Protestantism

» Brian Tubbs - One Key in Discernment

When discerning what groups are "fringe" and what groups are not, one key is the following question...

Upon what does the group in question base its doctrine, set of beliefs, or theology?

If it's on some kind of "special" or exclusive "revelation," that's a red flag. Virtually all of the cults stem from this line of thought.

If, however, the group is claiming to subscribe to the core principles of its faith, then we should consider its case with an open mind.

Martin Luther did not want to break away from the Catholic Church. Like others, he believed in the universal (the original meaning of "Catholic") church, and accepted at face value that (for all its problems) the Catholic Church was still God's universal church. He realized, however, that the medieval Catholic Church had gone so far off course doctrinally and had become so corrupt that a split was inevitable.