A war of ideas is a clash or disagreement of opposing ideals, ideologies, or concepts through which groups use strategic influence to promote their interests. The "battle space" of this conflict is the target population's "hearts and minds", while the "weapons" can include, among other sources, think tanks, TV programs, newspaper articles, the internet, blogs, radio broadcasts, and evangelism.
Antulio J. Echevarria, the director of research at the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College defined the "war of ideas" in his book Wars of Ideas and The War of Ideas as:
Yesterday my mentor and I was talking over the sad shape of our modern churches. How our religious dogma between churches is like cancer to the body. Some churches refuse to even work with other churches and some even say if you do not believe as they do you are going to Hell.
Churches fight over what to wear, the type of music, how loud of music, how to pray, which spiritual gifts are applicable, the difference in doctrines held by such groups as in Adventism, Anglicanism, the Baptist churches, Calvinism (Reformed Protestantism), Lutheranism, Methodism and Pentecostalism. Nondenominational, Evangelical, charismatic, neo-charismatic, independent, etc. How to serve communion, how to baptize, how to evangelize.
It gets old. The debates get old. Granted I'm not naive to say all Christian beliefs should be tolerated but it does seem odd how every group tries to say they have all the answers. We are at war within while we lose the war on the foreign lands.
https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
While we fight over the many differences in interpretation and the centuries input of past theologians, we are losing the war on the foreign soil of reaching the lost.
And at most we are showing the lost how lost we are within the Church. What fruit is produced from the many debates you see in these forums?
Matthew 5:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
There are some who will even fight me over translation. But despite that I believe we do not often see peace keeping but more like divide.
I dont agree with everything said or every belief but most of the people I meet on here I wouldn't even start to believe they wasn't saved, wasn't a Christian, or somehow lower than me. I look at the fruit of churches, the fruit of individuals, and judge things in the perspective that we all are one body but have different functions.
A foot doctor may not quite understand the technicalities of the hand. If something looks like a blemish he may want to cut it off due to ignorance. But in reality both are important to the body, both have different functions.
And it is out of faith and trust in God that even if we dont fully understand the others perspective, they are still being guided by the Spirit. That the Spirit is still at work preserving the Church.
(Again in context I am not defending all Christian groups who use Christian beliefs but in my opinion those who hold to the core Christian beliefs. As for example if Jesus isn't Lord or Savior then yes I will draw a line. I suppose unfortunately some even debate over what are the core beliefs.)
I can see the good that freedom of conscience can bring as in preventing something like the ancient Roman Catholic church. But we should use such freedom wisely.
We dont have control who believes what but we do have control of what hill we want to die on. Which line we are willing to hold. When Peter proclaimed the words "We must obey God rather than human beings!" The Apostles had chose what hill to die on.
I doubt any good or change would come from this post but I suppose my proclamation to any reader is to make sure your actions are worth the divide.
Antulio J. Echevarria, the director of research at the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College defined the "war of ideas" in his book Wars of Ideas and The War of Ideas as:
. . . a clash of visions, concepts, and images, and – especially – the interpretation of them. They are, indeed, genuine wars, even though the physical violence might be minimal, because they serve a political, socio-cultural, or economic purpose, and they involve hostile intentions or hostile acts...Four general categories [include]...(a) intellectual debates, (b) ideological wars, (c) wars over religious dogma, and (d) advertising campaigns. All of them are essentially about power and influence, just as with wars over territory and material resources, and their stakes can run very high indeed.
dogma: a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative. Yesterday my mentor and I was talking over the sad shape of our modern churches. How our religious dogma between churches is like cancer to the body. Some churches refuse to even work with other churches and some even say if you do not believe as they do you are going to Hell.
Churches fight over what to wear, the type of music, how loud of music, how to pray, which spiritual gifts are applicable, the difference in doctrines held by such groups as in Adventism, Anglicanism, the Baptist churches, Calvinism (Reformed Protestantism), Lutheranism, Methodism and Pentecostalism. Nondenominational, Evangelical, charismatic, neo-charismatic, independent, etc. How to serve communion, how to baptize, how to evangelize.
It gets old. The debates get old. Granted I'm not naive to say all Christian beliefs should be tolerated but it does seem odd how every group tries to say they have all the answers. We are at war within while we lose the war on the foreign lands.
https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
While we fight over the many differences in interpretation and the centuries input of past theologians, we are losing the war on the foreign soil of reaching the lost.
And at most we are showing the lost how lost we are within the Church. What fruit is produced from the many debates you see in these forums?
Matthew 5:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
There are some who will even fight me over translation. But despite that I believe we do not often see peace keeping but more like divide.
I dont agree with everything said or every belief but most of the people I meet on here I wouldn't even start to believe they wasn't saved, wasn't a Christian, or somehow lower than me. I look at the fruit of churches, the fruit of individuals, and judge things in the perspective that we all are one body but have different functions.
A foot doctor may not quite understand the technicalities of the hand. If something looks like a blemish he may want to cut it off due to ignorance. But in reality both are important to the body, both have different functions.
And it is out of faith and trust in God that even if we dont fully understand the others perspective, they are still being guided by the Spirit. That the Spirit is still at work preserving the Church.
(Again in context I am not defending all Christian groups who use Christian beliefs but in my opinion those who hold to the core Christian beliefs. As for example if Jesus isn't Lord or Savior then yes I will draw a line. I suppose unfortunately some even debate over what are the core beliefs.)
I can see the good that freedom of conscience can bring as in preventing something like the ancient Roman Catholic church. But we should use such freedom wisely.
We dont have control who believes what but we do have control of what hill we want to die on. Which line we are willing to hold. When Peter proclaimed the words "We must obey God rather than human beings!" The Apostles had chose what hill to die on.
I doubt any good or change would come from this post but I suppose my proclamation to any reader is to make sure your actions are worth the divide.
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