• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Recent content by TheLightInTheTower

  1. TheLightInTheTower

    "Every Life is Sacred"

    Today I want to ask about another part of Christianity that leaves me confused - and, much like with my last question, I'm sure I have plenty of mistaken assumptions about the little I feel I do understand! Christian's largely seem to embrace a policy that life is sacred - I hear it especially...
  2. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    Thank you again everyone for your participation in this thread. I feel like it has helped clear up some misconceptions I had and granted me wisdom.
  3. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    Yeah, back to the original question, thank you. I guess based on the answers I've seen so far... I have some further questions, which I have seen answers for but they might not be your answers so I'll ask them here. I suppose in some ways based on the responses I've gotten, he really didn't...
  4. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    Oh, I just want to say thank you all for your responses. This is my first real thread here, and I'm very happy to have received such well thought out effort in return.
  5. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    Do you actually have any good sources on the historical Christus Victor theories of atonement? Good suggestions for reading? Gustav Aulén has a pretty thorough book on it I think but he seems to believe it was sin, death AND the devil himself that Christ achieved victory over, not just death...
  6. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    I think it gained prominence and became the dominant interpretation shortly after that thanks to the work of Origen, so you would be correct - end of the 2nd century. Previous tot he First Council. I think he was pretty ardently anti-Gnostic though. But from what I understand it remained widely...
  7. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    The two models that can claim the mantle of "traditional" are the Ransom model (which I described, at least in part) and the Christus Victor model (which is also pretty contrary to substitution atonement theory since it also presupposed a great evil other that god can best defeat in this...
  8. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    Well, I mean, you can disagree with the interpretation. Religious understanding changes over time and I know that viewpoint has largely been abandoned in favour of novel alternatives, by modern day protestants especially, but historically you can't really deny that it was a common and...
  9. TheLightInTheTower

    Why is the crucifixion so meaningful when the rise of Jesus means he sacrificed very little?

    I've heard from Christians before a lot of reasons why the death of Jesus is important and how he sacrificed himself for the good of all of us. I've read many different explanations for the method. I don't quite understand how most of them work with the belief that Jesus then rose from the dead...
  10. TheLightInTheTower

    Hello, hoping to learn more about Christianity

    Thanks for the welcomes. :)
  11. TheLightInTheTower

    Hello, hoping to learn more about Christianity

    Hello brothers and sisters. I am not a Christian, but my faith has mingled with yours throughout history and I respect much of of what Jesus taught, and I do consider you to be spiritual companions, though we walk different roads. I've joined in the hopes that I can read and understand you all...