phi39

I would say both 1 and 2 are true actually. In the first sense He flat does not need anyone because He always had fellowship in the Trinity. He didn't get lonely and then create, but created us out of and for His love, joy and glory. If I have a God who actually needs me, for any reason, then our relationship has a somewhat obligatory element to it. It is no longer pure love and grace. As for existing by Himself: if you were ask Him what His name was, He would say "I am." And remember Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God-" He was already there to do the beginning. If you still think that the idea of something (or someone) being eternally existent sounds silly, remember that you as well need something to be "existing by itself" namely: chaotic matter and unorganized intelligences (I recently read a very good book that fleshes this out).

To be perfect has the idea of being complete and flawless. In God's case it whole also mean His holiness: a perfect moral character, w/o any moral flaw, perfectly righteous and loving. there would be no incompleteness or flaw in his being, knowledge, power... the list goes on. Being perfect, he needs nothing and gives freely.

It would have been "purgatory." You'd have to ask a catholic, but I don't think it's supposed to be very much fun. The antichrist is described as the "son of perdition" (2thess2:3) or "son of destruction," meaning he is destined to be destroyed. there wouldn't be much hope for someone going to perdition/destruction. A little history I learned recently: indulgences started around the time of the crusades. If you were knight going off on the warpath, you had to pay up front for all the sinning you were going to do for God... I'm sure it made sense to somebody. I think Augustine said that even killing in defensive war is a sin, but a lesser sin than allowing your town to be overrun. Maybe that had something to do with their reasoning. Anyway, the knights went on their merry way and the church made bank. Later, people started buying indulgences for other things, and it went on till Luther came on the scene, and you know the rest.

That sounds pretty close to the evangelical doctrine of inerrancy, which in a nutshell is just a fancy way of saying "the Bible is true." See the Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy, Article X. Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy So Mormons and Evangelicals agree that it is true as far as it is correctly translated, but the issue is more than that isn't it? It has more to do with transmission of the text than with translation. If the Mormon view (as far as I understand it at this point) were just that the modern day revelations complete the ancient ones, then yet again evangelicals might agree that such a thing could happen. After all, the NT did fulfill the OT. If this were the case, then we would only be talking about whether the NT left any major loose ends in need of further revelation. I don't think so; the "story arch" seems pretty well wrapped up by Revelation 22 (not that we don't still have plenty of questions, of course). I recall reading that "many plain and precious truths" were removed from the Bible (Nephi? First Vision?). And that is where the issue comes to a head. I think the phrase "translation" is confusing and "transmission" would be more accurate. If truths have been removed, then scripture has not been transmitted, and if that is true then yes, I can see a big need for fresh revelation--a reboot! Would I be right to say then that you do believe the Bible to be the word of God, but not in the same way as evangelicals? How does that play out practically?

that, I would certainly agree with.

They are actually russian eagles at the local zoo. they're pretty impressive up close: taller than a toddler!

Thank-you for the link! I've bookmarked it. I'm not looking for a fist fight of course, but if that's a more appropriate place for certain deeper, tougher, nuts-n-bolts discussions then I will definitely keep that in mind. I'm attending the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, though I'm not exactly a Baptist. My wife and I found an awesome little Evangelical Free Church when we moved to the area and they welcomed us like family. Working through 2nd semester Greek Syntax. thank you again!

hello! I'm a first year (in credit hours) seminary student, pursuing a degree in apologetics and worldview. I've found in the past that reading about another faith or worldview is incomplete without actually interacting with people of that faith. I also have a lot of fun going back and forth, and iron sharpens iron!