The Upper Room

12:43 AM

1

A: Why is Infant Baptism considered to be invalid by so many Protestant denominations?

Why is the New Testament silent on Infant Baptism? Baptist/evangelical response: The reason there is no mention of infant baptism in the New Testament is because this practice is a Catholic invention that developed two to three centuries after the Apostles. The Bible states that sinners must ...

I edited this new users answer, which I think is pretty good. So the active link shows my name instead of his. I just wanted to be sure that others see the new post.

Theodore A. Jones

11:55 AM

@fredsbend "Encyclopedia of Religion" states that infant baptism originated as a religious practice in ancient Egypt. Lev. 18:3 "Do not follow their practices." forbids this religious practice. The NT writers were Jewish so this practice would not have been a religious practice among them that they would mention in their writings.

Theodore A. Jones

12:10 PM

@fredsbend I see "SO" referenced frequently by some people here. Would you identify what "SO" is referring to please since I do not understand the comments that reference those initials.

Andrew Leach

12:25 PM

@AffableGeek Just found this. I wonder why the chat ping didn't work. Canon Law I can cope with. Unfortunately, I don't know much about international law.

Anonymous

2:25 PM

-2

Q: Jesus myth - same story all over again im mid-east

Lately I read two books: Reza Aslan and Paul Verhoeven about historical Jesus. What have you got to say about those?

heaven

I think it should be closed. It looks like it is asking for opinion, especially the phrase, "What have you got to say about those?" It is not descriptive, unclear, unspecific, imprecise, and a bit inappropriate for the Stacks Exchange.

I think a better question would be something like this: "What is the Reza Aslan's opinion of the historical Jesus, briefly speaking?"

Though, I have to admit, such a question seems to lack research effort.

The subject matter of the question seems to be more concerned with the books by Reza Aslan and Paul Verhoeven than with any denomination, doctrine, or practice within Christianity.

@TheodoreA.Jones I remember that the author of the gospel of Luke was Gentile.

@TheodoreA.Jones Stack Overflow.

fredsbend

@TheodoreA.Jones SO is stackoverflow.com. It is the first site in the stack exchange network. It is for programming questions, such as "how do I do this in C++?" What is more common is "fix my code questions". They go like "Here is my webpage but it is not doing what I want; help me please?"

@TheodoreA.Jones That is an interesting factoid. Perhaps you can work out an answer using it. The answer would be perfect if you can find protestant theologians saying the same thing. Also, to satiate curiosity, you should mention why Egyptians typically baptized and why they did infants. Really, though; I'm very interesting in the answer you might make.

@Anonymous That would be off-topic as well because he is a muslim. The community here has made it clear in the last few months that we really don't care what muslims and Islam have to say about Jesus.

@Anonymous I just submitted the 4th close vote. It will surely be closed by the end of today (takes 5 to close).

@fredsbend Regarding What Islam thinks: The answer is almost always "Christians disagree and we don't want to waste our time trying to defend Christians theology to someone actually interested in Islam."

Anonymous

2:51 PM

@fredsbend What about the mainstream modern-day Jewish view of Jesus?

@fredsbend Why are you talking to yourself?

fredsbend

@Anonymous Probably still will be closed because there is a site for Judaism that handle those questions.

@Anonymous It was for you or anyone reading, so that when you hover over it you could see that it was an extension of the previous message, though the two messages were divided by a different, unrelated one.

Anonymous

@fredsbend I assume that Reza Aslan is a Muslim who criticizes Jesus as a historical figure.

fredsbend

@Anonymous At least the gospel account, anyway. Mark Anthony Songer says so in his answer

Anonymous

Reza Aslan

Reza Aslan (, ; born May 3, 1972) is an Iranian-American writer and scholar of religions. He is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, a Research Associate at the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy, and a contributing editor for The Daily Beast. His books include the international bestseller No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, which has been translated into 13 languages, and ', which offers an interpretation of the life and mission of the historical Jesus. Background Aslan's family came to...

His name always reminds me of Aslan the lion.

I used to think that Aslan is the misspelled version of Asian. LOL.

Typography.

@fredsbend Hmmm... Reza Aslan does not really look Muslim. And I thought Muslims look Arabic, Asian, or sub-Saharan African.

Muslims with blonde hair and blue eyes seem to be few and far in between.

fredsbend

3:08 PM

@Anonymous There are also many Indian Muslims (maybe that is what you meant by Asian, though you could be referring to SE Asia such as Indonesia). It is true that there are few converts to Islam from Caucasian heritage. There are some though. But with Reza, he is Iranian-American. His mother or father is likely Iranian and the other is American (white).

Anonymous

3:23 PM

@fredsbend Yeah, Islam doesn't seem to touch East Asia, Australia, South America, and Central America. But I guess it may be due to lack of transportation through great bodies of water.

Though, I would expect that people would travel on the Silk Road to China...

@fredsbend It is also possible that he may be foreign-born with Iranian parents and then later received his American citizenship. :)

Theodore A. Jones

4:44 PM

@Anonymous Luke? Proselyte.

@fredsbend If any Protestant theologian or any other theologian for that matter has an answer that is correct it was by accident.

Theodore A. Jones

5:01 PM

RE Infant Baptism Seems to me that in mythology there is a god to which infants were baptized. Achilles gr. The ancient Egyptians' mythological system(s) had the same practical applications as the Greeks used, but the gods related to those practises are noted by different names. I think. It has been a long time ago since I took any notice of mythology.

