Why do Christians believe as they do? I could say the same thing for Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists, but let me stick with what I know most. After a couple thousand years of building belief systems, hundreds of layers of theological constructs, and sectarian battle at every doctrine, who knows WHY we believe WHAT we do?
Most Christians can’t tell you WHY they embrace predestination, election, and such belief systems. They just do because that’s what they’ve been told.
It doesn’t have to make sense or be logical and much doctrine isn’t. 
Generally you can lay blame (if that’s what you’re looking for) at the feet of the Greco-Roman philosophers who were enamored with ontological arguments and ultimate paradigms. What’s PERFECT, ABSOLUTE, and FINAL? Thus we have the three O’s (Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Omniscience) and a host of other intellectual constructs but no practical experience to validate any. The church is the primary purveyor of such concepts focusing us not on what IS, but what they THINK MAY BE!
Infallibility and inerrancy can obviously be added to the mix.
It’s a mental trap that serves no purpose other than as a litmus test for the traditional church to make sure that your orthodox beliefs are what they should be. One can’t have a bad seed spoiling everyone else. But, let someone wander off the religious reservation in search of the mind of Christ and they will get their chain snapped pretty quickly. After all, the church knows: your church of course.
How is it that we’re missing the simplicity of gospel? What’s so hard about FOLLOW ME! Of course following man’s doctrine and various religious denominational requirements can be quite taxing, if not impossible. It’s simply a TRAP. Follow that inner voice, be accountable, but in all things LOVE PEOPLE because you LOVE GOD!
Ernie I thank God for freeing me from the mental trap with websites like this one and others.
Love Dan
” Follow that inner voice, be accountable, but in all things LOVE PEOPLE because you LOVE GOD!”
So simple, so pure. THIS is doctrine I can follow, because I understand it,and it makes sense.
I cut that “chain about five years ago and have never looked back…well, maybe once or twice…Never seriously considered returning to that chain however! Thanks for being a valuable part of that journey away from the old paradigm.
I never thought that I would be so happy to counted amoung the heretics and blasphemers. WOW! Didn’t Jesus say count it all joy when… We really are on our way.
If one truly ponders it fully, the only blaspheme that could ever possibly occur is when one fails to live in Authenticity. Our Authentic nature is God, and there is no other.
Yes. How can we claim the life, nature and abilities of God but scream blasphemy when anyone dares voice that this is not a futuristic state but the one we presently occupy.