What describes a liberal Christian?

[JulySheMustFly]

What makes you a liberal Christian?

I ask because I would never consider using the word liberal to describe my beliefs or how I live, but am finding that my Christian walk doesn't jive with quite a number of Christians.

It makes sense to not quite know where I fit in the world, but I am trying to find where I fit in the church.

 

[Im_A]

What makes you a liberal Christian?

I ask because I would never consider using the word liberal to describe my beliefs or how I live, but am finding that my Christian walk doesn't jive with quite a number of Christians.

It makes sense to not quite know where I fit in the world, but I am trying to find where I fit in the church.

i think it's rather hard to define a liberal Christian. it's kind of like trying to define a conservative Christian. the views vary from here to there, just as it does amongst us liberals.

personally? all i see that is even possible to call me a liberal is(all that i say here, i'm not trying to debate about. i don't want to break the rules of CF for this forum.) so i hope this thread sticks with your OP :

1. i believe in universal reconciliation (ie the hot word "universalism.) so to put it in a simple statement, i believe it was Jesus who "SAVED" the world, and i look forward to being with the Jews, Hindus, Buddhist, Muslims and so on so forth in heaven.
2. i believe a gay man who is celibate can become a priest/pastor. as for a practicing gay man, i remain pretty non-opinionated. but even this issue i don't have too much care for because i'm straight.
3. i believe gays should be allowed to be married in a secular/non-Chrisitan nation as ours, but i also believe the church should never have government force to marry homosexuals. i believe a church shouldn't have their freedoms taken away by the federal government. i believe each individual church has to search that out with God. but as this is secular government/nation, there is no sense in a secular government who allows all religions to worship here (with the exception of very few and minut beliefs) to stick along with one religion only.
4. i believe a non-literal/metaphorical interpretation is more valid, and more fruitful for the life of a Christian while admitting that many of the miralces are myths. (yes i believe that myths can be true. hence, i'm a Christian.)
5. i believe that abortion must remain legal for the sake of the emergency and the small percentages of lives that are threatened with pregnancy, but yet, my fiancee and i will never abort when the time comes and i believe it must be controled strictly/fascistly(is that even a word?)
6. i'm a moderate on issues of morality. (that may not be able to be included, because there's a difference between a moderate and a liberal.)
7. i believe we should strive to feed the hungry, the poor, the homeless/jobless and take care of the widows. (but even conservatives believe that. i guess the way one feels that should be done is what classifys them as a liberal or conservative.)
8. i'm pro-life (meaning in the sense of where i would stand on the issue of the death penalty.) i have no problems with a criminal spending an entire life in prison as compared to an finite justice system, making an infinite court desicion.

i'll end it here. so what's the verdict? am i a liberal?

God Bless you! <><

 

[JulySheMustFly]

Thanks. I know it was an open question and varries person to person, but your answer did give me an idea of what would be considered liberal. I am surrounded by conservatives so even the mention of the word liberal gathers tisk tisks and grunts. I actually agree with you on many points. I must admit not all, but don't take offense to others positions.

 

[Im_A]

Thanks. I know it was an open question and varries person to person, but your answer did give me an idea of what would be considered liberal. I am surrounded by conservatives so even the mention of the word liberal gathers tisk tisks and grunts. I actually agree with you on many points. I must admit not all, but don't take offense to others positions.

no problem at all. trust me, i don't take offense to others' positions

the best advice i can give with this with posting here on CF, just maybe wait till other liberals post here, maybe even research it online as well.

www.wikipedia.org is a site that i'm hooked on. it's an online encyclopedia (sp?).

here are also some authors if you want to look around on the net to find some stuff about them, this may help you out as well.

Marcus Borg
Bishop John Shelby Spong
Karen Armstrong
Brian McLaren (probably more post-modern than liberal, but still a great read of any thing by him.)
Paul Tillich
Karl Barrth
Hans Kung (i thank Cadan here for mentioning some about him for now i want some books of his after doing a little research about him.)

to name a few. i'm sure others can help you out as well and probably better than i can.

and while i'm at it, don't think the word liberal is such a bad word being around conservatives i suspect the word is a bit of a bad word to say. i wonder if it is the same as a group of liberals talking about the word "conservative." liberals have done some great things too. it's not that bad of a word

God Bless you! <><

 

[Mustaphile]

Try this link at wikipedia for a pretty comprehensive coverage of Liberal Christianity. A number of people from this forum have contributed to the content of this article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_christianity

 

[CaDan]

Marcus Borg
Bishop John Shelby Spong
Karen Armstrong
Brian McLaren (probably more post-modern than liberal, but still a great read of any thing by him.)
Paul Tillich
Karl Barrth
Karl Jung (i thank Cadan here for mentioning some about him for now i want some books of his after doing a little research about him.)

That's Hans Küng. Carl Jung will take you someplace else entirely.

*still chuckling*

 

[Im_A]

That's Hans Küng. Carl Jung will take you someplace else entirely.

*still chuckling*

oh my word. wow, haha. thank you for the clarrification. i feel like a dope, but at least i'm smiling and laughing, and yes i meant Hans Kung. am i the only one that sees a connection between Carl Jung and Hans Kung?....ok probably not, haha

 

[stumpjumper]

What makes you a liberal Christian?

I ask because I would never consider using the word liberal to describe my beliefs or how I live, but am finding that my Christian walk doesn't jive with quite a number of Christians.

It makes sense to not quite know where I fit in the world, but I am trying to find where I fit in the church.

