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Umm...all I did was ask you why you want to be a Christian.
If merely being asked why you want to be a Christian makes you flip out like that, then Christianity probably isn't for you.
And just so you know, about your "educated comment", I've got two Masters' degrees and am currently completing a third, and have been in ministry for more than ten years, so I think I know a little about Christianity and what the Biblical requirements are to be a Christian.
If you really want to, I'm sure you can find plenty of liberal churches where you can walk in and just sign up and play at being a Christian. But if you really want to be a Biblical Christian, the kind Jesus taught us to be, then you need to seriously examine your attitude and ask yourself some very difficult questions.
Of course Jesus was alive when the New Testament was being written--the Cross was the beginning, not the end of His Glory. He was alive and well throughout the time the Bible was being written (and, of course, is so as we speak), and He appeared personally to Paul on the road to Damascus--Paul who later wrote, under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."(II Timothy 3:16)Jesus taught us to be "biblical Christians"? Strange, considering he didn't write a word of the bible, and wasn't even alive when the NT was written. He never spoke the word bible in his life.
With all due respect Truthseeker, you are being just as closeminded as you claim some others are being. If one person on this thread has told you something you didn't want to hear, you have become very rude to them. By all means, if you didn't want to hear what they thought, why in the world did you ask?
Now, on to my answer (which you probably aren't going to like and you may go ahead and label me a bigot as better labeled a bigot by you than a sinner and unfit for heaven by my Lord ok?) you can't be a full-fledged liberal and a Christian at the same time and I think that is what it sounds you are pushing for. One of the great and wonderful things about Christianity that our society lacks more and more is boundaries. There is right and wrong in Christianity. I happen to fully agree with this as everything cannot be right. There have to be some limits as to what can go on with people. If people can't set them (and clearly they can't), then God should. Of course, He knew this long before we were even here and that is why He did.
I see that one of the main problems you have is the non-acceptance of homosexuality by Christians. Please keep in mind that when Christians shun homosexuality, they are only doing what God precisely told them to do. Nothing more, nothing less. I think that if you will sit and read the bible and take what it says to heart instead of what you want it to say, you will see that the bible is absolutely clear on homosexuality. It says clearly that there is no place in heaven for homosexuals. Now, if they repent, change this sinful behavior, and ask for forgiveness this is another story. But if they do not, then it will be between them and God. Not me & them or you & them. So one thing I will give you advice on is to seek God for yourself, not for a group of people that is filled with controversary.
Truthseeker, I also think that you are wanting someone on here to give you some type of a go ahead to practice Christianity by picking and choosing what parts are ok and not ok to believe. I also doubt that you'll get that. But if you want to practice being a Christian in that way- go ahead. It is all between you & God in the end.
Don't worry to repost to me about being rude or a bigot. I won't be back to this thread. With all due respect, I cannot or will not tell you what you want someone to tell you which is that being a liberal and a Christian at the same time is how it is supposed to be done. Because I do not believe that and I'm not willing to risk my very soul because society tells me that I should believe it.
Best of luck to you.
Umm...all I did was ask you why you want to be a Christian.
If merely being asked why you want to be a Christian makes you flip out like that, then Christianity probably isn't for you.
And just so you know, about your "educated comment", I've got two Masters' degrees and am currently completing a third, and have been in ministry for more than ten years, so I think I know a little about Christianity and what the Biblical requirements are to be a Christian.
If you really want to, I'm sure you can find plenty of liberal churches where you can walk in and just sign up and play at being a Christian. But if you really want to be a Biblical Christian, the kind Jesus taught us to be, then you need to seriously examine your attitude and ask yourself some very difficult questions.
Yes, there have been others who have thought like you ever since our first parents decided to "do their own thing" in the Garden, and God's message to them has not changed in 2000 years:
"These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 'I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--'I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.' "(Revelation 3:14-18)
A BOND-SLAVE/FRIEND/BROTHER OF OUR LORD/GOD/SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
ephraim
I think you are confused. I am not asking anyone on here if what I think is right or wrong. I am looking for a church or a denomination who believes what I believe.
I agree. Not only that, but how can you be a Christian if you don't believe the OT, when the OT is so crucual to the foudations of Christianity. It's like building a house with no foundation.
Pointing out respectfully, my sister, that "freethinking Christians" is an oxymoron.
ephraim
I give thanks to the Most High for what he has given.That was very kind of you to say that, and I appreciate it very much.
Work AND college brings back 'fond' memories of when I did my degree.You have my sympathies
I will do my best to help you (though I don't have all the answers myself). Drop me a pm when you get the chance. I'd also suggest if you can to keep this thread going so that you can also gain from the more knowledgeable brother and sisters in Christ who frequent these boards.
Keep running the race!
Big Hugs
LP
Then told her she couldn't be one because you disagreed with her.
See above; Case-in-point.
Three masters degrees gives you more authority to interpret scripture than anyone else?
Jesus taught us to be "biblical Christians"? Strange, considering he didn't write a word of the bible, and wasn't even alive when the NT was written. He never spoke the word bible in his life.
People believed in God before the books that were chosen for the bible were put together. My English teacher told me the books of the bible were chosen for political reasons and I should research the books that were left out.
