hope_for_things

Yes, thanks, that was a good episode!

I just listened to a great podcast with Jared Halverson being interviewed by Papa Ostler. This gave me a much better understanding of where Jared is coming from, and I would actually love to have a conversation with him sometime. I didn’t find myself agreeing with some of his perspectives, but he overall comes across much more charitable and less sure of himself here. Still way too confident for my tastes. I may post some more thoughts on points he makes in this podcast later. https://m.soundcloud.com/user-818501778/episode-259-brother-jared-halverson-u-of-u-institute-teacher-helping-

Thanks, but I’m not sure I follow all your points or agree with them. I think we both agree that there is danger in yourself up as a person with the answers to questions though.

Really interesting, thanks. I didn't see the Community of Christ on this list, I wonder if they would be considered valid or not based on how their theology has evolved in recent years.

So what good are shallow arguments for entertainment purposes really worth when it comes to substantive critiques of something? I would say that its nothing more than confirmation bias ego stroking. How is that helping members of the church to become more like Jesus? Is this building bridges of understanding and empathy towards our fellow brothers and sisters? Is this transforming individuals and helping them to become better people? I would say no. Perhaps a good description for this kind of content would be apologetic pornography.

From what I've seen of Kwaku, his apologetic style is an attempt to infuse humor and entertainment to appeal to younger generations. Perhaps that works for some. His arguments aren't scholarly by any stretch and his reasoning doesn't adequately address issues. He's also very immature and likes to throw out comments that come across to me not only shallow, but as disrespectful and arrogant. If this is the guy people want to see "defend the faith" then we're in a sad state of being these days.

This is an excellent reply, I love the way you're addressing each question, thanks. Its been pretty busy at work yesterday and likely today as well, but I'm looking forward to replying.

Thanks for sharing this, it seems odd to me that they would call out this one denomination and give blanket approval for all others. I wonder if there are other exceptions for other traditions as well.

Do you know if they accept Mormon baptisms then? They would seem to fit for the most part, with some nuances around trinity and original sin, but protestant sects also have differences in areas as well when it comes to theological perspectives on various subjects.

I see this as the differences between Hinckley/Monson and Nelson in their approach to things as leaders. Some leaders have been much more bridge building focused.

I think there are reasons within the protestant traditions that priesthood kind of authority isn't the emphasis of their exclusivity claims is because they came out of the Catholic tradition. Protestants largely focus on the Bible as being the source of authority. Makes sense to me, I'm surprised that you're intrigued by this dynamic as it seems logical. As for Catholics accepting baptisms from Protestants, I wasn't aware that was a thing. Can you provide any references around that, is it an official directive for the whole church? It does seem like the Catholic tradition has been

The bible can say a lot of things when creatively interpreted. It has been used as a proof text for all sorts of ideas over the years. Fundamentalist Mormons read their own restoration movements into scriptures. Humans are pretty creative creatures.

Not sure what you mean, I didn't say anything about the bible. I was talking about God's authority. I think Catholics call it priesthood, but some other groups might not conceive of it quite the same way, or to quite the same degree. It might be softer forms of authority in other religious traditions though.

As much as I would love to take credit for creating the new logo, alas I can't. This had nothing to do with me.

Claiming exclusive authority isn't mainstream? Don't Catholics claim this as well as some other Christian groups? The claim to have God's authority doesn't strike me as unique of a claim as say the idea that Mormons can become Gods and populate their own planets, which is a doctrine taught in the early church that in recent times we've seen a distancing away from. I also see the church's move towards grace as being evidence of mainstreaming. As well as a move away from emphasizing the literal nature of some early church ideas. That said, the church wouldn't exist anymore if it completely