Christian Reconstructionism (Jesus Christ, Earth, Torah, Kingdom, followers)

[Trey of Diamonds]

Christian Reconstructionism believes that the world will come together under a global government that is Christian based. What is more scary, the terrorist who tries to take over the world or the smooth talking fundamentalist who talks you into giving up your freedoms?

Here is the Vision statement from the Chalcedon Foundation.

Chalcedon Vision Statement

Chalcedon labors to articulate in the clearest possible terms a distinctly Christian and explicitly Biblical solution to the prevalent evils of the modern world. Our objective is nothing short of setting forth the vision and program for rebuilding the theological fortifications of Christian civilization. These fortifications have been eroded by the forces of humanism and secularism over the past three centuries. We are not committed, though, merely to reproducing a glorious Christian past. We work to press the claims of historic Christianity as the Biblical pattern of life everywhere. We work for godly cultural change across the entire spectrum of life. We strive to accomplish this objective by two principal methods.

First, Chalcedon is committed to recovering the intellectual foundations of Christian civilization. We do this in two main ways, negatively, we expose the bankruptcy of all non-Christian (and alleged but compromising Christian) systems of thought and practices. Positively, we propose an explicitly Biblical system of thought and action as the exclusive basis for civilization. Only by restoring the Christian Faith and Biblical law as the standard of all of life can Christians hope to re-establish Christian civilizations.

Second, Chalcedon is dedicated to providing the tools for rebuilding this Christian civilization. We work to assist individuals, families, and institutions by offering explicitly Biblical alternatives to anti-Christian ideas and practices. In the way we guide Christians in the task of governing their own spheres of life in terms of the entire Bible: in family, church, school, vocation, arts, economics, business, media, the state, and all other areas of modern life.

We believe that the source of godly change is regeneration by the Holy Spirit, not revolution by the violence of man. As God regenerates more and more individuals, and as they reorient their lives and areas of personal influence to the teachings of the Bible, He employs them to advance His kingdom and establish Christian civilization. We believe that God's law is the divine pattern of sanctification in every area of life, but it is not the means of justification; man is saved by grace, not by law. The role of every earthly government—including family government, church government, school government, vocational government, and civil government—is to submit to Biblical law. No government in any form can make men Christians or truly obedient; this is the work of God' sovereign grace. Much less should civil government try to impose Biblical law on an unbelieving society. Biblical law cannot be imposed; it must be embraced.

A guiding principle of Chalcedon, in fact, is its devotion to maximum individual freedom under God's law. Chalcedon derives its name from the great ecclesiastical council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451), which produced the crucial Christological definition of Jesus Christ as God of very God and Man of very man, a formula directly challenging every false claim of divinity by any human institution: state, church, cult, schools, or human assembly. Christ alone is both God and man, the unique link between heaven and earth. All human power is therefore derivative; only Christ may announce that "All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:18). Historically, therefore, the Chalcedonian creed is the foundation of Western liberty, setting limits on all authoritarian human institutions by acknowledging the validity of the claims of the One who is the source of all human freedom (Galatians 5:1). Consequently, we oppose top-heavy, authoritarian systems of government which are, by definition, non-Christian. We advocate instead a series of independent but cooperative institutions and a highly decentralized social order.

Chalcedon is an educational institution. It supports the efforts of Christians and Christian organizations to implement the vision of Christian civilization. Though unapologetically Reformed, Chalcedon supports the kingdom work of all orthodox denominations and churches. Chalcedon is an independent Christian foundation governed by a board of trustees, Christian men in accord with Chalcedon's vision statement. The foundation is not subordinate to the authority of any particular denomination or ecclesiastical body.

[Makhsihed]

Originally Posted by Trey of Diamonds

Christian Reconstructionism believes that the world will come together under a global government that is Christian based.

...Oh, drat. There goes that idea.

