What is a Christian? - Page 2

milligal · 07-21-2007, 09:51 PM

Your post has some great points and I think it begs the question is being a christian something you want to acheive on your own or within a congregation? I don't know of any christian religions including non denominational and even those that incorporate the occult (spirit mediums) that do not acknowledge god. Iw oudl seem to be acknowleged as a christian you have to accept both christ and god.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Og

You do not need to believe in a literal god or that the acts of christ are literal in order to be a christian. I acknowledge christ's message and think it is a valid and powerful one. I do not take it literally (and no rational individual who can see beyond his nose does). Jesus' message is the same as that of the Buddha.

If you make the definition that Christians are those that express the nicean creed or the apostle's creed (i.e. "I believe in god the father allmighty, creator of heaven and earth.. etc") then you have that definition and a literal interpretation of the canonical texts is the only way to be a christian.. Furthermore, the recent declaration of the pope requires that you be catholic to be a true christian (all other churches are wrong).

A broader definition is someone who understands, interprets, and follows the recorded teachings of jesus christ in some way or another. That's all a christian is.

If you limit it to the above, you have to discard the obvious influences of the buddhist missionaries of ashoka and the archeological discoveries of mixed east/west cultures on the roman silk road and the identity between the christ story and the buddha story. You have to reject the coptic/gnostic texts found in 1948 at nag hamadi (some of which were written as short as 20 years after jesus' death as opposed to 50 or more). You also have to reject reason, observation, and all of modern science.

Literalism is stupid and shouldn't pigeon hole the ideas that Christ put forth. They have value and are powerful in a way just like the buddha's and others. They represent an infusion of cultures.

Anyway, I think that saying that being christian requires a belief in god in a literal sense is close minded and rejects a lot of important details of the history of the time period.

Gettin' In Tune · 07-21-2007, 09:57 PM

Doesn't a belief in 'Jesus Christ' require a leap of faith?

**The An-Jel** · 07-21-2007, 10:28 PM

Christ believes in God, he "says" so in the New Testament and shows it in what he does. Picking and choosing is nice and anyone can do it but if you are going to stay true to a Christian platform you either accept the gospel or you don't. Christ says he is the son of God or someone declared he is and it hasn't been changed in the last 2000 years.

I accept the 10 Commandments as: " Treat others as you would like to be treated" but as far as the rest of the Bible stories go they are just that Stories. Thats my interpretation anyway. Saying I like this and I like that is a way of dodging faith if your dealing with Jesus Christ.

Gettin' In Tune · 07-21-2007, 10:47 PM

Oh An-jel. I appreciate your firm (non) conviction in jesus and believe it is necessary. I say necessary, because jesus carried a 'powerful' message that to this day is still disputed and open to interpretation.

Its been 2000 years! I think it is best to lay his message down for awhile.