What are moderate Christians?

I was told that I would fit in here, and also I'm apparently one of the bible-thumping fundamentalists.

I was under the impression that if I thump my Bible in a friendly, appealing manner, more often than in a sharp rebuking manner, I might be accepted as 'moderate'

The word "moderate", in itself, seems to cause a lot of confusion, having different meanings and seen from both positive and negative perspectives. There have been some that thought it was nothing more than an excuse for lukewarmness, a live-like-you-want attitude, possessing the mindsets that "all roads lead to heaven", "I'm a good person and don't need to accept Jesus", and other such garbage. However, I really don't think that's what "moderate" refers to, in this case.

To me, "moderate" is along the lines of the following:

You might be considered a strict, legalistic, judgmental, intolerant Bible-banger to some, while to others you're not strict enough, and may even be "lukewarm" (or their definition, anyway) just for having a different take on a given "iffy" issue. Or, you realize, according to Romans 14, that one can be a faithful Christian who is serious about God's Word, and still have different convictions of some sort or another. You believe that fellow Christians should be able to get along and be of one mind, despite these differences, and ultimately, there will come a day when all opinions of this-and-that will not matter anymore.

So... these are the types of things I run into, being what I feel to be a "moderate" Christian, and that's why I feel I belong to this particular forum.

I also regularly post in Conservative Christians and Fundamentalist Christians, as I do believe the entire Bible is the infallible Word of God, and I believe as Christians we ought to have reasonable standards in our lives (as opposed to legalism), and do our level best to live according to the Word of God and allow God to lead us all as individuals, trusting that He will convict as He sees fit (which is sort of where the "moderate" part comes in).

There are a couple of links that I have come to appreciate, one of them getting into what might be considered "secondary issues" in the realm of Christianity. The lady who wrote these articles writes from what I feel to be a "moderate" perspective. I may find them again, and post them, when I get a chance. They really give good insight, and make for some interesting reading, if anything.

Here are the links, for anyone who may be interested:

http://barbarah.wordpress.com/2007/02/17/fundamentals-and-secondary-issues/

http://barbarah.wordpress.com/2007/01/26/fundamentalism-and-separatism/

Victorium said:

Just wondering: What exactly are Moderate Christians?

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A christian who holds moderate political views. A christian who is neither very conservative or liberal. Duh.

AdamKane said:

A christian who holds moderate political views. A christian who is neither very conservative or liberal. Duh.

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Yes, that, too. Which is part of what adds to the confusion.

And even in politics, alone, we run into the same thing. Staunch Republicans think you're too "liberal", while Democrats think you're too "conservative". And because of this, political discussions are just one heck of a big mess.

So, have we nailed the jello to the wall yet?

Too jello like for that to happen. 'Moderates' can range in their beliefs quite substantially, which is why they are moderates. Maybe a comparison with the fundamentalists, pointing our where a moderate can differ, would clarify some issues?

John
NZ

AdamKane said:

A christian who holds moderate political views. A christian who is neither very conservative or liberal. Duh.

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Politics wasn't really an issue when we were discussing starting this forum. Except that certain other forums were too politically polarized. It wasn't that we were hoping this would be a political middle ground, but rather that it would not be dominated by politics, as some of the others sometimes were.

Personally, I'm a libertarian. That's not moderate at all really, but hard right on some issues and hard left on others, not randomly but based on the standards of individual liberty and strict constitutionality. (Yes, I know that explanation is America-centric and oversimplified.)

(deleted post which was worded poorly)

I just think that we, as Christians (myself included), sometimes get caught up in what we don't agree on rather than what we actually agree on. Not that a little bit of orderly debate, within reason, isn't okay, at times. It's just that it tends to get out of hand, and then leads to (like I said before) "oneupmanship" as to "who's holier" because of this, that, or something. That is a trap any Christian can easily fall into, if not careful. Then we come off as Pharisees (and we all know what Jesus, although He loved them, thought of that type of attitude).

And what kind of an example is it to the unsaved if we're always fighting?

WannaWitness said:

Perhaps it would help to re-label things: Legalist, Moderate, and Liberal. The more open-minded, reasonable fundies/conservatives can fall under the moderate category, while the true legalists are a category all their own.

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Did it occur to you that your labeling may be seen as offensive, prejudiced?

ToBeInChrist said:

Did it occur to you that your labeling may be seen as offensive, prejudiced?

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Well, I certainly didn't mean to come off that way. All I was doing was giving an example of how confusing some of the labeling such as the above can get, and how many in different categories can overlap. I tried to carefully plan out my post to be something everyone could relate to, but apparently, it came out wrong. Perhaps my choice of words was a bit too explicit. I had no mean-spirited intentions, and I sincerely apologize if I offended you, or any others here, in any way. And as far as that goes, I can't count how many times some have offended me, and it was deliberate.

I have always felt right at home in "Bridge Builders", seeing that I consider myself moderate. But rather than "building a bridge", I've ended up doing the opposite of what this forum is about. Therefore, I have deleted the post so that no one in the future can be offended.

