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ANONYMOUS ONLY!
Let's start out with this:
I honestly prefer that everyone that comments on the sign in (or out, I guess?) and makes their comment anonymous, in order to get people to be TOTALLY open and honest, without worrying about:
- offending someone
- sounding unintelligent
- hurting someone within their family or circle of friends
- sounding "against" someone's denomination simply because you don't understand
- sounding like you aren't following biblical teachings
So, here's your chance, if you have a question about someone else's denomination, church traditions, tithing, bible translations, deacons, speaking in tongues, divorces, "why your church does so and so," etc, LAY IT OUT HERE!
All I ask is that we ALL be respectful towards one another, and it NOT become a name-calling forum. (Those comments will be deleted if they show up)
I would like things to be light hearted if that's the type question you have (like why some women can't cut their hair due to religious beliefs?) all the way to "do you think church attendance is mandatory in the life of a solid Christian?"
I know a lot of the things I google and dig for info on are in no way meaning that I am trying to "prove one denom wrong," but in my just wondering "why" and where did that thinking coming from in scriptural reference.
So let 'em fly. Let's see how much we can learn together. And like I said before, I am requesting anonymous signatures so people can be open without worrying about any of the above reasons (plus more) but if you really feel you should use your account, go for it. Just don't feel bad at all if you don't.
15 comments:
ok, i will bite! why do some religons sew their own cloths? i know i see lots of women that make jumper dresses and stuff, but their little boys are wearing store bought stuff. why is that? not that it's not cool to be able to sew or anything, but why not have to do your sons and your daughters, and not just the girls?
How do people come to the conclusion that a "legalistic" view of the bible is not correct,or the alternative how do they come to the conclusion that it IS correct?
Is there a verse in the bible that specifically warns against legalism or to the contrary?
I am lost on the legalism question? Is that like death penalty "eye for an eye" stuff?
I don't understand the speaking in tongues. I understand it to be something special but there is so many that claim to be able to do it. And if you can do it then what? Nobody understands you??
I also don't understand the laying your hand on someones head and them falling out. Could someone please explain. It seems like a good show, but is there truth to it or is it in your head? I don't mean any disrespect if you do beleive I'm just asking that you explain it to me where I can understand.
I am a southerner. I am a liberal minded person. And I am a Christian.
I find many of the liberal Christian views on God, salvation, women, homosexuality, Scripture, and Creation to be convincing. When I was a fundamentalist, evangelical Christian, I often felt the need to "over look" historical and scientific evidence with "faith" because the world around me did not mesh with my preconceived notions about Scripture. I had questions about Evolution, the Bible, other religions, etc., but those questions were always met with criticism or simplistic answers by my fellow evangelical believers. As a liberal Christian, I don’t feel like I have to be intellectually dishonest to myself any more. I can incorporate what I know about science, history, and theology into my world-view without conflict. In other words, liberal Christianity just makes more sense! It is ultimately the reason why I became one.
After discovering MySpace in 2005 I had enjoyed this social networking site, but hadn’t done much with my profile. My new boyfriend (I am a homosexual male) was a computer geek and taught me a lot about html codes. My MySpace page began to reflect my individuality and I began sharing my philosophical views of life with the world.
Several of the young adults and even older people in the baptist church were on MySpace and were friends of mine (or so I thought). Even our minister of music had a profile and was a friend. One Sunday a friend from church approached me concerning my partner being a non-believer. She was concerned, she did not feel it was appropriate for me to be dating someone with these views. Furthermore, she said she believed I was living in sin because I am gay. An exchange of scripture and a reminder to her that she was divorced and the conversation ended.
On Mother’s Day 2007 I was approached by one of the deacons and asked about my profile on MySpace. He then made two demands. He told me I had to either "repent from my lifestyle" or "remove my membership from the church."
My parents bore witness to the conversation and immediately spoke out against these demands. My parents are wonderful people! They are the greatest in the world and have loved me unconditionally all of my life. I am very proud of them!!
My reaction to these demands were hostile. I reminded the deacon of what I believe and asked who had brought all this to his attention. He refused to indulge the information. I said NO to the demands and walked out of the meeting. Further attempts were made by this deacon and others to meet with me and try and get me to "repent" or "resign." I refused and on June 13, 2007, in a normal monthly business meeting, the deacon board brought it to the churches attention that I was a homosexual, had refused to repent and therefore, they were asking the church for a vote to have my membership removed. There was much discussion and five people spoke out against this discrimination. Unfortunately there were not enough friends or family of my own at the meeting, since we were not informed this would be brought before the church for a vote, to support me. I was excommunicated effective immediately.