I'd once said I'd love to see a Christian Reconstructionist. But what I meant was something like a Christian version of a Hellenic Reconstructionist, or a Celtic Reconstructionist, or a Kemetic Reconstructionist... someone who tried reconstructing Christianity as it may have been (by as much archaeological and anthropological evidence as can be found) during/very shortly after the time of Christ, and tried practicing a faith under those parameters. Someone who did all their research, considered the cultural context, disregarded the more modern additions (like the canonization of the Bible and modern interpretation/dogma) and did all the legwork themselves, interpreting things for themselves based on archaeological and anthropological evidence (supplemented by experiential knowledge, but with the experiences scrutinized very carefully if they contradicted more objective evidence), going so far even to learn Greek and Aramaic and such.

I thought it'd be fascinating to see what such a person would come up with, and if it'd bear any resemblance to modern Christianity, and how many modern Christians would condemn such a person if (and more likely when) they interpreted things differently than modern Christians.

If this sort of thing, this Chalcedon Foundation, is the result of such an attempt... geh. I'm rather disappointed.

[Trey of Diamonds]

Sounds like you are looking for a return to the times prior to the Council of Nicaea. To bad much of that knowledge is lost as I think it would be facinating. The Chalcedon are just extreme Calvinists but they do put the fear of God in me, or at least the fear of God's followers.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Trey of Diamonds

The Chalcedon are just extreme Calvinists but they do put the fear of God in me, or at least the fear of God's followers.

I Ain't Afraid
Words and music by Holly Near

I ain't afraid of your Yahweh
I ain't afraid of your Allah
I ain't afraid of your Jesus
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God

I ain't afraid of your churches
I ain't afraid of your temples
I ain't afraid of your praying
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God

verse
Rise up to your higher power
Free up from fear, it will devour you
Watch out for the ego of the hour
The ones who say they know it
Are the ones who will impose it on you

I ain't afraid of your Yahweh
I ain't afraid of your Allah
I ain't afraid of your Jesus
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God

I ain't afraid of your churches
I ain't afraid of your temples
I ain't afraid of your praying
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God

verse
Rise up, and see /find/ know/ hear a higher story
Free up from the gods of war and glory
Watch out for the threats of purgatory
The spirit of the wind won’t make a killing off of sin and satan

I ain't afraid of your Bible
I ain't afraid of your Torah
I ain't afraid of your Koran
Dont let the letter of the law
Obsure the spirit of the your love--it's killing us

I ain't afraid of your Yahweh
I ain't afraid of your Allah
I ain't afraid of your Jesus
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God

I ain't afraid of your churches
I ain't afraid of your temples
I ain't afraid of your praying
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God

Money
Culture
Choices
I’m afraid of what you do in the name of your God

Sunday
Spirit
Teachers
I’m afraid of what you do in the name of your God

Sabbath
Borders
Dances
I’m afraid of what you do in the name of your God

Children
Music
Stories
I’m afraid of what you do in the name of your God

Rise up to your higher power
Free up
Rise up to your higher power
Free up
Let's try to be highly evolved
I aint afraid

[Makhsihed]

Originally Posted by Trey of Diamonds

Sounds like you are looking for a return to the times prior to the Council of Nicaea. To bad much of that knowledge is lost as I think it would be facinating.

Much of the knowledge of the pre-Christian Celts is lost, too - there's not even really first-hand written records - but that doesn't stop the Celtic Reconstructionists, and they're an amazingly scholarly bunch.

[Trey of Diamonds]

Originally Posted by Makhsihed

Much of the knowledge of the pre-Christian Celts is lost, too - there's not even really first-hand written records - but that doesn't stop the Celtic Reconstructionists, and they're an amazingly scholarly bunch.

Good point but I think the Romans and early Christians were more focused on destroying any Christian oriented material that did not match up with the Nicene Dogma than they were in destoring Pagan material. Yes, I know it is only a few degrees difference though.

Specifically the Celts lost much of their knowledge because they didn't have a written language for much of their history, relying on a verbal history learned by rote. I find them extremely interesting, especially their marrige contracts and cutoms. Those guys really knew how to have a relationship.

Generally I agree that reconstruction in the contex you are using it sounds wonderful.

[Trey of Diamonds]

Originally Posted by lilithu

I Ain't Afraid
Words and music by Holly Near

I ain't afraid of your Yahweh
I ain't afraid of your Allah
I ain't afraid of your Jesus
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your God

That is truly beautiful! Amen!