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Christianity and liberalism

Mathematician

Reason, and reason again
After I (de)-converted from my quasi-Christian beliefs, I entered a stage of my life devoted to hate, pessimism, and nihilism. I wanted to extract revenge from what I saw was a corrupt religion, a disillusioned public, and a false prophet. My political beliefs seemed at odds with Christianity in almost every way. I thought of liberal Christians and Jews as abnormalities, people even more confused then their evil brethren.

As the fire in my chest began to wane (partly due to the kind friends at RF), I began to embrace a more humanitarian approach. I still had misgivings about Christianity, but I devoted my life to tolerance, hoping one day I could take that small feeling and beat it into oblivion.

However, what was needed, for me, was reexamining the Christian faith through the main source -- the Bible. By doing this I discovered that the main character in the New Testament, Jesus Christ, wasn't so different than myself. On certain issues Jesus and I are in disagreement, but the message he preaches is riddled with love, especially for the weak, sick, and poor. Those advocates of theocracy are forgetting about the free will prescribed by God himself. I started to understand where liberal Christians, even literalists, were drawing their beliefs from. Now if I engage in a debate with a conservative Christian, I will fight his/her own game by using scripture.

My question to liberal Christians is: how has your relationship been with secular liberals?

I hope we secular liberals can empower the Religious Left and Moderates to not feel isolated. It's a great thing to see Christians, Buddhists, and atheists standing together and complimenting each other on their beliefs.

"The community of believers were of one heart and one mind. None of them ever claimed anything as his own; rather, everything was held in common." - Acts 4:32
 

Scuba Pete

Le plongeur avec attitude...
The religious right have long since left the teachings of Jesus: love your neighbor, give mercy rather than sacrifice and the list goes on.

I feel looked down on because of my faith, and well, that's OK.
 

des

Active Member
I'm not so much a Christian (well quasi maybe or Christianish) but I go to UCC, which is pretty liberal. For instance, they wouldn't care that I don't believe in a whole bunch of things Christians tend to believe in.

But well UCC works with Unitarians (which are occassionally Christians), Reform Jews, and any secular group that is interested. I was kind of out of sorts today (allergies I guess) but they were involved in Step up activity today which is a coalition of groups (of all kinds) against global warming.

Jesus hung around with all sorts of people and wasn't interested in their religious or ethnic background. The story about the Good Samartan is really quite an interesting one because if he were to tell it today the Good Samaritan would be gay or atheist or something. The Samartans were a group that were looked down upon by the Jews of that time.

--des
 

Scuba Pete

Le plongeur avec attitude...
The story about the Good Samartan is really quite an interesting one because if he were to tell it today the Good Samaritan would be gay or atheist or something. The Samartans were a group that were looked down upon by the Jews of that time.
Or even Iraqi, or good heavens: a liberal! :D
 

MysticSang'ha

Big Squishy Hugger
Premium Member
Or even Iraqi, or good heavens: a liberal! :D

Or feminists, or the Nation of Islam, or the Black Panthers, or Planned Parenthood.........

Think Christ would even hang out with Osama Bin Laden?

I'd think the answer would most likely be "YES.......but he would rebuke them for their sins and remind them to turn to God the Father Almighty." :areyoucra

BTW, you folks aren't the only ones who go through this. The Buddhist community still debate day and night over what Buddha would say in this day and age.




Peace,
Mystic
 

des

Active Member
Very good points!

Oh gosh, Buddhists deal with this too. Why I am not surprised? I think these are universal issues.

--des

Or feminists, or the Nation of Islam, or the Black Panthers, or Planned Parenthood.........

Think Christ would even hang out with Osama Bin Laden?

I'd think the answer would most likely be "YES.......but he would rebuke them for their sins and remind them to turn to God the Father Almighty." :areyoucra

BTW, you folks aren't the only ones who go through this. The Buddhist community still debate day and night over what Buddha would say in this day and age.




Peace,
Mystic
 

lilithu

The Devil's Advocate
My question to liberal Christians is: how has your relationship been with secular liberals?
As a religious liberal, not Christian, I can say that I have experienced hostility towards my religiosity from many secular liberals, or at best "tolerance." Tolerance meaning, you can be religious as long as you don't talk about it or remind me of it in any way.

Or as a UU I hear things like, "well you UUs are ok because you're not really religious anyway." :rolleyes:

Honestly, it is a source of frustration that I have experienced and have heard from others in the activist communities. We want the same things - health care, due process, equality, sustainable living, peace... We can work with liberal Christians, liberal Buddhists, liberal Jews, liberal Hindus, liberal Muslims, etc, etc. And there is this ability to respect each other even as we hold different views on cosmology, etc. Yet, we generally don't experience the same mutual respect from secular liberals. And I'm like, what's more important to you - health care, due process, equality, sustainable living, peace... or a disagreement about theology?

Thanks for your post, Gene. :)
 

des

Active Member
Well you know the expression "Do you want to be right or happy". Some people would rather be "right" than help anybody.

--des


Honestly, it is a source of frustration that I have experienced and have heard from others in the activist communities. We want the same things - health care, due process, equality, sustainable living, peace... We can work with liberal Christians, liberal Buddhists, liberal Jews, liberal Hindus, liberal Muslims, etc, etc. And there is this ability to respect each other even as we hold different views on cosmology, etc. Yet, we generally don't experience the same mutual respect from secular liberals. And I'm like, what's more important to you - health care, due process, equality, sustainable living, peace... or a disagreement about theology?

Thanks for your post, Gene. :)
 

Scuba Pete

Le plongeur avec attitude...
it's truly a shame. We are despised by the religious right for not buying into their definition of what Christians SHOULD believe, and then the even more hurtful ostracism from those who embrace many of my core values of loving your neighbor, etc.
 
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