With These Beliefs is it Possible to be a Christian?

[Matty1919]

I have been a Christian on and off. Lately it's been off for 6 years and the way my life is going since has been tough. Also my family is full of fundamentalist Christians so it would make them much happier.

Here are some of my beliefs

• I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message
• I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space
• I don't believe in Intelligent Design
• I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business
• I think most prophets were gifted rhetorically or mentally unstable
• I don't believe in the afterlife
• I don't believe in free will

Thoughts?

 

[lilmissmontana]

I think you know the answers but here's my thought. Yes, it's still possible to be a Christian ... but no ... not with those beliefs ... like I said ... I believe you know that. You say you used to be a Christian ... then, again ... you know the answers to these questions. The bigger question I'd ask myself is will these beliefs you now hold save your soul ... and I think you know the answer to that, as well. So, you see ... there is your free will in action ... the right to choose Jesus or not.

my question is why you posted this? ... are you wanting someone to confirm these beliefs? ... you can't possible think a Christian is going to give their ok on any of that list ...


ps ... I belive your choice shouldn't be based on making your family happier ... this is about your very soul and their happiness isn't going to get you there ... although I know you want to consider their feelings ... that's a Christian thought ...


I don't want this to sound rude but I would ask you, "How's your current way working for you" ... and you've already answered that in your opening paragraph ... it's tough.

My advice ... Get on home to Jesus and quit wasting time ...it's urgent!

jmo

Touch, Father!! in Jesus precious name ... Amen.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message

No, IMO this belief is not compatible with Christianity. Consider the trilemma.

I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space

It puzzles me why someone would want to identify with a particular set of beliefs about a being whom they don't believe exists.

I don't believe in Intelligent Design

Many Christians don't, and no particular theory of Creation is central to the faith. I wouldn't worry about this one.

I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business

This is puzzling too. Most people who want to identify with Christianity who don't believe in its central propositions say they admire the ethics that Jesus taught. And one thing He never taught is its ok to be less than completely honest, in business or otherwise.

I think most prophets were gifted rhetorically or mentally unstable

That might well be. But I also think they were inspired by God.

I don't believe in the afterlife

I guess that would follow from not believing in God, but it raises the same question.

I don't believe in free will

Many Christians don't. They're called Calvinists.

​

 

[ReformedChapin]

No. In the most basic question is Jesus God and the Christ of all believers you don't adhere to then you cannot be a Christian in any orthodox understanding of the word.

 

[Qyöt27]

I think in cases like this it would help to define what you mean by 'Christian'. You could go to a Unitarian Universalist church and call yourself Christian while holding those beliefs, although the mainstream denominations wouldn't recognize you as such due to some of those incompatibilities concerning the deity of Christ, existence of God, and the existence of an afterlife.

On several of those topics, though, there is a wide breadth of opinions within the fold of orthodox Christianity (I'm using orthodox as a descriptor, not a reference to Orthodoxy, although it is in that group). I don't see the Creation and Deluge narratives the way that Young Earth Creationists (or even Old Earth Creationists, for that matter) see them. There's just too much evidence to the contrary for me to ignore it - but I don't think that those stories are any less true, because the truth of those passages was never in the how's to begin with, as far as I'm concerned. The truth in them is in the why's (although at least in the case of the Deluge it's possibly a cultural memory of a catastrophic collapse of the Black Sea's natural walls, which would have flooded the entire world as the Indo-Europeans would have known it - it also provides a convenient explanation of why languages across Europe and Asia have similar structures despite the distance between them and the respective cultures contain similar accounts of a great flood).

 

[jax5434]

Your first statement answered your question. You can not be a christian "on and off". That you say you have been is a clear indication that in fact you were never were.
Youare obviously familiar enough with our faith to deliberately choose statements that you know no Christian would consider acceptable ( with the exception of free will and calvinist).

I believe you are just tyring to "game" the people here. how ever if you are sincere you need to first understand that god will not redefine himself to suit your desires. He is what he is. Your the one who must change.

