Protestant or Catholic (priests, ritual, moral, tradition, birth control)

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Terrywoodenpic

There are liberal Christians in many Denominations. How ever I don't think there is such a thing as A Liberal Christian Church.
Most are Just Heretical members of an existing church.

I would be considered a liberal member of the Anglican Church with Anglo-Catholic leanings.

Does that mean that you consider yourself a heretic, Terry? Just curious.

Do you not consider the Unitarians or the Universalists to be liberal Christian churches/denominations? (I'm not refering to UU, but to the denominations that gave rise to UU.) Tho it seems that if an entire denomination becomes liberal Christian, they then tend to either go on to become something other than Christian, or they cease to exist as a denomination as they get absorbed by others.

[Terrywoodenpic]

Originally Posted by lilithu

Does that mean that you consider yourself a heretic, Terry? Just curious.

Do you not consider the Unitarians or the Universalists to be liberal Christian churches/denominations? (I'm not refering to UU, but to the denominations that gave rise to UU.) Tho it seems that if an entire denomination becomes liberal Christian, they then tend to either go on to become something other than Christian, or they cease to exist as a denomination as they get absorbed by others.

Look at my religion and title makes it Pretty clear that I hold views that are Heretical to the Anglican Faith. This is not a problem to or for Anglicans as we are a broad church.

Unitarians consider them selves Christian but do not believe in the trinity in any form. So To me they are liberal Christians, though most other churches do not consider them Christians at all. as they do not believe Jesus was God. There are still Unitarian churches in the UK'

is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God). It is the philosophy upon which the modern Unitarian movement was based, and, according to its proponents, is the original form of Christianity. Unitarian Christians believe in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, as found in the New Testament and other early Christian writings, and hold him up as an exemplar. Adhering to strict monotheism, they maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural creature, but not God himself. Unitarians believe in the moral authority, but not necessarily the divinity, of Jesus.

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

Christian Universalists... are Christian And in as much they believe every one Goes to "heaven" I agree with them.
However there are Universalists who follow other faiths.

The UU's Are not Christian. but do have some Christian members

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Terrywoodenpic

Look at my religion and title makes it Pretty clear that I hold views that are Heretical to the Anglican Faith.

Oops, sorry.

[spiritually inclined]

Yes. If you are interested in non-theistic Episcopalians get a copy of Spong's Why Christianity Must Change or Die and A New Christianity For A New World.

How would atheistic or non-theistic Episcopalians view traditional worship, the Eucharist, Lent, Christmas, the Bible?

James

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

Yes. If you are interested in non-theistic Episcopalians get a copy of Spong's Why Christianity Must Change or Die and A New Christianity For A New World.

I'm familiar with Bishop Spong's writings and it's never occurred to me to think of him as an atheist or even non-theist. (UUs love Spong since we have so few theologians ourselves.) He talks about God freely.

Are we operating under different interpretations of the word "theist"?

[spiritually inclined]

I am also under the impression that John Shelby Spong believes in God. He does not view God in traditional theistic terms -- a man in the sky -- but he seems to be along the lines of a panentheist.

James

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by spiritually inclined

but he seems to be along the lines of a panentheist.

Yeah, baby!!

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by spiritually inclined

I am also under the impression that John Shelby Spong believes in God. He does not view God in traditional theistic terms -- a man in the sky -- but he seems to be along the lines of a panentheist.

James

Have you read his books? He very specifically talks about "God-experience" rather than "God" and like Tillich regards "God" as a symbol for something along the lines of the "ground of being", which would make him more of a pantheist than a panentheist, though I've never heard or read him claim either o