Bishop Spongs 12 Points of Reformation of Christianity

[gnomon]

Well these are the twelve points for reform of Christianity as proposed by the successful and dignified career of a Episcopal Bishop Christian, they're not mine.
Do you have a case for theism aside from the mention of its popularity? Cats walking under ladders bringing us bad luck? Do you believe that too?

I don't have a case for theism because I'm an atheist.

 

[gnomon]

Well there is a couple of hundred years of these sorts of dialogues. Since the theists weren't able to burn atheists at the stake for this or that heresy; we've learned and grown and we have all sorts of conversations now. But also it doesn't work your way; God is Dead - it's symbolic of the uselessness of certain God-talk; the god of theism - omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent - we can't find him anywhere and it's not for a want of looking or trying. Have you ever been to a hospital to visit children with bone cancer - where was your God for them? Before I finish typing this posts, a number of children under the age of 5 will have died - where was your God for them? Where were you for 9/11? People hurling their own bodies out of windows of collapsing buildings - and where was your God for them? - Now I personally call this God Omnimax - as a generic term for the super-human-powerful God of the "abrahamix" - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I don't believe that this God exists and i've been debating cases for his existence for over 15 years. Do you have one? Remember, the burden of proof is not upon the Atheist, who merely lacks theistic belief. The burden is yours to prove that God doesn't exist. I say, poetically, God is Dead, because I don't believe he ever was; I have not yet found a theist who has made a case for the existence of God as a supernatural being. But if you have one, why not make it here?

"You don't have to turn your head into a 1st century pretzel to be a Christian"
-Bishop Spong.

I don't believe in a God.

I am an atheist.

I'm just going to laugh myself out of this thread based upon your imbecility.

 

[rusra02]

I believe true Christianity needs no reformation. Apostate "Christianity" is irreformable.

 

[gnomon]

I apologize for my direction towards you because I did not realize at first these were the actual statements of bishop Spong........

He's a moron. His first point is utterly imbecile. Theism as a means of defining God is dead only a ****ing idiot would say such a thing.

I will find the correct outlet to direct my atheistic disdain for his bull**** directly.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Spong is travelling a path, followed by others, to its logical conclusion.
Unitarianism has its roots in the earliest days of Christianity and to day can be found in the Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists in most countries.
It is worth reading through the Wiki article to see its history and its various religious sub-branches.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Unitarianism.

The ani-Trinity argument in Christianity has been fundamental from the earliest days. it has been especially strong amongst philosophers and academia and more recent times scientists. It is today mostly thought of as Liberal.

In the USA and to a lesser extent elsewhere, Unitarianism has been subsumed by the UU which is not Christian in essence at all.
However "Christian Unitarianism" and the free churches still flourish through out the world, but on a much smaller scale than previously.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I apologize for my direction towards you because I did not realize at first these were the actual statements of bishop Spong........

He's a moron. His first point is utterly imbecile. Theism as a means of defining God is dead only a ****ing idiot would say such a thing.

I will find the correct outlet to direct my atheistic disdain for his bull**** directly.

Biship Spong is not a moron nor an imbecile. He is an extremely radical theologian and academic, he is highly educated and respected, though some churches have refused him permission to preach because of fear of his more heretical ideas.
Many Priests share at least some of his beliefs especially regarding the more "Magical" aspects of Christianity, which can include the virgin birth, and the miracles, and much of the theology around salvation, and the nature of Jesus.
Spong has just taken things closer to their logical conclusions.
It is true the list as given, with out reading all the reasoning behind them, is hard for a traditionalist to comprehend.

 

[gnomon]

Sorry....reread the first point.....bored.

Absolutely no cultural context provided.

Second point relies upon the false assumption provided in the first point.

The remaining points are very specifically provided on one specific form of theism which offers no support for the first point.

Now if the first point specifically regarded Christian mythology.........someone might have a point.

But it didn't.

It was a generalized assumption.

Boring.

I'm done here.

But please go on.......it won't mean a thing.

It will mean absolutely nothing.

 

[gnomon]

I don't understand the basis for the first statement.

Because it is an illogical assumption.

That's the problem most people cannot understand from the get go.

I chalk it up to poor education.

edit: I chalk it up to a poor understanding of different cultures and accepting this idiotic screed as a wholesale declaration of theism in all it's many different cultural varieties.

edit: I wholly accept an education otherwise from anyone providing something other than a blanket statement. Otherwise.........this thread is boring.

 

[Omega Green]

I don't believe in a God.

I am an atheist.

I'm just going to laugh myself out of this thread based upon your imbecility.

It's good that you can appreciate a punchline; and a shame because this thread really needed you anyways.. We've all pretty much just been waiting for you to say something... Wow

 

[psychoslice]

Most belief systems such as religion are full of nonsense, so its up to the individual to make up their own mind what they want to believe in, its really no big deal.

 

[gnomon]

It's good that you can appreciate a punchline; and a shame because this thread really needed you anyways.. We've all pretty much just been waiting for you to say something... Wow

No....the disappointment of this thread was in the OP. It didn't need me.

 

[gnomon]

I decided to be compassionate.......because the thread is garbage.

 

[gnomon]

Actually...........no.

This thread is garbage.

Reading the responses from other members. There is absolutely nothing to respect among bishop Spong. There is nothing to respect among the Christian Faith. Nothing.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Many Priests share at least some of his beliefs especially regarding the more "Magical" aspects of Christianity, which can include the virgin birth, and the miracles, and much of the theology around salvation, and the nature of Jesus.
Spong has just taken things closer to their logical conclusions.

The logical conclusion of his positions is to reject Christianity. In that regard, he isn't logical at all.

He's like someone who wants to keep calling himself a vegetarian by using bad semantics to define steak as a vegetable.

 

[Omega Green]

Yeah this thread was about as experimental as the mushrooms I just consumed. Hopefully the TV and my computer screens start melting soon...

 

[Sand Dancer]

I think he is right on. To make it believable, it can't be literal.