My parents resigned their elected positions and left the church along with several friends. The impact this had on my parents was huge. My father is 68 and mother is 59. This church had been their life forever. Mother was an active member of the Women’s Missionary Union, Worship Choir, Sunday School Teacher and served on various committees. My father was the church organist for over 30 years. Each of them spent countless hours working and volunteering with the church. Many of their friends and a vast number of their relatives attended this church. For my parents to resign and leave was an enormous statement to the congregation and the community.
Today my parents are proud progressive Christians. They found out who their true friends were and who really loved them from their respective families. One of Mom’s brothers was one of the deacons who agreed to have these charges brought against me. Hypocrisy is all over the church and it’s leaders. The church has seen a great loss in members since that time and is having financial difficulties. Rumors surround the former senior pastor (he resigned in July ’07 ~ supposedly to go into evangelism). Allegedly he is having an affair with one of the women in the church. The drama continues to unfold and several resources from with-in keep me up to date on what’s going on in the church. Most recently, resources informed me of some folks in the church receiving letters, reminding them of the wrong they did to me and others, calling them hypocrites. I agree and wish I knew the author of those letters!
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11
would be the verse I would send to those people!
Sometimes liberals are thought to be Christians who have backslidden; people who don’t have enough faith, or are too "in the world." Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. Liberal Christians are committed believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who have thoroughly studied the scriptures and traditions of the Church, and have examined their faith in the light of reason and experience. They believe in:
Diversity
Perhaps the defining characteristic of liberal Christians is that they are comfortable with ambiguity and diversity. They realize that life is a complex spiritual journey, and that each person on that journey is confronted with unexpected revelations and unique experiences. Liberal Christians therefore welcome a variety of approaches to understanding God, and are open to new ways of talking about the divine. Religious questions are seen as complex, and answers only tentative. Certain that "now we see through a glass, darkly" (1 Cor. 13:12), liberals are cautious about making dogmatic statements or claiming to have a monopoly on the truth. They see the search for truth as an ongoing task, rather than one that has already been completed.
A Non-Literal View of scripture
Conservative Christians are often content to answer religious questions by appealing to the absolute authority of Scripture. Liberal Christians, on the other hand, find such an approach to be flawed. Many see the Bible as a witness to revelation, or generally inspired, rather than completely inspired in all its parts. Just as Jesus was fully human and wholly divine, so one must also see the Bible as a product of both human and divine influences. Indeed, liberal Christians are quick to point out that the fallenness and imperfection of its human authors gives the Bible an imperfect quality and authority.
Liberals view Scripture through a critical lens, and are not afraid to challenge traditional assumptions and interpretations. They rely heavily on higher criticism of the Bible, which looks into the origin and composition of the biblical texts, revealing a great deal about the human aspect of Scripture. Modern philosophical, biological, and cosmological theories that are well supported by evidence, and reflect the true nature of the world around us, can also shape the way liberals interpret Scripture. Traditional Christian doctrines, such as the Virgin Birth, the Atonement, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the Resurrection, are sometimes given new interpretations by liberals.
Perhaps more so than evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians, liberal Christians see the teachings of Jesus as having a central place. Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience are each given equal footing in determining Christian faith.
An Intimate, Personal View of God
Imminent and personal images of God in Scripture are attractive to liberals. For some this takes on the form of a belief in pantheism. Liberals also see little distinction between the natural and the supernatural, and therefore do not look for "miracles" to confirm the existence of God. Instead, they feel that faith in God allows one to see the Spirit moving in the everyday stuff of life.
Universal Salvation
The concept of personal salvation is not typically stressed by liberal Christians. Accordingly, traditional images of heaven, hell, and the End Times are not given much weight in their theologies. When salvation is discussed, liberals are more apt to stress its "this worldly" aspects, and appeal to a universalist interpretation of Scripture when confronted with questions of eternal punishment and rewards.
For many liberal Christians, social justice is a central concern, and the transformation of society, rather than that of the individual, is more typically stressed. Equality for racial minorities, women, homosexuals, and the economically disadvantaged is seen as an essential part of the Gospel message. A concern for the environment, and other typically liberal social issues, also find a great deal of support among liberal Christians.