Anonymous

5:57 PM

@TheodoreA.Jones [Citation needed.]

@TheodoreA.Jones Please rewrite in complete sentences.

Theodore A. Jones

Realize that citation is absent.

Theodore A. Jones

6:09 PM

Can't remember the title or author but the fellow connected the religious practices of RCC's to Greek and onto Egyptian mythology and identified the same gods associated to each religious practice. One possibility is contacting a professor at U. Ga, Athens. Her first name is Patricia. She's deep into the mythology stuff.

fredsbend

6:21 PM

@TheodoreA.Jones May I ask how you would define your preferred theology?

@TheodoreA.Jones This is not a new thing. People have been making connections between what Pagans have done and what the RCC does even today for at least a thousand years.

Anonymous

@fredsbend Many religions influence each other. People don't live in vacuums.

Theodore A. Jones

@fredsbend You are correct, but it doesn't seem to have made much of any impression.

Theodore A. Jones

7:46 PM

@fredsbend My theology? Protestantism. But there are four exceptions. 1. Substitutionary atonement and any variant of it is a falsehood. 2. A relief from serving the penalty of eternal death is predicated upon the faith to obey the law which has been added to perfect the Way of salvation. 3. Baptism is into the faith of complying to the law that has been added. 4. The Lord's table has only been placed before his enemies for the purpose of causing incrimination of the participants

that assume that his crucifixion is not an accountable sin for them.

Theodore A. Jones

8:02 PM

And by the way I see that I was stripped of all the accolades that I had been granted by them after the extended conservation I had with that culpert Jack yesterday. Didn't figure he was up to any good when he invited me to "chat' with him.

wax eagle

8:15 PM

@TheodoreA.Jones say what now?

wax eagle

8:33 PM

I see, you may have lost you chat privilege, you can earn it back by participating constructively in either this site or another on the network. Please keep in mind that those privileges are granted based on the votes you receive, these votes are anonymous and making accusations about who's done what is not OK.

To be honest, I'm a bit concerned overall with your attitude on this site. Please keep the following in mind:

2

> Civility is required at all times; rudeness will not be tolerated. Treat others with the same respect you’d want them to treat you because we’re all here to learn, together. Be tolerant of others who may not know everything you know, and bring your sense of humor.

from the help center

Also please make sure you've read the about page on our site and any other you choose to participate in.

Anonymous

8:56 PM

@waxeagle I find it funny how the Golden Rule works. Though, if I can break the Golden Rule to my own advantage without getting caught or receive retribution, then that would be soooooooo cool.

wax eagle

@Anonymous have you had any game theory yet?

fredsbend

@TheodoreA.Jones I have no idea what you are saying for three and four. And the line that follows "that assume that his ..."

@TheodoreA.Jones If you have a beef with a moderator there is a meta site for the whole network:

Anonymous

@waxeagle I know a specific form of game theory that is applied in evolutionary biology.

fredsbend

There, you can ask why, what, who, etc. and get real answers from other mods, and the SE staff.

@Anonymous The game theory I know of involves a rifle.

Anonymous

@waxeagle How do you do the quote thing?

I wish the help button would include information on how to make a little quote box.

wax eagle

9:13 PM

@Anonymous ">" in front of a line

(note cannot a multiline quotation)

@Anonymous ah ok, I'm talking about the more general form of it. My basic thought on the subject though is that The Golden Rule and why it always works can be explained in that it's cooperation, but breaking the golden rule can be advantageous in the same way that not cooperating can lead to a different equilbrium

Anonymous

@waxeagle Breaking the rule is called cheating. It's best to not get caught, because you do get caught, then you lose your credibility and may struggle to form a mutual symbiotic relationship with your partner.

The other option is to be a parasite.

> Hello.
> Hello.
> Testing.

@waxeagle You were wrong.

Theodore A. Jones

9:47 PM

@fredsbend Doesn't HE say "Thou preparest a table before ME in the presence of mine enemies."? Whose table is it that sits right down front center of every so called Christian church house in existence? Look and live brother. Whomever participates in this table and fails to recognize that the Lord's body was murdered, and then partakes by thinking that the sin of murdering him is a direct benefit for himself gives approval of the death of God's prophet as a good thing and makes himself guilty

of the Lord's body and blood.

Theodore A. Jones

11:01 PM

@waxeagle The accolades were presented disregarding social nonconformity. They were not withdrawn until after complying to Jack's request for a chat. I think I asked that fellow which court was in session. The Sanhedrin or the Inquisition?

fredsbend

11:26 PM

@TheodoreA.Jones Psalm 23, I know just fine; I don't quite see how it relates to what you are saying. It sounds like you are taking exception to the Eucharist. It sounds like you are saying that it is sin for a Christian to rejoice that Christ died AND raised.

Theodore A. Jones

@fredsbend Approving of the murder of a prophet sent from God also makes you guilty of that prophet's blood. It is a sin to rejoice regarding the murder of Jesus Christ. That table, friend, sits only in the presence of the Lord's enemies no matter if your religious judgement is contrary to his.

wax eagle

11:57 PM

@TheodoreA.Jones that's rather rude

@TheodoreA.Jones do you understand why he died?

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