From: rpitts@emperor.gatech.edu (Richard Pitts)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Liberal vs. Fundamental
Date: 24 Dec 92 07:03:25 GMT
Organization: CERL-EE, Georgia Institue of Technology

In article <Dec.22.03.30.25.1992.13177@geneva.rutgers.edu> jfb@macsch.com (John Baskette) writes:
|In article <Dec.20.19.00.11.1992.22736@farside.rutgers.edu> jtauber@tartarus.uwa
|.edu.au (James Tauber) asks: 
|>I'm a little confused. How can a fundamentalist be legalistic?

Anyone can be legalistic, I do believe.  The benefit or the thought
to be benefit of legalism is the bigger question.

Is legalism applied to one's everyday life/conduct?

    Here it has some merit, for we are to honor God with our body,
we are to avoid the appearance of evil, we are to live upright
and godly lives, we are not to cause shame to the name of the Lord, etc.

Is legalism applied to one's salvation?

    Here it is wrong, for we are saved by grace through faith alone,
not of works or by observance of the law, for no one can be justified
by the law.

One problem people get confused over is that they may or even know
they are saved by faith alone, but they think they have to maintain
their salvation by works/legalism.  We are saved to do good works,
but our good works do not merit salvation nor do they hold onto it.
Yet we are to do good works.

|I used the term legalistic once in my post on this subject referring 
|to fundamentalists.  I will explain what I mean when I used the term.
|
|Legalistic fundamentalists construct a set of rules that "real" or 
|"good" or "spirit-filled" or "separated" etc. Christians follow.
|These rules are not codified as were the traditions of the Pharisees
|of Jesus time, but they are not hard to discern.  

They are codified in some churches (especially the ones you have
listed below under the exterme groups heading.)

Let's not live on the edge, but live lives worthy of the calling
we have been given.  Don't walk on the line and just barely not 
break the letter of the law.  Live by the Spirit - live godly lives,
which are above the letter of the law.

Do the wise thing - not the fleshly/sinful thing.  Avoid every
appearance of evil.

|Some examples:  Christians should not:
|
|  listen to rock and roll, the devil's music.  (its in the beat you know)
|  wear long hair (males) or dress too "worldly".
|  go to "worldly" dances like modern raves.

   These above depend on one's intent, but that is a big reason people
   desire to participate in these things.

|  play dungeons and dragons.

   Paul tells us the would not have us to associate with demons.

|  drink any alcohol.

   Alcohol is not stricly forbidden, but indulging isn't wise.

|  pierce their ears (males).
|  wear mini-skirts (females).

   Is this honoring God with our bodies?

|  go to R-rated moves.

   We are to put no wicked thing before our face. (Proverbs)

|  etc.
|
|In some more extreme groups today and in fundamentalist groups of 
|an earlier generation more extreme rules apply. 

I think these are still considered to be worthy acts of conduct.

|For example:  Christians should not:
|
|  dance.

   Depends on one's intent.  We surely can dance to the Lord.

|  listen to Contemporary Christian Music.
|  play cards.
|  go to movies.

   Depends on the movie, doesn't it?  Put no wicked thing before your face.

|  engage in "mixed bathing".  (This means going to the beach and
|                               swimming in the company of scantly
|                               clad members of the opposite sex.)

   Of course there is nothing tempting here.

|  wear "worldly" clothing like faded blue jeans.
|  wear long hair (males).
|  wear short hair (females). 
|  wear pants (females), but females must wear a hat in church.
|  wear make up.
|  etc.

   There are scriptural principles from which these are derived.

   If you look at the Scripture (I Peter 3) you will see that godly
women's external adornment it not to be their glory - it doesn't
necessarily say you can't adorn yourself, but that isn't to be
the fruit or evidence of your worth.

|It is the practice of setting up these rules that I call legalistic.

One could call it that, but is legalism with respect to conduct
wrong?  Legalism with respect to salavation is wrong, for it is by
faith alone.  We have the freedom in Christ, but we are not to
take advantage of the freedom - we are bought with a price and
should live for God - we are not our own.

Again it depends on whether one lives above the law or on the edge.
Paul tells us that the law is for the lawless - we shouldn't need
the law (the rules), but Christians don't always conduct themselves
in the best manner.

|The rules perform for fundamentalists the same function that the
|traditions of the pharisees performed for the N.T. Jews.  These rules

The Jewish rules were for entering the Kingdom - they tried to
set up their own righteousness, but the righteousness of God comes
by faith alone.  This was true in Abraham's time, in the Pharisees'
time, and today.  Today we have Jesus, who merited salvation for
us, for we cannot merit it on our own.

|are to keep people from sin.  Similar problems of hypocrisy also 
|occur with some fundamentalists who will strictly obey these rules 
|but who will tolerate more obvious and blatant sins of another kind.

Understood.  People may and do strain at a gnat and swall a camel,
but that doesn't mean the minor conduct is to be ignored.  

Jesus told the people of his day that they tithe their spices (much like
we tithe our money), but they ignore the more important parts of the
law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  He said to they (and to us) that
they (and we) should have practiced the latter without neglecting the 
former. (Matt 23:23.)

|John

For Christ and His Kingdom,
Richard Pitts
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