The system is built from top to bottom on submission to divine authority. There is no access to intellectual or political goods except thru the expressed will of God as found in the Bible to which we must all submit. People who have not done so, have no standing in the system.

I think this is where I part company..... People, created in the image of God, have value. The " image of God" is not in any sense a physical image--God being a Spirit would make that silly-- the image is rather, IMO, to be understood as man being a "person". The image is that which defines "person-hood". IOW, intellect, sensibilities ( feelings ) and will, or voilition. Those aspects of the image of God were not destroyed in the Fall; they were perverted, but not destroyed. The reasoning, IMO, for this is that it was after the Fall that God gave Moses the warrant for capital punishment. The reason, according to the Genesis account is that man was made in the image of God. This was after the flood, which was certainly after the Fall.
To follow this through, if man is still an image-bearer of the Creator, then man must have value, and, at least some of his ideas, must also be valuable.
Furthermore, the command in the New Testament is for Christians to love their neightbors. The commandment is not, " Love your neighbor IF_____ ( If they are Christian, or If they agree with you, or any other "IF"); but simply " Love your neighbor"

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I have never been able to understand how people could subsume their personal interest to group interest, based solely on faith. I guess that's the power of faith, but it just seems to be embracing irrationality.

Bot,
I have known people who operated on this level. One young bride was convinced to sell all her China and silver and give the $ to the church. Several years later she felt she had been severely manipulated.The command is to "lay up treasures in heaven", and there certainly is merit in that. But evil pastors in churches are able to use that to manipulate some of their flock. I hope the future judgment on such "pastors" is severe.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags