Theological Liberalism

[Tree of Life]

#1 -- I can agree in the big picture sense as to the global inspired message, but I can't go with "inerrant" on the macro level. The Bible was reproduced by countless numbers of scribes working by hand until the invention of the printing press. Too many hands over too many centuries for me to think there isn't a mistake or two, or that some monk took the liberty of adding his own words to explain it better. And, then there is the church (i.e. "men") deciding what texts are in and what are out. Whenever and wherever men touch the manuscript there is opportunity for error. The Bible was inspired; it was not handed on stone tablets from God to St. Peter on Mt. Sinai. And, therein lies my problem.

So I'll take a "partial" on number 1. Am I one of these dreaded theological liberals?

You are indeed a liberal!

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Am I one of these dreaded theological liberals?

Surely you are not uncertain about this. I'm sure not.

 

[HereIStand]

Uh oh. I am a social worker and I'll wear cotton, silk, and wool to church tomorrow. The double-whammy.

Glad to see that you're on road to repentance. No, social work is good. Society needs it.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I think theology, like most things in the world, exists on a continuum. It's not all or none. There is a middle ground between fundamentalism and liberalism. But then, I'm no theologian.

 

[Thedictator]

Is there any part of the Apostles' Creed that you deny?

I don't deny any of the teaching of the creeds. Just like I would not deny the preaching of Good Bible preachers. I do not adhere to their preaching I only adhere to the Word of God. Their preaching may be good and useful but I do not adhere to those men, they are only men. I adhere to only Jesus Christ. In the same way The creeds are not God's Word only the Bible is.

 

[Thedictator]

#1 -- I can agree in the big picture sense as to the global inspired message, but I can't go with "inerrant"

This make you a Liberal in my book.

 

[RGW00]

What makes a person theologically liberal?

Someone who agrees with the world's way of living rather than the spiritual way, basically.

 

[seeking.IAM]

So, if we have to believe the Bible is without error to be in good standing (i.e. not liberal), why do we have all these CF threads about which is the right translation and which are the bad translations changing the word of God? See that's my problem. Is the Bible without error the KJV or the NIV? Maybe the Jerusalem Bible? The RSV? Surely it can't be the Good News Bible? I'm going with the KJV because we Anglicans gave it to the church. The KJV must be the right one since we gave it to you and it's in the language spoken by Peter, Paul, and all the apostles. Yeah, that's the ticket.

 

[Celticroots]

It sounds like you mean they don't believe everything you believe, therefore they are liberals. I think I need a more clear definition.

I agree. Or they pull the "you're nota Christian because you disagree with me!" Usually on non fundamentals of the faith. And will ignore the fact that the person agrees on the most important things.

 

[Celticroots]

I think theology, like most things in the world, exists on a continuum. It's not all or none. There is a middle ground between fundamentalism and liberalism. But then, I'm no theologian.

I am in the middle of the two camps.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

So, if we have to believe the Bible is without error to be in good standing (i.e. not liberal), why do we have all these CF threads about which is the right translation and which are the bad translations changing the word of God? See that's my problem. Is the Bible without error the KJV or the NIV? Maybe the Jerusalem Bible? The RSV? Surely it can't be the Good News Bible? I'm going with the KJV because we Anglicans gave it to the church. The KJV must be the right one since we gave it to you and it's in the language spoken by Peter, Paul, and all the apostles. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Human wisdom or reasoning is flawed. A person needs to have faith; And faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). If our faith is in God's Word and God's Word is flawed in some way, then that means our faith is flawed, and that is just not possible.

God's Word can be preserved by God in another language and still be without error and divine. If God inspired men to write God's Word, surely God can preserve His Word like He says in His Word.

I believe the KJV is God's preserved Word of God for today for various biblical reasons. Yes, the Scriptures existed perfectly in the past in different forms of language before. But English is the world language now. To say that God did not preserve His Word in our world language today means God can give people an excuse that they really did not have a nailed down set of instructions for them to understand exactly so they can just believe whatever they like. But this is not the case.


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[Bible Highlighter]

What makes a person theologically liberal?

What makes a person theologically liberal?

Anytime anyone does not take God's Word seriously and they seek to regulate into something that it does not say. They may say sin is not real or they may say that there are many paths to God when the Bible is against that idea. But at the heart, what makes a person liberal is a lack of receiving God's Word into their heart as being divinely perfect and true. Sometimes, people are liberal in just certain topics of Scripture because of personal wrong belief they have.


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[buzuxi02]

Theological liberalism tend to reject ir relax the core values and beliefs of traditional christianity. Within traditional Christian circles they are commonly refered to as modernists. They are "modern" in that their beliefs and core emphasis represent the values and social assumptions of the modern day society they live in.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

What makes a person theologically liberal?

To some, the ability to think for one's self about how to interpret the Bible makes one a liberal.

 

[GUANO]

The literal definition is: open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values regarding the study of the nature of God and religious belief.

 

[Noxot]

liberals tend to be higher in openness and conservatives in orderliness. both have their pits that they can fall into.

 

[Tolworth John]

What makes a person theologically liberal?

A conservative Christian reads what the bible says, they read out of the text.
A liberal christian reads their ideas into the text.

 

[Tree of Life]

I don't deny any of the teaching of the creeds. Just like I would not deny the preaching of Good Bible preachers. I do not adhere to their preaching I only adhere to the Word of God. Their preaching may be good and useful but I do not adhere to those men, they are only men. I adhere to only Jesus Christ. In the same way The creeds are not God's Word only the Bible is.

So you effectively accept the Creed. No reason to say that you don't.

Would you call someone a heretic if they rejected one of its articles? Like, say, the virgin birth of Christ? Or the resurrection of Christ?

 

[dqhall]

Are you asking why they are the way they are, or what beliefs, or lack of them, would define theological liberalism?

Fundamentalists treat the Bible as if it is was written by God alone and no human error in writing or copying the scriptures ever happened.

There are evangelicals who do not worship the Bible and can find contradictions or human error in it. They are not lawless, atheist or agnostic.

Some are denounced as liberals and despised as was Jesus when he did not obey the Sabbath law. The fundamentalist Jews of his day accused him of breaking the Sabbath law found in the Torah scrolls. They thought God was on their side for they would not lift more the weight of an apple on the Sabbath. Jesus was healing people and gleaning grain on the Sabbath. They accused him of being a sinner.

 

[Faith Alone 1 Cor 15:1-4]

Well i think we should take most of things in Bible literally as it's written , just as Jesus said Matthew 5:18

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.