I'm a liberal Christian because the atheists wouldn't accept me and I guess God wanted me. Go figure

The real reaosn why I am a liberal Christian is because that is the only thing that I could be with a Christian in the title. I live in a multi-cultural area with people of many different religions and I have multicultural yearnings in my heart. I could not believe that most of my neighbors and all of Saudi Arabia are destined to hell as that is insane.

I am a liberal Christian because that is all that is really and truly open to anyone willing to look at the Bible openly and rationally and let the Bible talk to them rather than the other way around.

What does your heart tell you? What do you read when Jesus says: "Father forgive them they know not what they do." and when Paul says that "Jesus Christ is the savior of all men, especially those who believe"?

 

[GreenPartyVoter]

Try reading through some of these articles on the subject too.

 

[OceanAngel]

I'd guess I'm quite liberal but that comes with the terrority

 

[freespirit2001]

That's Hans Küng. Carl Jung will take you someplace else entirely.

*still chuckling*

HEY CADAN!!!

Hans Kung:

"NO PEACE AMONG THE NATIONS WITHOUT PEACE AMONG THE RELIGIONS,
NO PEACE AMONG THE RELIGIONS WITHOUT DIALOGUE AMONG THE RELIGIONS,
NO DIALOGUE AMONG THE RELIGIONS WITHOUT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FOUNDATION OF RELIGIONS."

 

[freespirit2001]

Hey TryingHard!

This is always a favorite question of mine for bible study.

I hadn't realized there is a world of liberal christians before I came on this forum.

I tend to believe liberal Christians accept Christ on more of an intellectual level, while fundamentalists are more emotion-led, and traditional church goers are more doctrine-led believers.........

I also feel liberal christians are the information gatherers and the question askers of the christian world; liberals are firm believers in information power in their faith and tend to reason with bible facts as some things are not really literally interpretations---liberals are more empowered to think and reason with life around them, tend to have better sense of freedom and resolve---- look within first, for their inner wisdom and answers not outward blame---Liberal christians tend to be better problem-solvers through their christian faith and spiritual integrity in the life around them....

Liberal christians are good at perception testing / reality testing in their own lives and in their relationships with others.

Liberals also have a natural sense of emotional intelligence-- healthy levels of empathy and self-awareness for the life and spirit around them---

 

[TheMilkman]

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being Penn & Teller and 10 being Pat Robertson, I would have to put you somewhere around a 4. More liberal than a moderate but not by a lot.

Until recently I was an atheist which was very beneficial to me. I got to see all the good points that they had and take them with me, that is why I am a liberal. Liberals tend to care more about humanity and conservatives tend to care more about the bible more than being kind to people.

 

[AJtheIrishLass]

What makes you a liberal Christian?

Openess to modern Bible scholarship, believing that social justice is an important (indeed, fundamental) part of the Gospel message, tolerance for those with differing beliefs, and allowing for the possibility of salvatin for those that haven't heard the Gospel (through no fault of their own). Aside from these things, I'm pretty orthodox in my beliefs.

 

[CaDan]

HEY CADAN!!!

Hans Kung:

"NO PEACE AMONG THE NATIONS WITHOUT PEACE AMONG THE RELIGIONS,
NO PEACE AMONG THE RELIGIONS WITHOUT DIALOGUE AMONG THE RELIGIONS,
NO DIALOGUE AMONG THE RELIGIONS WITHOUT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FOUNDATION OF RELIGIONS."

You've got it!

I'm re-reading "The Church" right now. Incredibly dense writing--it's sort of like intellectual mysticism.

I'm working up to Barth's "Church Dogmatics" (Christmas gift hint, hint, hint!)

 

[DesertedRose]

Commitment to social justice would be a huge component, in my mind.

When I was a child I remember seeing in my father's church (a black southern church) paper fans that folks would use to keep themselves cool, since the church building had no air conditioning. The fans had pictures of MLK, RFK and JFK on them. They were handed out free of charge from the local mortuary.

So that was an indelible mark left on my spirituality that has followed me to this day, as a multiracial woman working on her MSW. Social Justice is my calling, my vocation, and I seek to serve God this way. In caring for the hurting and poor of the world, there's no room for bigotry. We're called to be the hands and feet of the Lord for everyone, not just certain kinds of people.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll look into some of the sugested readings, but from the what I've read of the responses I am about a 4. More liberal than conservative. As for the term moderate, I've always felt this was a term for the apathetic.

 

[TheMilkman]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'll look into some of the sugested readings, but from the what I've read of the responses I am about a 4. More liberal than conservative. As for the term moderate, I've always felt this was a term for the apathetic.

Ha, I figured what I said would put it into terms that were clear. Moderate people are ok in my eyes. A lot of people see them as fence seaters, but I see them as people who take what they believe to be the good from both sides. Fiscal responsbility from the older conservatives (Not like Bush, I saw a comic about him that said he "spends like a drunk democrat"), which is soo true.) and social responsibility from the liberals.

 

[MissingPerson]

What makes me a Liberal Christian:

1. Finding modern biblical scholarship and textual criticism refreshing

2. Believing in the doctrine of Universal Reconciliation (When I am lifted up, I WILL gather ALL people to myself. --Christ).

3. Believing in the full inclusion of GLBT people in the life of the church (as clergy, laity, etc.) and full and equal marriage rights for all.

4. Believing in the seperation of church and state as it is defined now.

5. Reading the Bible more critically and not being bothered by symbolic language and myths.

6. Believing that Faith is a journey and being open to new ideas and changes that come along the way.

There are many other things, but this is just a sampling...

Blessings,
Adrian

 

[annaapple]

^^^ And I second the motion.

I guess an important component of liberal Christianity is trying not to be judgemental.