“Had Mr. Gibbon lived in France, Spain, or Italy, he might with the fame reason have ranked the doctrine of transubstantiation, and the worship of saints and angels among the essentials of Christianity, as the doctrines of the trinity and of the atonement.” ReasonMightChristianityFameEssentialsWorshipAngelSaintDoctrineFranceSpainAtonementTrinityTransubstantiation Book:An History of the Corruptions of Christianity Source: An History of the Corruptions of Christianity
“It is wrong for a man to say that he is certain of the objective truth of any proposition unless he can produce evidence which logically justifies that certainty. This is what Agnosticism asserts; and, in my opinion, it is all that is essential to Agnosticism. That which Agnostics deny and repudiate, as immoral, is the contrary doctrine, that there are propositions which men ought to believe without logically satisfactory evidence; and that reprobation ought to attach to the profession of disbelief in such inadequately supported propositions.” MenBelieveCertainOpinionAtheismProduceOughtEssentialsEvidenceDenyPositive AtheismProfessionContraryDoctrineObjectivesCertaintyJustifyPropositionsImmoralDisbeliefAgnosticismObjective Truth Book:Lectures and Essays Source: Lectures and Essays
“The Reverend Douglas Wilson may not be a professional historian, as his detractors say, but he has a strong grasp of the essentials of the history of slavery and its relation to Christian doctrine. Indeed, sad to say, his grasp is a great deal stronger than that of most professors of American history, whose distortions and trivializations disgrace our college classrooms. And the Reverend Mr. Wilson is a fighter, especially effective in defense of Christianity against those who try to turn Jesus' way of salvation into pseudo-moralistic drivel.” WayTryingMayChristianTurnsJesusStrongDealsChristianityCollegeEssentialsRelationStrongerSlaverySalvationDefenseDoctrineFighterProfessorsHistorianClassroomAmerican HistoryDisgraceDistortionWilsonPseudoReverendsChristian DoctrineDrivel Author:Eugene Genovese
“No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves, and repent and believe just when they please...As it is a truth both of Scripture and of experience that the unrenewed man can do nothing of himself to secure his salvation, it is essential that he should be brought to practical conviction of that truth. When thus convinced, and not before, he seeks help from the only source whence it can be obtained.” MenShouldBelieveWellsSoulHelpingCan DoSourcePleaseEssentialsSalvationConvictionConvincedScripturePracticalsDoctrineSecureSinnerDestroyingRepent Author:Charles Hodge
“The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation: The doctrine of a supreme, intelligent sovereign of the universe, I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.” MenBelieveDoneUniverseI BelieveNationsPrinciplesMoralityCivilizationEssentialsIntelligentJewSupremeDoctrineSovereignHebrew Book:The John Adams papers Source: The John Adams papers
“Some fundamentalists go so far as to reject psychology as a disciplined study, which is unfortunate and polarizing. By definition, psychology is the study of the soul, theology is the study of God. Generally speaking, systematic theology is a study of all the essential doctrines of faith, and that would include the study of our souls (psychology).” SoulStudyPsychologyEssentialsDefinitionsTheologyDoctrineRejectsUnfortunateSystematicPolarizing Author:Neil T Anderson
“We have hitherto considered only two possibilities: that the received opinion may be false, and some other opinion, consequently, true; or that, the received opinion being true, a conflict with the opposite error is essential to a clear apprehension and deep feeling of its truth. But there is a commoner case than either of these; when the conflicting doctrines, instead of being one true and the other false, share the truth between them.” MayTwoFeelingsOpinionCasesClearSharePossibilityTruth IsConflictEssentialsOppositesErrorsDoctrineBeing TrueApprehensionDeep FeelingCommonersOthers Opinions Author:John Stuart Mill
“I think that we're guided by the motto in "essentials unity, non essentials liberty and in all things charity." So if pastors compromise essential Christian doctrine, I think that there is a biblical warrant for naming them.” IfsThinkingChristianLibertyEssentialsAll ThingsUnityCharityDoctrineCompromiseBiblicalPastorMottoWarrantsChristian Doctrine Author:Hank Hanegraaff
“Creflo Dollar is compromising, confusing or outright contradicting essential Christian doctrine. Joel Osteen does exactly the same thing. Now, not necessarily the exact same doctrines, but he is compromising, confusing or contradicting essential Christian doctrine. Their view of faith is a force, words are the containers of the force, and through the force of faith, one can create his or her own reality. That's not biblical faith. That's a false faith, or faith that doesn't satisfy and ultimately will lead people into harm's way.” PeopleWayDoeRealityChristianForceViewsEssentialsDollarsHarmDoctrineCompromiseBiblicalConfusingContainersContradictingChristian DoctrineBiblical Faith Author:Hank Hanegraaff
“You don't have any other society where the educated classes are so effectively indoctrinated and controlled by a subtle propaganda system - a private system including media, intellectual opinion forming magazines and the participation of the most highly educated sections of the population. Such people ought to be referred to as "Commissars - for that is what their essential function is - to set up and maintain a system of doctrines and beliefs which will undermine independent thought and prevent a proper understanding and analysis of national and global institutions, issues, and policies".” PeopleTruthBeliefUnderstandingOpinionClassIssuesMediaPolicyOughtEssentialsIntellectualFunctionIndependentInstitutionsIncludingPopulationDoctrineEducatedMagazinesPropagandaAnalysisSubtleControlledParticipationSectionsIndependent Thought Author:Noam Chomsky