Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cylixd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!akgub!cylixd!charli From: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips) Newsgroups: net.religion.christian Subject: the need for correct doctrine Message-ID: <304@cylixd.UUCP> Date: Fri, 20-Sep-85 13:03:34 EDT Article-I.D.: cylixd.304 Posted: Fri Sep 20 13:03:34 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 22-Sep-85 05:00:28 EDT Reply-To: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips) Organization: RCA Cylix Communications , Memphis, TN Lines: 31 Some comments from the July 1 Forum Letter by Richard John Neuhaus might be of interest here. In commenting on the "gnesio-Lutherans," Neuhaus states: "As important as the doctrine of justification by faith surely is, we are not baptized into a doctrine; we are baptized into the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. . . The one Church of which we are part has existed and does exist also where that doctrine is not taught." In a separate artical, Neuhaus notes that the editors of the _Lutheran Perspective_ have stated that the Athanasian Creed "can be understood to suggest that correct faith is a work by which we merit salvation." The editors suggest that a council of Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, etc., meet to "clean up the text". (For those not familiar with it, the Athanasian Creed is a doctrinal statement about the Trinity and the Incarnation. It dates from about 400 A.D.) The following seem like obvious questions for discussion: Is correct faith or correct doctrine necessary to salvation? If so, to what extent? What differentiates an unbeliever from a believer holding a "bad doctrine"? Should the Athanasian Creed be "cleaned up"? If so, what would you change? (If these comments trigger any other interesting questions or comments, please post them, too!) charli