After wiping the slate clean, I can feel I belong here, again.

WannaWitness said:

Well, I certainly didn't mean to come off that way.

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It was just an honest question. Not intended to try to make people feel like they should walk on eggshells.

ToBeInChrist said:

It was just an honest question. Not intended to try to make people feel like they should walk on eggshells.

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I understand that. And that concerns me. I mean, if some people can find my post offensive (and I now understand where some might have been), then I'm greatly lacking when it comes to being a successful "Bridge Builder". Which is what this portion of CF is supposed to be about.

And that's why I agree (yes, I truly do) that we're better off without so many labels. They just lead to total confusion much of the time.

We're just all Christians who happen to have different convictions. That's the way I've always seen it.

With that, I now think I'm ready to try to forget all of this ever happened, and move on from here at total peace.

I hope things are all clear, now. God bless.

Haven't been around for a while, but I'll try. As what I consider a "moderate Christian" myself, I'd define it as someone who balances the Old Testament Mosaic law with the "social gospel" of Jesus Christ. My opinion is that Christ died for us to create a new covenant... BUT at the same time, I don't believe he eradicated all of the "old" covenant (i.e. Mosaic law, Leviticus and all that). Some of the Mosaic law, IMO, was intended for the Israelites as a survival mechanism in a surrounding that didn't tolerate them well. But I think some of it may have been situational based on my readings, especially where moral values weren't concerned and when examining the works of Biblical scholars against the known threats to OT Jews at the time.

I don't think we can discard all of the Mosaic law or pretend that morality is irrelevant. Christ changed the rules, but didn't completely rewrite them. At the same time, I think it's clear Jesus calls us to *some* social/economic ideas that would be called "liberal" today -- God wants us to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick. Taken together -- assuming I believe in both the moral and social imperatives of Scripture -- it's hard for me to see how someone could NOT be an overall "moderate" in today's political structure. Many (but not all) liberals want an "anything goes" attitude about social morality which Scripture doesn't support, and many (but not all) conservatives seem to believe in a social Darwinism that Jesus would reject as I read the Bible.

So to me, both the conservative and the liberal political views of today miss some of the picture, but both get part of it right as I see it from 30,000 feet. This is why I'm a Christian moderate.

ziggy29 said:

Haven't been around for a while, but I'll try. As what I consider a "moderate Christian" myself, I'd define it as someone who balances the Old Testament Mosaic law with the "social gospel" of Jesus Christ. My opinion is that Christ died for us to create a new covenant... BUT at the same time, I don't believe he eradicated all of the "old" covenant (i.e. Mosaic law, Leviticus and all that). Some of the Mosaic law, IMO, was intended for the Israelites as a survival mechanism in a surrounding that didn't tolerate them well. But I think some of it may have been situational based on my readings, especially where moral values weren't concerned and when examining the works of Biblical scholars against the known threats to OT Jews at the time.

I don't think we can discard all of the Mosaic law or pretend that morality is irrelevant. Christ changed the rules, but didn't completely rewrite them. At the same time, I think it's clear Jesus calls us to *some* social/economic ideas that would be called "liberal" today -- God wants us to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick. Taken together -- assuming I believe in both the moral and social imperatives of Scripture -- it's hard for me to see how someone could NOT be an overall "moderate" in today's political structure. Many (but not all) liberals want an "anything goes" attitude about social morality which Scripture doesn't support, and many (but not all) conservatives seem to believe in a social Darwinism that Jesus would reject as I read the Bible.

So to me, both the conservative and the liberal political views of today miss some of the picture, but both get part of it right as I see it from 30,000 feet. This is why I'm a Christian moderate.

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Great insight. Of course, I would think that, seeing that I may be considered politically moderate, myself. I simply don't agree that any one party is closer to "Christian morals" than another one is, and especially since politicians (regardless of party) have been found not to completely deliver in everything they propose; in addition to that, many (both Republican and Democrat) have been caught in the middle of scandals that are far from moral, and aside from their performance in whatever office they hold (Presidential, Senate, or whatever). That is why I am nonpartisan, because I like to try to weigh everything with an open mind, and see what happens from there. I also believe in praying for whoever is in office, even if that person wasn't our personal choice, because they all deserve it.

Then again, some people think "nonpartisan" means "wishy-washy", so... what can you do?

I consider myself a moderate Christian but not really moderate politically. I think the two are completely separate. Where my faith is concerned, I've had some people think that I'm a Bible thumper and others think that I'm too lax or "luke warm". I don't think I'm either. I like to take each individual situation and decide the best approach and not have an umbrella approach for anything and everything. Politically, I'm an economic conservative and a social liberal so possibly I am moderate there too but I don't feel that way.

I see moderate Christians, as opposed to the fundamentalist variety, as being willing to look afresh at our understanding of the Bible without rejecting it as authoritative. This bog is illustrative of someone who is doing that. Many would reject what he has written on the basis it's not what they already believe. But it is typical of many who are seeking greater depth and daily relevance to their journey with Jesus.

The Pangea Blog | Kurt Willems' Blog at Patheos

John
NZ