Mike wrote:
1. I know of only one on SA who has said the virus is a hoax. Watchmanremo.
2. The deception is not in the existence, but in the responses, ...

Watcher wrote:
But I thought COVID was a hoax? How can we be asked to pray for someone's recovery from a fairy tale virus?
Hmmm...I don't understand.

Testing positive is not all together the same as being ill with the disease.

Neil wrote:
1. Only if you're talking about Waldensians or Lollards. No evidence of Anabaptists before the Reformation, except in Landmark mythology.

2. ... I have found that many "evangelicals" have no problem with Catholicism either, so it costs conservative politicians little to pursue Catholic votes.
Even Libertarian hero Ron Paul, if I recall, spoke approvingly of the pope. Catholicism has been dominant in America for over a century; "Paleo" Protestants like me are considered cranks or worse; I have even heard Fundy Baptists disown the label "Protestant." And Reformed/Presby churches are well on their way to Rome too, as Trinity Foundation tells us.

Pre-Victorian churches would be shocked at how backslidden modern evangelicals are, both doctrinally and morally.

John UK wrote:
... she is a nominal Christian, like so many Americans ... never born again, never showed any evidence of being indwelt by the Spirit, never bore any fruit unto eternal life.
These sort of people are bold, they make bold speeches, they censure others who genuinely stand with God, they promote sin, they bolster the LGBT cause, they divorce, thinking it to be all right, but contrary to what Jesus taught. "Everybody's doing it, right? Must be okay!"
This woman ... is nothing special, just another rebel. But she writes books, she preaches, and that makes her dangerous.

Surely I Corinthians 5 deals with the necessity of church discipline,

Chrisgp from England wrote:
... here in Britain. There is virtually no resistance to the government requirements for churches, and has not been since March. Some have even at times exceeded the guidelines. An exception is one church in south London, where the congregation have refused to observe the singing ban, and have sung the hymns and songs, though I don’t know whether they have gone in with the other rules or not. More typical is my church that I finally was able to visit for the 1st time since March with tape, sealed off pews one way systems,, no fellowship allowed, no singing, recorded hymns played over a loudspeaker, masks, etc., or even worse, a large church near me with big posters declaring Jesus as “Name above all Names” and “Need of our Nation”, but had been totally locked up, and still is since March, (no online services either), and three photos of the pastor wearing a mask, with a text, “Wear this for your own protection and for others”!

John UK wrote:
I wonder if these are attacks by the religious or the atheists. Either way, it is not sensible, showing the unregenerate bent towards sin.

Frank wrote:
If someone believes it is a sin to drink alcohol, it is a sin. If they do not think that, then it isn't

MS
"Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eats not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

What is considered sin in this passage is doubting about the matter, not taking a stand about the issue.

'Opinions' are not biblical. They are a humanistic devise to accomodate truth in order to make us all feel happy with whatever take we incline to. It is pluralism.

The word is yeah, yeah, and nay, nay, and whatever else comes from it out of that is sin.

We are called to keep unity in truth.

"... he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, ...
Till we all come in the unity of the faith"

Instead of entertaining opinions we are to endeavour to

hey_yo wrote:
1. 1 Corinthians 2:8-14 ... God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: ... we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; ... But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

2. The quiet Christian wrote,
... mystery to me is how and why the Lord would permit those whom He has redeemed to have differences of opinion

2. QC
The assumption is that because as believers we have the unction from on high, say the Spirit of God in us, we are always walking in the Spirit as a given, and not ever yielding to our own understanding. This is a fallacy.

Hence dogmatism over different takes, often root not out from the Spirit, but from our own past baggage, or from our own sinful tendencies and hearts that condone fleshly attitudes or conditioned understanding.
Then we like to name such as 'opinions' to allow us all be right.

Frank wrote:
1. ... Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now ... v.10 will only be understood by someone who understands the effect of real alcohol

2. Christ made real alcohol; not grape juice.

3. “... Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners

4. ... wisdom is justified of her children”

5. ... winebibber means a drunkard ... they saw Christ ... drink alcohol.

6. If ... drinking a form of grape juice

7. Christ never drank to excess.

8. If someone believes it is a sin to drink alcohol, it is a sin. If they do not think that, then it isn't.

1. False assumption that bad or good wine is determined by intoxicating power.

2.&6. Not stated

3. So by Christ's critics mouth is is implied that he sinned as a 'gluttonous'

4. The acts of those practicing wisdom become obvious by the results

5. Nazerite abstinence context missing

7. Dituled domestic wine could hardly get a man drunk

Frank wrote:
... And no one should ever drink to excess unless they fit BM's comment.