Are there such things as Christians who don't believe...
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Anonymous
She believes in the resurrection as hope and light for all. The power of it is in its personal meaning, and she embraces the mystery of it. I do the same. I greatly admire Bishop Mariann. I know you can't speak for Bishop Mariann (unless you ARE Bishop Mariann) but can you explain what you mean by " the resurrection as hope and light for all"? Does it inolve physical resurrection? What hope and light does it provide. And what do you mean by "she embraces the mystery of it"? Could you be specific? What mystery of what? No, I'm not the bishop by any means. She speaks of the mystery in her blog post. |
Anonymous
I know you can't speak for Bishop Mariann (unless you ARE Bishop Mariann) but can you explain what you mean by " the resurrection as hope and light for all"? Does it inolve physical resurrection? What hope and light does it provide. And what do you mean by "she embraces the mystery of it"? Could you be specific? What mystery of what? No, I'm not the bishop by any means. She speaks of the mystery in her blog post. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm asking you what YOU mean by embracing the mystery of it. Above you say, "I do the same." What is it that you do? |
Anonymous
| Sounds like you want something with out the word Christ in the religion name not Christian. |
Anonymous
No, I'm not the bishop by any means. She speaks of the mystery in her blog post. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm asking you what YOU mean by embracing the mystery of it. Above you say, "I do the same." What is it that you do? Oh, I see. Sorry; I hadn't had enough coffee when I read this. What I meant is that I embrace the fact that I do not know and will never know the answers to all these questions. An example is the resurrection, and as the bishop wrote, all I know is how Jesus's followers experienced the resurrection and how I experience the resurrection. I experience it metaphorically and see it as representing hope of new life for all people, but in the end it is a mystery to me. In the broader sense I think of God as a divine reality that cannot be described in human terms, as in the apophatic tradition -- the via negativa. |
Anonymous
I am an atheist and consider many of the things taught by many churches, including my old Episcopalian church, to be wrong or immoral. I now consider myself "Christian" in a cultural sense, just like my ethnic background is Irish-Scottish-English-German. I have Scottish blood in me but I'm not ever going to eat haggis. I celebrate Christmas with my family and honor the good things that Jesus taught, plus I like the carols, but I don't think he was the son of God. I decide for myself what is good or bad based on whether a particular conduct makes me feel good and makes a positive contribution to society. Homosexuality, for example, what's wrong with a consensual loving relationship between two adults? It's good for society when we hook people like that up for life, so they can aid and comfort and support each other. What difference does it make if they are the same gender? |
Anonymous
And this relates to the original post. . . how? |
Anonymous
What do you mean "how"? The OP wants to know if you can be "Christian" but not believe. I'm say of course you can - you can be a secular Christian. What's your problem?? |
Anonymous
I'm pretty sure she is not asking about cultural Christianity, PP. I think she is asking about the religious variety, not the Santa Claus sort. |
Anonymous
I don;t know why you are assuming that. |
Anonymous
Because I've been following the thread since she posted it. She is certainly not asking about atheists who identify as culturally Christian. |
Anonymous
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OP, there are lots and lots of Christians like you. When you are in the more fundamental branches of the Church, though, it can feel like you are the only one with questions. But most main-line churches would find your questions very normal, and have lots to talk with you about. There are also community churches (ie nondenominational) that are more progressive in their theology. I go to one. Try reading CS Lewis, sure, but also try Brian McLaren. His books are good for people who are steeped in the fundamental tradition but are looking for a new way to understand God and their faith.
For what it is worth, I am a committed Christian who believes in gay marriage, the Bible as a library of texts written by human men trying to understand God, and Jesus as the son of God and healer of humanity, but not as a gatekeeper to the afterlife. I am hardly strange in that way. Lots of Jesus followers like me, and you'll find plenty of community if you need to find a new path. |
Anonymous
No, she's not. She is asking: Are there such things as Christians who don't believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God? Are there such things as Christians who don't believe that homosexuality in a committed relationship is not a sin? Are there such things as Christians who don't believe that non-believers will not go to hell? As illustrated above, there are plenty of Christians who believe in God and many other tenets of Christianity but don't think that those apply. |
Anonymous
What about the supernatural? Do you believe in that? |