Thanks to Calvinist Cartoons You may have never heard of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834). I had no idea who he was until last week-end. You also may think, "Why on earth would I care about some dead German theologian whose name I can't even pronounce". But you might be more familiar with him than you think: [C]reed and character have no necessary connection - that it matters not what we believe so long as our hearts are right. (page 9) Religion stands in no need of doctrine and rigid precepts, or of revelation from another world - that certain pious and devout sentiments towards God and Christ are all that is necessary for salvation. (page 9) If these sound familiar, we can thank Schleiermacher's influence because these ideas are now part and parcel of today's Christianity. There are many who think sound doctrine is a nicety but subordinate to what we feel. However, if you take this idea to it's logical conclusion, it becomes a very sli...