I am a member of the Assemblies of God- I have some doctrinal differences, mostly by degree-
AoG teaches that all C’tians can also be “baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues”. I hold that all Christians should experience infillings & outflowings of the Holy Spirit, one manifestation of which may be speaking in tongues.
AoG is definite that the End Times will happen with the Rapture of the Christians, the AntiChrist’s reign during the Tribulation, and the Return of Jesus to establish an Earthly Millenial Kingdom, followed by the Eternal New Creation. I lean to a future AntiChrist, Tribulation & Millenium, with the Rapture happening late in the Tribulation (Revelation 14-15)- but I also concede that the Tribulation of 66-70 AD and the global expansion of Christendom may also be the unfolding of “End Times” prophecy.
AoG teaches that all who die rejecting JC as Lord & Savior go into Eternal Damnation (opinions differ about those who die without hearing about JC)-
I do believe there is no certainty of Eternal Life outside trusting JC in this life
but I hope for Afterlife Opportunities & also hold a more fluid view of Hell (including Annihilation, possible Universal Salvation, or Eternal Suffering in the Inescapable Presence of the Rejected Christ).
However, I have always thought Sunday shopping in the USA odd.
In the Netherlands the Christian Party believes it is a fundamental fight, one that identifies them as Christians, to prevent Sunday Shopping.
That’s right, in the Netherlands all stores are closed on Sunday, (barring fewer then a dozen Shopping Sundays a year in the bigger cities). The Christian parties want to keep it that way, on the grounds, quite rightly in their line of reasoning, that no less then four of the Ten Commandments (one otf the three versions of them in the Bible) order us to “Honour The Sabbath.”
This in sharp contrast with the USA, where Sunday is THE day for shopping. Personally, I think the explanation for this is that Sunday shopping is vital to the USA economic system; when you have people working at all hours, they have to be able to shop at all hours (or the other way around, I’m not sure ).
But still, it has always struck me as odd that Christian fundies in the USA don’t even think twice about breaking four of the ten Commandments every Sunday, but go berserk when it comes to inconclusively condemned things like homosexuality.
It wasn’t that long ago that there was no Sunday shopping in the US fir the same reasons. A few gas stations and convenience stores. At some point stores were allowed to open on Sundays from after Thanksgiving to Christmas to help the Christmas shoppers, and stores. I was working retail at the time they wanted to open all Sundays, and most store employees were against it. There were false promises of Sundays being voluntary or new part time employees as well as very short hours. That didn’t last long. Even though I support the seperation of church and state I thnk it’s healthier for a society to have a day of rest to focus on being with family and friends and having some recreation. Fortunatly after years of working retail the music store I work at now only requires one out of every five Sundays.
For exactly that reason most political parties support the Christian party on banning Sunday shopping. As with most things, it works only if all stores are closed, so there is no fear of losing out to the competition on Sunday sales.
And as our semi-socialist society (not theocratic!) can enforce limited Sunday shopping, we can keep it that way.
I think it’s a good thing. There is a slow trend towards more Sunday shopping, and the main Amsterdam streets (mostly the tourist area’s) are now mostly open on Sundays, to prevent indignant American tourists from a culture shock.
Still, the fiercest opposition to more Sunday shopping comes from the Christian party, and I think they are consequent in following the tenets of their religion, with which I, just this once, heartily agree.
