The Bible record describes God leading people into and out of things

[Cal]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Your point about fringe groups is understood. But normally these fringe groups arise from a lack of local organisation. That is why we do not see Lutherans, Anglicans, Orthodox, or Catholics, holding "Holy Ghost Pajama Parties". That is why we do not see even the local churches doing these silly things because we maintain the local organisation. Anyway, Jesus was a revolutionary, his little band of 12 disciples was a fringe group once.

The "anything goes" model which is around today, of any "two or three" setting up their own "church" because it suits them, is actually a fringe view. It has been rejected by historians and theologians. Even Martin Luther or Calvin and other great Reformers never thought to implement the "anything goes" model. They rejected many things from Catholicism but they did not throw away the local organisation.

It has been rejected by the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and possibly the Lutheran as well. They all recognise that the early church was structured and arranged in an ordered way. This means your view is a fringe view.

"Anything goes" is a red herring and a straw man. Nobody advocates that. It is just your disparaging description to bolster your very weak argument. It's an example of the fallacy of the appeal to the extreme.

Everyone realizes there must be parameters. What you don't realize is that nobody has been appointed referee of what those parameters are. Neither the LCM nor especially you have been appointed oneness police--which is good because both of you are imminently unqualified.

Also your characterization of me is a red herring. I never said the early churches weren't organized. I just said the Bible does not clearly establish, and gives sufficient reason to doubt, the LCM's version of how they were organized. That hardly makes me fringe.

And I don't see any wrong with "Holy Ghost Pajama Parties," as long as they are single-gender. They certainly have the potential for upside that your disparaging carrying-ons and the LCM's chest-thumping lack.