A Christian website, non-denominational and Bible based (Not a Roman Catholic website)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Michael's Abbey?
To put it simply, my name is Michael. And an abbey is a building or buildings currently or formerly occupied by a community of monks or nuns. The abbey serves the monks as a place for their contemplative meditation. Writing serves the same purpose for me. Thus this website is my abbey.

Is This A Christian Website?
My point of view is most definitely Christian, and that is certainly present in what I say and write in the articles. However, many non-Christians have found my advice useful. I read secular academic studies as well as religious, especially when they point out flaws in what the media or culture portrays as "common wisdom". For example, almost everyone, including most Christians, have bought into the fallacy that the worst thing you can do is get married too young. It all comes from a study that was covered extensively in the media in the 1970s. It's so pervasive that most people accept it in the same way they accept the law of gravity. What is wrong with this is the study was comparing 14-17 year olds who got married to those who married when they were 26-30. The media coverage led everyone to believe it was about 18-22 year olds, when that age group wasn't even in the study. In other studies that do include this age group, those who marry at age 18-22 had the lowest divorce rate over other age groups, reported the greatest satisfaction and happiness in their marriage and so on. The culture and media has it wrong. It's things like this that I wish to shed light on with the articles. With the Bible study section I want to share my expertise and research exploring scripture verse by verse and make it's meaning as clear as possible.

Are You Catholic?
No, I'm not. I just like the word "Abbey" and what it represents. There is much to be admired about the Catholic church. Most notably to me is their ability to bring their own children up in their faith. This is something that other denominations of Christianity have not done as well. (Of course, you probably guessed that the idea for the name was at least partly inspired by a show I enjoyed, Downton Abbey.) If you must put a label on me then the most accurate term would be a Convergent Christian. Convergent means a combination of the three main traditions in Christianity, which are the Evangelical, Charismatic, and Liturgical. If someone's understanding of the meaning of these terms comes from the media, they have a highly distorted definition and don't really know what they mean. Here is a brief explanation of what these terms mean.

• Evangelical refers to a tradition within Protestant Christianity emphasizing the authority of the Bible, personal conversion, and the doctrine of salvation by faith in the Atonement. In particular, this tradition emphasizes the doctrine of sola scriptura (Latin for only scripture) such as was espoused by Martin Luther. Scripture is God's special revelation to man. Therefore, any doctrines or arguments that contradict scripture are invalid.
  
• Charismatic refers to the the tradition where the Holy Spirit is believed to still be active, and gifts of the Spirit are still given. This tradition has transformed worship in churches within all denominations and traditions, particularly in worship music.
  
• Liturgical refers to a tradition that emphasizes the sacraments and practices handed down, particularly of the early church. Basically, a liturgy is a religious habit. The word liturgy is greeted with an extreme negative reaction by many other traditions. Pentecostals and Charismatics are particularly hostile, which is ironic as they are the most rigidly liturgical traditions I've ever experienced.
  
• Convergent means to use any of the parts of these three traditions that are compatible with Christian faith and helpful to Christian life, provided they are compatible with scripture.

Why Is This Website So Plain?
The point of this website is to make the information available clearly. There are no advertisements, popups, slide-ins, videos, or other distractions. Graphics are minimal, primarily just logos. The other things can get in the way of reading the text. So they aren't found here.

Where Was The Picture In The Logo Taken?
The logo is a product of Photoshop editing. It does not exist in reality. The building is a castle in Scotland that is no where near any mountains, and the background is a part of the Rocky Mountains where there are no buildings at all. The animals are elk. I didn't want to use an actual location, but I usually prefer photographic pictures over drawn. And I've always thought that this architectural style would fit in great in the Rockies.

What Is The Purpose Of This Site?
The purpose of this website it to make knowledge about Christianity and scripture available to others. It is to share what I have learned, especially when it can help someone in their own life. Often I'm asked to write down what I've said for someone. Writing it out helps avoid misunderstanding, but doesn't totally prevent it. And I've found it helps me to clarify my own thoughts to write them down. Especially when I reread them later as when I see them again with fresh eyes I discover things I didn't make clear or that could be misinterpreted. If it seems I'm being overly exhaustive in my wording it's usually because someone has asked me for clarification over that point, or has misunderstood it in the past.

