Standards?

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
Wade
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:09 am
Affiliation: kingdom Christian

Re: Standards?

Post by Wade »

Soloist wrote:rules,

1: No debating/arguing in this thread

2: State your view on the question.

3: List church affiliation or closest alignment.

4: Questions for clarifying positions are permitted.

In your view or your church view, is having standards wrong or right? at what point would you feel the standards are wrong?
No local church affiliation...

I believe standards are good and right for application of principles.

The point where standards are wrong is when they undermine which direction a person is going.
Often standards rather only tell us where someone is outwardly but in fact they could be heading the opposite direction of drawing closer to Christ. And so unfortunately someone who cannot afford standards or is restricted in anyway of conforming even if they wanted to obey, but may be able to later - is rejected... It takes a Spirit led group to handle standards in a way that does serve others and accompanies preservation both rather than self preservation only.

I don't have a desire to be part of a church where everyone is at the same level as much as that we are all heading the same direction.
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RZehr
Posts: 7029
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 12:42 am
Affiliation: Cons. Mennonite

Re: Standards?

Post by RZehr »

I am a member of a church that is part of the Western Fellowship of Mennonite Churches.

I am 100% for standards. I believe having clearly understood standards are best, whether they are written down or not. I wouldn't say they are a right or wrong issue. I think standards are patently wrong if they contradict the Bible. And there would be standards that I think are far from ideal, which may work well for others and not for myself.

I appreciate & agree with this:
buckeyematt2 wrote: I think the general Beachy view, or at least the view at my church, is that standards are applications of biblical principles. The principle is the foundation, and the application is the outworking of the principle. Principles do not change; applications may change. Standards, as applications of those principles, function as guardrails and guidelines that help keep members on the right path - especially weaker or younger members. So because of this role, they are right and even necessary. They are wrong if there is no longer any purpose for them, other than tradition, or, "It was good enough for grandpa, so it should be good enough for you."
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