How can you avoid becoming zealous or fundamental in your views?

OliverC said:

Hello
How does one avoid becoming over zealous and moving towards a more fundamental mind set once someone takes the step to be a Christian?

I ask as I want to keep my relationship with God as positive, joyful and liberal and have doubts that Christianity will be right for me for various reasons.

For example;
Has it been so for you or others that the more you study and learn the more tight and 'retricted' your beliefs and behaviour have had to become in line with the teaching you follow?

Have you had to take a step back to perserve what feels right to you in your heat despite what other Christians may see as being scriptual law and requiring obedience?

Is it possible to develop and remain light and joyful with your relationship with God yet be committed?

On a theological level I suppose I am asking where the line between adhering to dogma and choice may lie and how to keep onself in pespective in the modern business world.

* I know words like zealous, conservative and fundamentalism mean different things to different people, but I hope to communicate a sense where a person finds they are obliged to take a fundamental mind set against their gut feeling due to an interperation of the Bible as law.

Click to expand...

OliverC said:

Hello
How does one avoid becoming over zealous and moving towards a more fundamental mind set once someone takes the step to be a Christian?

I ask as I want to keep my relationship with God as positive, joyful and liberal and have doubts that Christianity will be right for me for various reasons.

For example;
Has it been so for you or others that the more you study and learn the more tight and 'retricted' your beliefs and behaviour have had to become in line with the teaching you follow?

Have you had to take a step back to perserve what feels right to you in your heat despite what other Christians may see as being scriptual law and requiring obedience?

Is it possible to develop and remain light and joyful with your relationship with God yet be committed?

On a theological level I suppose I am asking where the line between adhering to dogma and choice may lie and how to keep onself in pespective in the modern business world.

* I know words like zealous, conservative and fundamentalism mean different things to different people, but I hope to communicate a sense where a person finds they are obliged to take a fundamental mind set against their gut feeling due to an interperation of the Bible as law.

Click to expand...