Why Has A Page Changed Since The First Time I Read It?
Sometimes someone asks a question, and I make changes to incorporate the answer in the original writing. Sometimes someone misunderstands, so I rewrite that part to make it clearer. Sometimes I learn something that changes my outlook, and I incorporate that into past writing. And sometimes I find I was wrong, and fix what I've written. While it is both my nature and my mission to be as accurate to the truth as humanly possible, I'm not infallible. Only a fool would claim they never make mistakes.

Questions?
If you have a question, especially about something I've written, feel free to email "Questions @ Michaels Abbey . Org". You'll need to remove the spaces when you email. I placed those there to defeat the spam-bots. However, if you are writing only because you are offended don't bother. There is no right to not be offended in the Bible or the U.S. Constitution, no matter how much some people wish it was there. (See the next FAQ entry.)

But I Disagree With You
Get in line. It doesn't bother me that you disagree with me. I'm not someone who thinks everyone needs to agree with what I think. Although I'm finding my attitude is rare. I don't even agree with everything the church I attend teaches. It doesn't really matter. If something I've written helps you, great. If not, move on to the next verse or article, or to another website. Most people believe what they believe because that is what they choose to believe. It's not because that's what the Bible says, or what's logical, or that it's morally right. They have always believed it and anything that contradicts their belief is rejected. Everyone has their sacred cow. Hopefully you're not one of those who stakes their soul on their sacred cow. Either way, I hope these words help you in some way.

One memorable argument I had was with a woman who insisted that her personal opinion on guns was the law in California. I downloaded the relevant Federal, State and County laws to show her that she couldn't be more wrong. But she still insisted that the law must be the way it was in her head. So the argument was totally pointless and a waste of my time and effort. No matter the evidence, she was going to hold onto her silliness and live her life by it. I don't want to argue with people like that as it's a pointless waste of time. Unfortunately, way too many people are just like her. But I'm not going to waste my time with them.

I have no problem with arguing. Paul and Peter had some knock-down drag out fights. Paul even stopped going on missionary trips with Barnabas over an argument about whether to bring a guy with them or not. There's nothing wrong about arguing, as long as we don't get mean about it. In fact, it is in debate and argument that we learn from each other. As the Bible says, "Iron sharpens iron." But if people aren't interested in being sharpened themselves, it does neither of us any good to argue. As Mark Twain said, "Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." It is a foolish man who does not seek to improve himself.

There Is No Condemnation Here
Jesus does not condemn you. And neither do I. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That includes me. However, just because I fall short of the standard doesn't mean I shouldn't strive for it, and point it out to others. I write more extensively about this in my article "The Standard."

A military flag is also known as a standard. In days past, troops would orient themselves by their unit's standard. Being able to see that flag helped keep them oriented in the confusion of battle. Thus they could be more effective as a unit. It wasn't a condemnation if they weren't the one holding it, or were far from it. It was the guide for them to move to where they should be. In like manner, by holding up the standard of God and orienting ourselves to it we can be more effective Christians, and have more sucessful lives.

What Church Do You Attend?
I don't attend Celebration Church, because I don't live anywhere near Green Bay, Wisconsin. If I was anywhere near there, that is the church I would attend. Not because they are perfect, but because they are real, and are willing to address hard issues and study the whole Bible, not just the parts that are easy or that line up with church doctrine. I mention them because their podcasts are a valuable resource for any Christian.

I don't mention the church I do attend for several reasons. I don't want to recommend it over other churches in my area. I don't think it's important where you worship. It's important that you worship. I'm reluctant to recommend a specific church, even my own, because I don't want to give the impression that they are doing things right. None of them are. But some are at least trying. Basically, pick a church that teaches the Bible, and not just picking a verse here and there, but whole passages in context. Style and ability are not important to me. As long as a church is teaching the Bible instead of CNN or anything else that is anti-Bible, who cares if they aren't very good at it? If I was only willing to attend a perfect church, I'd be out of luck because they don't exist. Besides, if I can't worship in any church, how am I going to be able to worship in my daily life?

If you want my advice, pick the church closest to you. Or you could pick a church where you've got friends who already attend. Just pick one and go.