Dave Bernard addresses beards

[Rico]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

No I would NOT have the power to stop them from attending but they would NEVER be accepted as a member. I would treat them as a visitor until they died or left. They would not have any priviledge as a member.The congregation would know they are not a member and they would know they are not a member. Anyone can sit in the building but not everyone can be a member.

Member of what? As if being called a member has some priveledge or something. What does being a member mean? They have to give their tithes cause you said so? They have to be at church for every service cause you said so? The women can't wear pants cause you said so? Tell me, what benefit is there to being a member over being considered a visitor?

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Rico

Member of what? As if being called a member has some priveledge or something. What does being a member mean? They have to give their tithes cause you said so? They have to be at church for every service cause you said so? The women can't wear pants cause you said so? Tell me, what benefit is there to being a member over being considered a visitor?

I would not serve them communion. They would just be a visitor.

[berkeley]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I would not serve them communion. They would just be a visitor.

You err greatly here. This is very dangerous.

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I would not serve them communion. They would just be a visitor.

You don't have open communion, where you let the people be the judge? What if someone came up to receive it? Do you tell them NO? I didn't know there were church (outside of Church of Christ) where you had to be a member to take communion.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Sherri

You don't have open communion, where you let the people be the judge? What if someone came up to receive it? Do you tell them NO? I didn't know there were church (outside of Church of Christ) where you had to be a member to take communion.

I believe communion is a local church setting only members of this assembly is served communion here. I would NOT serve anyone NOT a member here.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

I believe communion is a local church setting only members of this assembly is served communion here. I would NOT serve anyone NOT a member here.

Interesting. Is that a common ultra con / AMF view?

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by CC1

Interesting. Is that a common ultra con / AMF view?

I do not know how anyone else feels but from what I read in 1 Cor. 11 it is a local church practice. Some were told to be refused in 1Cor. 5 how would I know that if they were not members here? Communion is for local church members only.

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by Sherri

You don't have open communion, where you let the people be the judge? What if someone came up to receive it? Do you tell them NO? I didn't know there were church (outside of Church of Christ) where you had to be a member to take communion.

You know Sherri, its funny. I was saved in Wisconsin. And up there, there are lots of Catholics. And most of the UPC pastors liked to mock the catholics because of all their traditions, and them placing the word of the pope above the Bible.

Is it any surprise that rebellious little me wants to walk right into the church and point at one of those pastors and say "You Are That Catholic!"

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Michlow

You know Sherri, its funny. I was saved in Wisconsin. And up there, there are lots of Catholics. And most of the UPC pastors liked to mock the catholics because of all their traditions, and them placing the word of the pope above the Bible.

Is it any surprise that rebellious little me wants to walk right into the church and point at one of those pastors and say "You Are That Catholic!"

The irony of what you described struck me at the early age of about eleven or twelve years old.

I remember thinking, after hearing one of those sermons ripping Roman Catholics and trinitarians as being "bound in tradition" that we (UPC) seemed to be bound in more tradition than any of the people we claimed were.

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by CC1

The irony of what you described struck me at the early age of about eleven or twelve years old.

I remember thinking, after hearing one of those sermons ripping Roman Catholics and trinitarians as being "bound in tradition" that we (UPC) seemed to be bound in more tradition than any of the people we claimed were.

And I think that They (UPC) are all the more bound by the very fact that they think they are free.