The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum What questions would you ask?

Hi everyone-<br><br>on our new FACEUP website (http://foothillsfaceup.org) we will soon be adding a "testing" center. We'd like to post questions there that inform in a non-threatening way about Presbyterian doctrine, what salvation is, our history, etc., both to believers and unbelievers.<br><br>I've personally written a few questions, like "Who is known as the father of modern Presbyterianism?".... "The first Presbytery in the American colonies was organized 1705 in......" .... "Does the authority in Presbyterian churches reside in the congregation?" .... "The name Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbuteros, meaning....." .... "Why do Presbyterians believe the Bible is authoritative?" ... etc.<br><br>I need help finding other appropriate and challenging questions to pose. What do you think are questions that people could try to answer that help them understand Presbyterianism/Reformed doctrine/our disagreements with Roman Catholic doctrine/Arminianism/Worship styles/the gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc?<br><br>As I looked over the articles on The Highway I got some ideas, but I'd appreciate your input!<br><br>If you have some ideas please post them here. If you can cite scriptures to back your answers include them, too, because we want the "test" to be educational. When people get a "wrong" answer we want to give them good info about why we believe a certain other way.<br><br>Here's a full example:<br><br>Question: "The lowest governing body in a Presbyterian church is....."<br>Possible answers: The Deacons / The Session / The Book of Order / The Pastor <br><br>If a person chooses the right answer they'll be given this statement: "You got it! The Deacons are officers but have no governing authority. The Book of Order prescribes how authority is to be used. It is the Session that governs the total life, work and worship of the local congregation and sends elected commissioners to Presbytery."<br><br>If they choose a different answer than the Session they'll get the following: "The Deacons are officers but have no governing authority. The Book of Order prescribes how authority is to be used. It is the Session that governs the total life, work and worship of the local congregation and sends elected commissioners to Presbytery."<br><br>I really do appreciate your input..... and I'll certainly let you all know when the "test" is posted on our site.<br><br>Many thanks!<br>Cecil Rigby<br>FACEUP webmaster<br><br>

As a former PCUSA myself, I'd like to know how the majority of PCUSA churches can claim to have the Bible as their authority and still allow homosexual leaders, women senior pastors, and inclusiveness and belief in Biblical errancy in its ranks.<br><br>I'm not necessarily accusing you of believing this, but I am concerned that most PCUSA congregations believe this.

I don't know the answers to your questions. I think they're valid, though, and I have struggled with them myself while being a PCUSA member. For what it's worth, my own opinion is that some abuse the doctrine of the "priesthood of the believer" to justify many doctrinal positions that more conservative PCUSA members do not endorse. <br><br>I hope you don't take offense with this, because none is intended: I really want some help with my original question and hope we can leave such matters to another discussion thread.<br><br>---Cecil (who really does appreciate what your point is!)

I don't take offense to that.<br><br>Welcome to the board! Your website looks good.<br><br>Some sites coming from a Reformed angle:<br><br>Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry http://www.carm.org<br>Calvin's Castle http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/4857/<br>Coram Deo http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/3505/index.html<br>A Puritan's Mind http://www.apuritansmind.com/<br>Reformation Ink http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/index.html<br><br>And more! At http://www.gty.org/~phil/bookmark/helpful.htm

Cecil,

This is a series of "challenging questions" I had put in quiz form for a class I taught a few years ago. The idea, and at least one question, came from a much longer "quiz" on the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals site (the quiz doesn't seem to still be there[img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/sad.gif" alt="sad" title="sad[/img]).

1. The main point of giving a testimony is to show how much we have changed since we became Christians	True	False
2. God has made it possible for everyone to be saved; He is now waiting for people to decide to accept His salvation	True	False
3. The Ten Commandments must be perfectly obeyed for a person to be saved	True	False
4. The most important part of the Gospel message that unbelievers need to hear is "God loves you"	True	False
5. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed that God was making it easier for people to obey his Law	True	False
6. People are born with a desire to seek God: the Gospel is preached to help them find him	True	False

Hint: There is only ONE right answer! Move your mouse here to see it!

That may be a little too "in-your-face" for your readers, but hey, that's how it is here in 'da Bronx'. Use it if you so desire!

One note about your example: your question asks about "lowest" authority, but your answer is about the "highest" authority. Since website work is often done in little bits and pieces, not all at once, it is very easy for errors like that to creep in, which devalues the site. Make sure you check everything multiple times before you put it up!

Hi Paul.....

you wrote "One note about your example: your question asks about "lowest" authority, but your answer is about the "highest" authority."

It does need to be clear that I mean the PCUSA church as a denomination, not the individual church.

I'll rework that ASAP.
Thanks!
Cecil

Why not base it on a neglected part of your Book of Confessions, the Westminster Shorter Catechism?

That is a grreat quiz! I am very surprised they took it down.

Dear sbc_and_reformed,

I misspoke! Although I could not find it last night, the ACE site still has their phenomenal quiz [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/joy.gif" alt="joy" title="joy[/img]:

White Horse Inn Quizzes

Yeah!<br><br>I didn't have time to look myself. Hey, don't make this librarian come and teach you information seeking skills [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/grin.gif" alt="grin" title="grin[/img]