religious beliefs that is presumed to have authoritative power. As such, the practice of dogmatism is pervasive and a dominate trait of denominations. Dogmatic people tend to be rigid and obnoxious and sometimes dangerous.
Religious dogmatism accepts people who are closed-minded about what they believe as long as the people believe what the religion believes. However, people who are open-minded and begin to think for themselves by questioning the closed-minded beliefs are sometimes given the left-boot of fellowship.
This closed-mindedness leads to self-righteousness that promotes an intolerance of difference that fuels prejudice, discrimination, cultural divisions, and has been the cause of religious wars.
Religious people in their dogmatism are so blind in their own rigid correctness they cannot see the offensive way they come across to Community of Humanity as a whole.
Religious dogmatists' pervasive anxiety and extraordinary need to be doctrinally right blinds them to idea that they may be dogmatically wrong. They are so preoccupied with defending their religious views, trying to impress others, and feeling safe in a spiritually confused world, that they fail to take an easy reading on people’s reactions to their rigid pronouncements and doctrinal defensiveness.
Few understand how difficult it is for us humanoids to stretch our thinking as far as regarding beliefs that we believe. Doing a demolition act on beliefs we disagree with makes us feel smugly superior and self-righteous about our views. Dogmatic people use out-of-context bible verses as ammunition, shoot-and-reload and shoot again to disarm beliefs that do not line up with their own...it is no small wonder they are seen as obnoxious.
In the religious world, dogmatism knows no boundaries, and dogmatic religious zealots who impose their beliefs on others are anti-unity and favor denominational segregation.
Religious people in their dogmatism are so blind in their own rigid correctness they cannot see the offensive way they come across to Community of Humanity as a whole.
Religious dogmatists' pervasive anxiety and extraordinary need to be doctrinally right blinds them to idea that they may be dogmatically wrong. They are so preoccupied with defending their religious views, trying to impress others, and feeling safe in a spiritually confused world, that they fail to take an easy reading on people’s reactions to their rigid pronouncements and doctrinal defensiveness.
Few understand how difficult it is for us humanoids to stretch our thinking as far as regarding beliefs that we believe. Doing a demolition act on beliefs we disagree with makes us feel smugly superior and self-righteous about our views. Dogmatic people use out-of-context bible verses as ammunition, shoot-and-reload and shoot again to disarm beliefs that do not line up with their own...it is no small wonder they are seen as obnoxious.
In the religious world, dogmatism knows no boundaries, and dogmatic religious zealots who impose their beliefs on others are anti-unity and favor denominational segregation.
Know this...Being Dogmatically Dogmatic does not mean that our Dogmatic Dogmatism is Dogmatically right.
You say and I quote:
ReplyDeleteIt is much more pleasant to associate with people who are searching for truth than be among people who claim that what they dogmatically believe to be truth is truth because it has been taught as traditionally orthodox truth or agrees with their philosophy.
All false cults like to prey on those searching for truth because it is easy for them to get them to believe their error. But they wont mess with us who know the truth because they know that they cannot deceive us. When Christians reject the five fold ministery that God has placed in church they leave themselves open for deception.
Here is what Scriptures say in Eph. 4:11-15.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
You say and I quote:
In the religious world, dogmatism knows no boundaries, and dogmatic religious zealots who impose their beliefs on others are anti-unity and favor denominational segregation.
Not all dogmatism is wrong.
It is not wrong to be dogmatic about the virgin birth.
It is not wrong to be dogmatic about the incarnation.
It is not wrong to be dogmatic about the second coming of Christ but we need not be dogmatic as to exact timing of His coming.
I am very dogmatic when it comes to the Person of Jesus Christ. I believe He is the only begotten Son of God, born of a virgin, and that He lived a perfect life, suffered a vicarious death, was raised from the dead by God, and now is seated at God’s right hand.
I am very dogmatic when it comes to how to get to heaven. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the way, truth, and life, and that no one gets to the Father except through Him. If some liberal with a new idea or interpretation or hidden message finds a new way to the Father, I will reject it.
I am dogmatic about salvation. It is a gift from God, not of works, and yet still requires my choice. Good works can not earn it, but good works will come from it.
If I come across as being dogmatic on these issues then so be it. I will proudly stand with apostle Paul.
Paul was very dogmatic in Acts 17:16-18 and his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city of Athens wholly given to idolatry. He preached unto them Jesus and resurrection so much so that some said he was a babbler and was from some strange God.
Paul was very dogmatic in preaching repentance and judgment not love and acceptance. His message was the same as the message of Jesus, John the Baptist, and all the apostles. (Acts. 17:30,31)
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
You are right when you say I am anti-unity. I am against this false unity that is being pushed on body of Christ today, a unity that is going to deceive even the very elect. Just reciently the Pope sent a message to one of the great Pentecostal and Charismatic gatherings inviting all the Prostants to give up protesting and come home to mother church and many Charismatics put their blessing on it.
But I will be in unity with those who believe that Jesus is only way to God and that all men must repent and receive the salvation that Christ offers.