Can I be a Christian?

[Real Sorceror]

So a lot of people have been pressuring me to become a Christian. I think I pass for one in certian denominations, but definitly not in their's. They want me to accept a lot of things that I simply don't agree with. So, in any denomination, do I pass as Christan if I do not believe in any of the following:
~The Trinity and possibly the divinity of Christ
~The infallible/literal nature of the Bible
~The entire OT
~Origonal sin
~Eternal Hell
~One path to God
I realize thats asking a lot, but those are the issues I won't budge on.

 

[Faint]

If you don't believe in Jesus' divinity you cannot be a Christian, at least not in any functional sense of the word.

A more important question: Why do you need a label at all?

 

[Quiddity]

I'm all for labeling for the sake of clarity. Otherwise words become meaningless.

As for the OP, I don't know of any Christian denomination that you could possibly fall into. But then again the word Christian itself is being stretched everyday. So I don't know.

 

[ayani]

hmm.i think you could, under those terms, "pass" as Quaker or as a Christian Unitarian.perhaps your beliefs would be fine with other denominations, but those are two christian denominations / idealogies that come to mind.

 

[PetShopBoy88]

So a lot of people have been pressuring me to become a Christian. I think I pass for one in certian denominations, but definitly not in their's. They want me to accept a lot of things that I simply don't agree with. So, in any denomination, do I pass as Christan if I do not believe in any of the following:
~The Trinity and possibly the divinity of Christ
~The infallible/literal nature of the Bible
~The entire OT
~Origonal sin
~Eternal Hell
~One path to God
I realize thats asking a lot, but those are the issues I won't budge on.

I myself believe all but the bolded portions. Then again, I find it hard to figure out which denomination I am, too. Helpful, eh? :run:

 

[Katzpur]

So a lot of people have been pressuring me to become a Christian. I think I pass for one in certian denominations, but definitly not in their's. They want me to accept a lot of things that I simply don't agree with. So, in any denomination, do I pass as Christan if I do not believe in any of the following:
~The Trinity and possibly the divinity of Christ
~The infallible/literal nature of the Bible
~The entire OT
~Origonal sin
~Eternal Hell
~One path to God
I realize thats asking a lot, but those are the issues I won't budge on.

Interesting question. Gracie's answer is exactly on target, in my opinion.

If you were LDS, you would definitely deny the doctrine of the Trinity. You'd deny that the Bible is infallible and to be taken 100% literally, but you would accept it as a the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly. You would also deny the doctrine of Original Sin and would have to look at the Fall of Adam in a whole new light. You probably wouldn't make a very good Latter-day Saint if you weren't also open to the possibility that the Bible is not a complete record of God's dealings with mankind, in other words that it is not the only "scripture" around. And you'd have to believe that the heavens are not sealed, that God continues to speak to His Church through living prophets today.

You would have to accept the idea of an eternal Hell, but you would recognize that all but the tiniest imaginable minority of all people who have ever lived will be received into Heaven. To end up in Hell, a person has got to want to end up there in the worst way!

You could recognize that there are many paths leading to God, but that ultimately Jesus Christ holds the key to the door to the "fulness of salvation." You could definitely believe that there is a place for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, pagans and even atheists in Heaven. Oh, yes, and most definitely for Baha'is!

If you could not accept the divinity of Jesus Christ, however, I'd have to say that you wouldn't make a very good Latter-day Saint. You would not believe that Jesus Christ is simply one of three different manifestations of a single substance, but that He is God's own Son, a distinct person who is absolutely and perfectly "one" with His Father in will and purpose.

 

[AllisonW70]

So a lot of people have been pressuring me to become a Christian. I think I pass for one in certian denominations, but definitly not in their's. They want me to accept a lot of things that I simply don't agree with. So, in any denomination, do I pass as Christan if I do not believe in any of the following:
~The Trinity and possibly the divinity of Christ
~The infallible/literal nature of the Bible
~The entire OT
~Origonal sin
~Eternal Hell
~One path to God
I realize thats asking a lot, but those are the issues I won't budge on.

Hi,
It's interesting to me that you said "and possibly the divinity of Christ" in your first issue.
That is the core of Christianity. Keep exploring that issue because if you can settle that within your heart, the rest of your issues will fall into place, so to speak.

 

[Real Sorceror]

A more important question: Why do you need a label at all?

Doubt? The fact that these particular people are very persistant? The fact that I currently do not know how to describe myself spiritually?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I would suggest calling yourself a term of your own choosing. The name for it will come in time, though I understand it can be hard to wait. If the persistant people keep asking, tell that spirituality is between yourself and Diety, not them. (At least not for now, it seems.)

Hope the Christians don't mind me wandering through- just wanted to suggest something.

 

[Real Sorceror]

I'm all for labeling for the sake of clarity. Otherwise words become meaningless.

As for the OP, I don't know of any Christian denomination that you could possibly fall into. But then again the word Christian itself is being stretched everyday. So I don't know.

Indeed. Some of the "Christians" I know are some of the most wrong-headed and mentally depraved people I've ever met. Today, one of them actually said that, if given the chance, he'd execute me for supporting gay rights. Crazy, eh?
On the flipside, Christian also constitute some of the nicest and most caring people I've ever met.
The really scary thing is, they are both reading from the same book.
It really confuses me to no end.

