Dennis are you a Donatist Christian?

Innovatia <dennis@innovatia.com> writes:
>Fair question. I mean by "Christian" what was generally understood in the
>early church and (more explicitly) by non-imperial, non-papal Christianity

ED: Since you mentioned the early church, and non-imperial and non-papal
Christianity, that would be "Donatism," wouldn't it? The Donatists formed
a church, mainly in North Africa who believed their worship was truer than
the rest of the Christians in the Empire because the Donatists would only
accept communion from priests who had never recanted their faiht recant
during the Roman persecution. The Donatists treated other Christians as if
they were not Christians at all, and hence began re-baptizing other
Christians when they joined their one true church. The Donatists also
sought the glory of martyrdom from the new Christianized Roman Empire, and
fought the imperial orthodox churches, doing some horrendous things in the
process (both sides were persecuting each other). Augustine came near to
being battered and possibly murdered by rioting Donatists. The Emperor
outlawed them, and the imperial church declared that the sacraments
remained sacred even if offered up by a priest who wasn't perfect.
Interesting story. Even Calvin and Luther cited old imperial laws against
the Donatists when it came to condemning the Anabaptists with persecution
and capital punishment. The Anabaptists were condemned and persecuted by
both Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation. Though today's
Mennonites claim they are descended from Anabaptists.

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DENNIS:
>When a person is actively participating in some of the
 
>greatest evils on the planet,

ED: Doesn't every average consumer participate in some ways in the
world's injustices and increase pollution simply by consuming what is
being marketed and sold in today's society?

---------------

DENNIS:
>The
 
>Enlightenment philosophes and British empiricists' views of humanist govt
>have overtaken the world.

ED: I happen to like the Enlightenment and its influences that helped
inspire the Constitution's "freedom of religion" clause.

---------------
>

DENNIS:
>these people mean to take over
 
>the world.

ED: Why does world dominion surprise you? Many political groups,
corporations, and world religions have (or have had) similar long range
plans. Christianity, communism, socialism, capitalism. In fact, every
organism seeks to spread and take over its environment. Species compete
over territory, and their offspring continue to compete for more of it.
Read, THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE and its sequel. Also read the latest edition
of WHEN CORPORATIONS RULE THE WORLD, it's a classic. Corporations
continue to merge rather than divide, and each generation they control
more and merge more, not matter whether there are world wars. The future
is ROLLERBALL (the original movie).

-----------------
>
DENNIS:
> And I am doing my duty before God, like Ezekiel's watchman,
>but can, like Jeremiah, still get put in an intellectual (if not physical)
>well over it.

ED: "Doing my duty before God?" Get over yourself. You're just
pestering folks. At least I know when I'm a pest. Like now.

>
>Dennis Feucht
>
Received on Sat Oct 9 19:36:03 2004