Oh I'd forgotten about that. Not a problem. You could do one of two things:I cannot pm anyone yet as I do not have enough posts.
Based on what I've read I personally wouldn't be as absolute as your English teacher though I could see why someone may draw such a conclusion. I'm glad that you're being a 'Berean' about it (check out Acts Acts 17:11) in so much as seeking the evidence out yourself before committing to a belief.People believed in God before the books that were chosen for the bible were put together. My English teacher told me the books of the bible were chosen for political reasons and I should research the books that were left out.
Based on what I've read I personally wouldn't be as absolute as your English teacher though I could see why someone may draw such a conclusion. I'm glad that you're being a 'Berean' about it (check out Acts Acts 17:11) in so much as seeking the evidence out yourself before committing to a belief.
I've got a book on my book shelf (called "The Other Bible") which contains the 'rejected' books of the Bible both from the OT and NT. The book was put together by an atheist and what he did was objectively comment on each rejected book as to its authenticity and approximate time it was written. From what I've read of its content I can see why especially with the NT gnostic books they were not accepted. Although a council came together to make a judgement as to what should and shouldn't be in the Bible, I do see the necessity of it given the erroneous messages conveyed in the 'rejected' scrolls available around =/- 300AD.
I guess they were battling with the paper-based version of the internet today, in that any group could publish whatever they liked and claimed it was from God. Now from that basis I could see a "political" move in a theocracy sense. I can picture it as in today, having the religion of "The Jedi" wishing their writings to be on par with Genesis, say.
I have a book called "The Authority of the Bible" by Colin Peckham (ISBN 185792436-3). It explains better why we have the canonised version of the Bible as we see it today. Off the top of my head I recall him looking into the archaeology, the unity of the message from OT to NT given the variety of the authors etc.
"Knowing Scripture" by Dr R C Sproul is another good foundational book to get one started on this topic area.
Hope this helps in terms of what you're looking into.
With all due respect Truthseeker, you are being just as closeminded as you claim some others are being. If one person on this thread has told you something you didn't want to hear, you have become very rude to them. By all means, if you didn't want to hear what they thought, why in the world did you ask?
Now, on to my answer (which you probably aren't going to like and you may go ahead and label me a bigot as better labeled a bigot by you than a sinner and unfit for heaven by my Lord ok?) you can't be a full-fledged liberal and a Christian at the same time and I think that is what it sounds you are pushing for. One of the great and wonderful things about Christianity that our society lacks more and more is boundaries. There is right and wrong in Christianity. I happen to fully agree with this as everything cannot be right. There have to be some limits as to what can go on with people. If people can't set them (and clearly they can't), then God should. Of course, He knew this long before we were even here and that is why He did.
I see that one of the main problems you have is the non-acceptance of homosexuality by Christians. Please keep in mind that when Christians shun homosexuality, they are only doing what God precisely told them to do. Nothing more, nothing less. I think that if you will sit and read the bible and take what it says to heart instead of what you want it to say, you will see that the bible is absolutely clear on homosexuality. It says clearly that there is no place in heaven for homosexuals. Now, if they repent, change this sinful behavior, and ask for forgiveness this is another story. But if they do not, then it will be between them and God. Not me & them or you & them. So one thing I will give you advice on is to seek God for yourself, not for a group of people that is filled with controversary.
Truthseeker, I also think that you are wanting someone on here to give you some type of a go ahead to practice Christianity by picking and choosing what parts are ok and not ok to believe. I also doubt that you'll get that. But if you want to practice being a Christian in that way- go ahead. It is all between you & God in the end.
Don't worry to repost to me about being rude or a bigot. I won't be back to this thread. With all due respect, I cannot or will not tell you what you want someone to tell you which is that being a liberal and a Christian at the same time is how it is supposed to be done. Because I do not believe that and I'm not willing to risk my very soul because society tells me that I should believe it.
Best of luck to you.
If I do decide to be a full fledged Christian again I want to be a liberal this time. I am only going to live my life by what Jesus and God said directly and everything else I am just going to use as a reference. I want to believe in God but many of the things that happened in the old testament I think were man inspired and the laws of the land at that time. I do not believe the story of "Job" should be in the bible. I am not against homosexuality or alternative lifestyles. It is hard for me to come to terms with all the killing in the old testament. I do not care if God told me to kill everyone in a village, I am not going to kill a baby. It seems to me there are people who are not Christian who live better lives then some people who call themselves Christian. What about people who have been abused by people who call themselves Christian. what if these abused people are so scared by what these false Christians did, that the mere thought of god scares that person to death? I have many reasons why my spirituality is conflict. I do not want to go to hell, but I do not want to live my life in a way that makes everyone else happy. I am more comfortable being myself. It seems to me that many people who are free spirits are happier then people who are fundamentalist and repressed. Anyone know if there are others like me?
Well coming from a secular society, with secular friends, a secular upbringing and a secular family, bible literalists and fundamentalists I find are off-putting. At the minute I'm practising a form of Christian meditation with a friend. in fact I recommend meditation to anyone - as once you reach a state of peace its a lot easier to pray from the heart, and feel at peace with yourself.
I do not want to go to hell, but I do not want to live my life in a way that makes everyone else happy.
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