Fellowship & Community
Liberals tend to stress the centrality of community in the Christian experience.
Liberal Christians support inclusivity in church membership, with no rules excluding people on account of their supposed living of a "sinful lifestyle" or being "unrepentant sinners" -- recognizing that we all have sins to which we ourselves are blind.
Liberal Christians tend to take the researches of scholarship seriously, and to guide their own views of such matters as the interpretation of Scripture and issues such as evolution, human sexuality, social justice, etc., based on informed scholarly research.
Liberal Christians tend to focus very much on the specific teachings of Christ as opposed to theology based in Pauline and OT Scripture, in asserting what is the primary mode of determining how one should follow Christ, in terms of doctrinal and moral questions.
Liberal Christians, while not denying Conservative efforts to do the right thing, tend to look on all issues from a perspective of compassion, mercy, and affirmation of human dignity, as opposed to a focus on sinfulness and moral rectitude. It does not deny sin or the call to live a moral life, but sees them as tangential to the need to follow God as He showed Himself in Christ, and to affirm the efforts of others to do so. It tends to focus heavily on issues of social justice, mercy, and the doing of good works in the community.
This is why I am a Southern Baptist Heretic! I’m very proud to be one and hope my story will reach out to someone who may have been struggling with their faith or struggling between fundamentalism and liberalism. My story is one of struggle and faith, betrayal and triumph. I hope this info helps your readers see that there are no cookie cutter Christians; no "one way to be" and that's it.
if speaking in tongues is legit, someone is supposed to be able to interpret it, i know that much! but if it is still going on in the churches of today, why does it only happen in certain denoms? i know i have never saw it in my church, which is freewill baptist.
I can't get into daily bible devos. I am bored with it, I guess you could say. I would refer to it as Bible Gluttony. One can have too much of a good thing. I tihnk it became too familiar to me for it to be any help. I have asked two pastors, and their only answer is more Bible.
We get ourselves into this trap because we dont trust people to walk in the Spirit, so leaders heap a law on top of them in the form of excessive Bible ingestation. But if that was the answer, dont you think we would be better off by now? I need a better way to live in Christ. I just can't get it from reading over and over.
I was raised catholic, and studied the bible through church and catechism. I have changed some of my viewpoints though. I try to keep an overall wiew of what the Bible says rather than the standard of relating text for text. This approach has opened up my understanding greatly. Though I now disagree much with organized religion, I do believe in living right and recognizing the higher power. Cool post.
Please continue to be respectful as we dig deeper on these issues. I think it's going to be an interesting thread.
I can only speak for myself about the speaking in tongues. When it happened to me I knew the content but not the actual words.
I know my spirit cried out to God about all the things that had happened to me and why did he let it happen. The depth of this crying out really scared me, I told myself "you can't talk to God like that He'll strike you dead". Even so, my spirit continued crying out to Him.
He did not stike me dead. Instead He healed me spiritually.
From that I learned I can talk to God about absolutely everything...even if I am very angry.
He does care and He does understand.
OK CAN SOMEONE DECIPHER THE DIFFERENCES IN DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS IN MONTICELLO? I KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE NOT HERE, BUT I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOCAL ONES. DH AND I ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO TAKE OUR DD TO AS A FAMILY TO WORSHIP, AND SADLY ENOUGH, WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT DIFF CHURCH BELIEFS.
Dean! Where are you?????
My church believes in the gift of tongues, but I guess we take a different view of it. I take it to mean that if I'm say serving a mission in a foriegn country and want to share the gospel with someone and can't seem to communicate with them that I could be blessed with the gift of tonges at that point and be able to make sense to them (like speak spanish if i don't speak spanish) I don't know if that helps this discussion, but that is what I believe.
One things that bothers me sometimes are when people ask other people about what religions believe without asking someone of that religion to answer your questions, I think going to the source is the way to go - maybe it's the journalist in me. (I want the emails of this comment but it won't let do it anonymously! argh!)
I hope some people that understand some of these questions on a more personal level will speak up as well, because going to the source is the way to go, I totally agree.
Referring to question 3 about question 2:
Legalism = "word for word; verbatim"
or is the bible Metaphorical?And how does one come to their own conclusion of each?
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