 

[Real Sorceror]

Hi,
It's interesting to me that you said "and possibly the divinity of Christ" in your first issue.
That is the core of Christianity. Keep exploring that issue because if you can settle that within your heart, the rest of your issues will fall into place, so to speak.

Hmm, whether or not Christ is divine is not that big of an issue in the end, I suppose. The bigger issue was the Trinity. It doesn't make any sense. I've had a Trinitarian say to me "the Son sits at the right hand of the Father". :sarcastic

 

[Katzpur]

Hi,
It's interesting to me that you said "and possibly the divinity of Christ" in your first issue.
That is the core of Christianity. Keep exploring that issue because if you can settle that within your heart, the rest of your issues will fall into place, so to speak.

SInce I'm constantly told that, because I am a Latter-day Saint, I'm not a "real" Christian, I'm usually pretty hesitant to say that a person must adhere to a specific set of doctrines in order to call himself a Christian. But, I've got to go along with you on this point. I don't know how anyone who believes that Jesus Christ was "just a good man" or "just an inspired teacher" or "just an enlightened prophet" can see himself as a Christian. After all, there are Buddhists who believe Jesus was a good man. I'm sure many Baha'is' consider Him to be an inspired teacher. And I'm relatively certain that it is an official teaching of Islam that He was a prophet. Does that make any of these people Christians? Of course not. And none of them want to be known as Christians. But as C.S. Lewis pointed out (I wish I had the exact quote, but unfortunately, I don't), it's impossible to say that Jesus was "just a good man," or "just an inspired teacher" or "just an enlighted prophet." He didn't claim to be "just" any of those things. He claimed to be the Son of God. And if He wasn't the Son of God, He wasn't a good man, an inspired teacher or an enlightened prophet either. He was the ultimate liar the world has ever known. So I'd definitely agree: His divinity is something you have to accept in order to be a Christian.

 

[Katzpur]

The bigger issue was the Trinity. It doesn't make any sense. I've had a Trinitarian say to me "the Son sits at the right hand of the Father". :sarcastic

Of course it doesn't. It's not supposed to.

 

[dbakerman76]

So a lot of people have been pressuring me to become a Christian. I think I pass for one in certian denominations, but definitly not in their's. They want me to accept a lot of things that I simply don't agree with. So, in any denomination, do I pass as Christan if I do not believe in any of the following:
~The Trinity and possibly the divinity of Christ
~The infallible/literal nature of the Bible
~The entire OT
~Origonal sin
~Eternal Hell
~One path to God
I realize thats asking a lot, but those are the issues I won't budge on.

You sound like A UU Christian like myself. You'd be perfectly welcome with us. Although most conventional Christians don't usually accept us as fellow Christians.

 

[Katzpur]

Although most conventional Christians don't usually accept us as fellow Christians.

They don't accept me as a Christian either. I don't know if this exclusionary attitude bothers Unitarian Christians as much as it bothers Latter-day Saints, but, as Mother Teresa once said, "You you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It never was between you and them anyway."

I have to remind myself of that a lot.

 

[Real Sorceror]

You sound like A UU Christian like myself. You'd be perfectly welcome with us. Although most conventional Christians don't usually accept us as fellow Christians.

And therein lies the problem. But thanks for the offer. I've met a few UU's before, and I like there outlook on things. I think you guys are Christian, but my opinion doesn't go very far with the fundies I usually have to deal with.

 

[lizskid]

I am a Christian and ordained, and I find that judgemental, "my denomination is more right than yours" apalling. Judgment is not ours and God's love and Jesus's sacrifice is extended to everyone. Don't let other people's opinions bother you, they have their own issues to deal with, I feel certain. As for the Bible, it cannot be "infallible" as it is recorded, edited and translated by humans, who are all, including myself, quite fallible. Christianity takes, in my mind, a belief in the teaching of Christ, meaning love, helping others, not intentionally hurting others and belief in God, however you find Him. I think the true human person known as Jesus would be a little chagrined about all the "hype" about him. The Trinity does not speak to the literal existence of 3 persons of God, but 3 states of Him, so don't get too hung up on the "sitting at the right hand of God thing." It is meant to convey an extension of God's spirit rather than another being sitting there next to him. You guys have some neat observations and questioning, and that's what it's all about, except for the hokey pokey!

 

[Real Sorceror]

You know, I seem to agree a lot with Christians who aren't considered Christian by the "main stream" group.

Oh, and thanks for everyone's insight. You've been very helpful. The Christians on this board are way nicer than on my other board.

 

[dbakerman76]

They don't accept me as a Christian either. I don't know if this exclusionary attitude bothers Unitarian Christians as much as it bothers Latter-day Saints, but, as Mother Teresa once said, "You you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It never was between you and them anyway."

I have to remind myself of that a lot.

I have always accepted LDS as fellow Christians. Anyone who tries to live according to the two great commandments Jesus gave us is entitled to the name of Christian.

I think all the denominations regardless of where they may fall theologically have this at their core.

 

[dbakerman76]

And therein lies the problem. But thanks for the offer. I've met a few UU's before, and I like there outlook on things. I think you guys are Christian, but my opinion doesn't go very far with the fundies I usually have to deal with.

I don't usually express my opinions on religion with anyone I encounter. I'd probably confuse them more than anything. My approach is a little to ecumenical for most people.