webmaster response to John Jackman who claims we are not listening and dialogue can not continue!

John, 

I am sorry that you feel I am not listening, I really am trying to sort this out.

I believe that you would have preferred that I had used the complete statement that you and our leaders have used which is: "Since we do not, and should not, seek to control the saving will of God, we don’t know whether strict “belief in Christ” (understood as intellectual assent to faith) is in fact the ONLY way to God"

My Quote was ""Its ( PEC letter a Moravians understanding of Salvation)  message that we don't know whether strict "belief in Christ" (understood as intellectual assent to faith) is in fact the ONLY way to God appears to mirror and support the statement that had lead to such division one year ago. Suggesting that Rev Dunn's position is now accepted as official church position."

I do not see how our not being willing to control the saving will of God justifies the idea that Moravians should no longer listen to God's word on salvation.

Let me try my hand at a story to make my point.

A child is told by his father that he should never use profanity.  When the boy is with his piers they encourage him to learn and use profanity to fit in with the group. Now the boy wants to fit in and he  wants the others in the group to feel comfortable around him using their profanity freely. The child then may begin to rationalize that maybe his father didn't really mean "never" use profanity maybe he only meant not to use it around him.  Maybe the child is convinced that his father may change his mind, therefore in order to honor his father's authority maybe the child should not listen at all to what his father has said so as not to limit the fathers ability to change his mind in the future.

John I must admit I did not and still do not see how we should be concerned that we will limit God's saving Grace to those who do not Know the Word by believing and teaching the "Word" and its message of Salvation through Christ alone.

 My understanding of the quote: {Spangenburg says that God will deal with those who have not heard the
Gospel "in the same manner in which He sought after mankind before they had
the Holy Scripture." (Idea Fidei Fratrum, pp 63-64).} is that this is an understanding of God's Grace to non Christians.

Our religion is a religion of Christian beliefs, not of non Christian beliefs. Christians are held to a higher standard because we have been given the Word. 

Please don't be discouraged from offering the documentation of  Zinzendorf's writings, Spangenberg's writings and in the documents of the Ancient Unity that supports the claim that Moravians for centuries have believed that because "God can give His grace to anyone he wishes, therefore we  don’t know whether strict “belief in Christ” (understood as intellectual assent to faith) is in fact the ONLY way to God"