God bless
Jax

 

[DeanM]

• I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message

If you value His message, you're on the right path. Being on the right path is about the best anyone can expect of anyone else. Nobody has a monopoly on the truth.

• I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space

Trying to define God is not possible. He did say he was the Alpha and the Omega (beginning and end), and therefor is time, which correlates to space.

• I don't believe in Intelligent Design

Have you seen a platypus? LOL. Also, there's chaos everywhere that I see as part of "the design."

• I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business

These apples cost me a buck a piece (really 50 cents). It's a part of salesmanship to keep certain facts hidden through a ruse.

• I think most prophets were gifted rhetorically or mentally unstable

They weren't God.

• I don't believe in the afterlife

Yet it is impossible to realize one's own demise, therefor making the end perpetually out of reach of our comprehension.

• I don't believe in free will

Many don't. I do, but hey, that's just me.

Thoughts?[/quote]

Sounds like your as much a Christian as many folks I know, if you want to be.

 

[AnneSally]

I have been a Christian on and off. Lately it's been off for 6 years and the way my life is going since has been tough. Also my family is full of fundamentalist Christians so it would make them much happier.

Here are some of my beliefs

• I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message
• I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space
• I don't believe in Intelligent Design
• I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business
• I think most prophets were gifted rhetorically or mentally unstable
• I don't believe in the afterlife
• I don't believe in free will

Thoughts?

What are you asking? Whether these beliefs of yours are Christian? Obviously you know they are not, it's not normal for a Christian to believe that God doesn't exist.....We have a personal relationship with God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Christian God is a relational God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has revealed who He is through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ who died and was raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father. So this is obviously more than just a "time/space" definition....

 

[AnneSally]

He did say he was the Alpha and the Omega (beginning and end), and therefor is time, which correlates to space.

Actually, that's a good point and it came to my mind immediately too but I didn't know how to express it, I think you did that well. He is the beginning and the end and that is time and correlates to space....well said...

 

[Speculative]

IMO, the Apostles Creed provides a pretty good SoF and demarcation line between what is and what isn't Christian. Of course many metaphorize parts of the creed and still say they accept it without accepting it literally.

It is my personal opinion that the beliefs outlined in the OP fall outside of Christianity, but it is not my place to judge him personally (although I think he probably agrees as evidenced by the fact he has chosen the 'Seeker' icon).

My prayers and thoughts for wisdom are with you in your search, Matt.

 

[DeanM]

Actually, that's a good point and it came to my mind immediately too but I didn't know how to express it, I think you did that well. He is the beginning and the end and that is time and correlates to space....well said...

Thank you Anne~

It's very nice of you say that.

 

[AnneSally]

Thank you Anne~

It's very nice of you say that.

You're welcome, I learned something today in the way you expressed that...thanks.

 

[goodsamaritan4u]

I have been a Christian on and off. Lately it's been off for 6 years and the way my life is going since has been tough. Also my family is full of fundamentalist Christians so it would make them much happier.

Here are some of my beliefs

• I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message
• I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space
• I don't believe in Intelligent Design
• I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business
• I think most prophets were gifted rhetorically or mentally unstable
• I don't believe in the afterlife
• I don't believe in free will

Thoughts?

Thought 1: How could he not have divine power if, as you state in Thought 2 that God can be defined as Time and Space, in very fact he is symbiotically interwoven in Time and Space. blah, jumbled that a bit but you get the point

Thought 2: Almost certain? Yet you are here asking that question? AND you want to know if you can still call yourself a christian? Oh, I get it...wondering if in good concious call yourself a christian for the folks? I can understand that one for sure.

Thought 3: You Intelligently crafted your post! Used bullet points and everything! No intelligent design....pfft preposterous!

Thought 4: OF COURSE IT IS! The whole entire spectrum of "Business" has been built upon a lie! You can't STAY IN BUSINESS UNLESS YOU LIE! The system is built that way. INVESTIGATE THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK!

Thought 5: Your Rhetoric is most convincing! Is my Mental slip showing yet?

