@DavidStratton Now, I think the question itself is just too broad. First of all, not all denominations believe in hell. Second of all, it is arguable whether or not Jesus - a Jewish rabbi in the first century - believed in hell. The presuppositions of various denominations can directly influence the results! Therefore, I suggest that the question ought to be scoped further.
Perhaps, it ought to be scoped to a Catholic denomination. :)
Most Christians are Catholic, anyways - Roman Catholic and Orthodox Catholic and other minor Catholics.
Protestants and Restorationists are in the minority. So, the answer may be more profitable, if it is Catholic.
Question Proposal: "Can a Protestant become a Roman Catholic pastor, and vice versa?"
Question Proposal: "In which denominations is a seminary education required for the aspiring pastor?"
Question Proposal: "How should one address a pastor in a formal situation?"
Since pastors may receive a doctorate in theology and add that to his/her name, does that mean it would be most accurate to call that pastor "Dr. Blank"?
Dr. __________ Pastor __________ Reverend __________ Most Reverend __________
@Anonymous depends on your pastor. For instance, my pastor's proper title is "The right reverent Doctor ________." However, he really just wants to be called "Gary"
No, this is not the start of a joke about a bunch of people walking into a bar. Rather, I thought it would be helpful to clarify various terms that people use to describe a church's leadership.
@Anonymous For a protestant pastor to become a Roman Catholic priest requires work on both sides' parts, but it is do-able. It's a good question, and in fact, I've even toyed with it in theory, but in reality there is still one big theological hurdle I'd need to overcome before I could.
Not too long ago we had a question here that raised the issues of bribery, cultural "destruction," and use of harsh language against nonbelievers during evangelization efforts in developing countries. There is actually a Wikipedia article on Rice Christians. It offers a quote from Mahatma Gand...
@Anonymous All the time! Our church has a program ("Lord's Kitchen") that offers food to anyone who shows up once a month. It rotates to other churches for the other weeks so that a person could get something for their family to eat (and sometime clothes and toiletries) every Saturday morning.
In addition, we are part of a program that houses homeless families. Again, we partner with other churches and synagogues in the city.
But the program I linked to above is run by the county. It's cheaper to give folks a place to live and provide job training than it is to deal with the problems that arise when people live on the streets.
@Anonymous Truth be told, I have yet to meet a homeless person who wasn't already eager for God. It's more likely you will be proselytized by the poor and downtrodden than the other way around.
Tomorrow I'm going to jail and I expect (like every other time) to be blessed and encouraged more than I could ever give to the inmates.
> Calvinists regard God's arch-principle, the one from which all his other principles and aspects are derived from, to be not love, but self-glorification. Creation is ultimately just a mirror for him to admire his reflection in.
I linked to a worship song posted on YouTube in the Prayer Room shortly after this message. It was deleted. Is the unofficial rule no links of any kind?
@JonEricson No mosques? No Buddhist temples? No shuls? No Reform Jewish temples?
@JonEricson I've heard that even college graduates and PhDs can wind up on the streets and homeless due to financial troubles and tough economic times. Though, they may be slightly better off than the high school grads because they may have the skills and the know-how to easily get out of poverty.
@JonEricson It sounds like Christianity is a religion for the poor. When you're wealthy, there does not seem much use for it, and going to church is just optional and recreational. Wealthy people may also have a lot of resources, so they may spend their Sundays doing other stuff.
@JonEricson I think you'll be going to jail as a chaplain, not as a prisoner. ;)
@JonEricson So, you'll be going to jail as a visitor, huh? What is your day job? Are you a professor of biblical hermeneutics, a pastor, a priest, a minister, or an ordinary Christian?
No, this is not the start of a joke about a bunch of people walking into a bar. Rather, I thought it would be helpful to clarify various terms that people use to describe a church's leadership.
