Into the Wardrobe

::Well, before you accuse someone of gnostic heresy, it might be helpful to explain how an idea is either gnostic or a heresy. Throwing around bald, categorical accusations and names, without more, makes for bad debate.

Gnosticism proposes, among other things, that Jesus died to give us true knowledge. I have accused you of saying as much. There's not much more to say, it's a pretty straightforward accusation.

::You don't see where Pelagianism (works/sanctification + atonement = salvation) contradicts scripture?[/quote]

I don't believe that is Pelagianism anymore than I believe that Judaism is about works righteousness and rejecting grace.

You continue to see salvation as a matter of cause and effect, believing the Gospel to be an answer to the question "how do I earn salvation?" rather than "what does it mean to have salvation?" or "what do we do with our salvation?".

Hmmmmm.

You and I often have the same conversations over and over again, because you are incapable, in my estimation, of stepping outside of your own world of thought. As a consequence of this inability, you make hasty assumptions about my point and then proceed to argue against them. I then spend most of the time, in almost every lengthy conversation we've ever had, trying to redirect you from arguing against what you think I'm saying, to what I am actually saying.

The strange part is, you never take the criticism seriously. You proceed as though you know what I am talking about better than I do, or that if you don't, then I am a poor thinker or a clumsy communicator. The idea that the misunderstanding may occur on your end is never even given consideration.

::Now starts the Woe is Adam portion of our thread...

It is a more subtle way of expressing my distress to refer to myself. Let me be less subtle then.

I may be arrogant, tactless, and rude, but you can be a real jerk sometimes. Lately I can barely stand the way you talk to me. I don't think it is histrionic to not want to talk to someone who makes me feel bad all the time.

I don't need any sympathy from anyone. I've solved the problem. Let's agree not to speak with one another anymore. Feel free to respond once more, so it doesn't seem as though I insist on the last word. I'll read it, then I'm done.