Thought 6: There is no such thing as "after". Only now life.

Thought 7: While the argument has some power when viewed in the light of the Observer one finds that the will becomes obsolete and the experience finds expression.

Christian-Definition: One who is Christ Like.

Are you like Christ?

He seems to think so. Going so far as to call us his very body. This makes sense if we understand symbiosis.

WE MUST AWAKEN FROM THE ILLUSION BEFORE THE SEPARATION IS TOTAL

MARCH 15TH

OBAMA DECEPTION

google infowars

 

[70x7]

Your first statement answered your question. You can not be a christian "on and off". That you say you have been is a clear indication that in fact you were never were.
Youare obviously familiar enough with our faith to deliberately choose statements that you know no Christian would consider acceptable ( with the exception of free will and calvinist).

I believe you are just tyring to "game" the people here. how ever if you are sincere you need to first understand that god will not redefine himself to suit your desires. He is what he is. Your the one who must change.

God bless
Jax

Bingo.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message.

No, you can't be a Christian if you deny the deity of Christ.

I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space

No, you can't be a Christian if you don't believe in God (duh!).[/quote]

I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business

No, the Bible is very clear that somebody who practices sin is not a Christian.

 

[JennyKatz]

I have been a Christian on and off. Lately it's been off for 6 years and the way my life is going since has been tough. Also my family is full of fundamentalist Christians so it would make them much happier.

Here are some of my beliefs

• I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message
• I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space
• I don't believe in Intelligent Design
• I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business
• I think most prophets were gifted rhetorically or mentally unstable
• I don't believe in the afterlife
• I don't believe in free will

Thoughts?

The most basic dictionary definition of christian is n. One who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Since one of the teachings of Christ is that He is the son of God and that salvation comes through Him, you would not be considered a Christian.
Now, the question is: why is this important to you? Do you want to call yourself a Christian for the sake of soothing family members? Faith forced for the sake of somebody else is no faith at all and will only frustrate you. On the other hand, if you're actually searching for that elusive 'something more' in your life, then I encourage you to continue seeking it. After all, some of the most adamant atheists have become Christ's most notable defenders (C.S. Lewis being one of the more well-known 20th century examples).

 

[girlofmanycolors]

Christianity as I understand it is a relationship. You can't have a relationship with a mere mortal who lived and died 2000 years ago, so my answer would be no.

 

[Love233]

I have been a Christian on and off. Lately it's been off for 6 years and the way my life is going since has been tough. Also my family is full of fundamentalist Christians so it would make them much happier.

Here are some of my beliefs

• I don't believe Jesus has divine power or that he will return. I do believe he was a very charismatic and empathetic person with a valuable message
• I am almost certain God doesn't exist. Although I do believe God can be defined as time and space
• I don't believe in Intelligent Design
• I think it's alright to not be completely honest in business
• I think most prophets were gifted rhetorically or mentally unstable
• I don't believe in the afterlife
• I don't believe in free will

Thoughts?

to be Christian is to believe in Jesus As the Christ. If you don't believe in God at all, that would mean you are an atheist and if you only doubt but, think there (tentatively) might be a God you are agnostic. Neither one you should be juged by others for. Your beliefes are your own. We only really find out how God thinks of the way we lived life when we die. I sincerely hope he judges us all by what is in our hearts and not by beliefes because I have quite a few friends with varying such beliefes and I hope to see them in heaven one day

 

[JohnDeereFan]

I sincerely hope he judges us all by what is in our hearts and not by beliefes because I have quite a few friends with varying such beliefes and I hope to see them in heaven one day

I hope He doesn't judge me that way. The Bible says that my heart is deceitful and wicked. I don't want to be judged that way.

Fortunately for those of us who are born again, we are righteous because of Christ and God will not judge us by the wickedness in our hearts, but by Christ's sacrifice on our behalf.

 

[LawsonAlan]

No, the Bible is very clear that somebody who practices sin is not a Christian.

The Bible says that my heart is deceitful and wicked.

?????

I'm sorry I just do not see how this works.