Are you a Red-Letter Christian, or even a Christian Atheist?

1. 0

   Chasukposted 11 years ago

   How important is the Social Gospel to you?

   replyreport
   1. 69

      aguasilverposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Social Gospel?
      
      For the record, the Red Letters are the best bits, and rank over any other verses, but all scripture has a purpose, so I do not cut my bible into a Jefferson version.

      replyreport
   2. 60

      Civil War Bobposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Is this my seminary final?  Yoiks...OK, here goes...
      1.Yes...since I think the Bible is historically accurate, I think the red letters were really what Jesus said.  The statements are just as true if they're in black or any other colored ink, too...just don't give me the red/pink/black stuff that came out several years ago in one Methodist convention to decide what was/might be/wasn't Jesus' words.
      2. Given their mutually exclusive definitions...believing in God and not...this question solves itself; unless someone wants to wrangle words ad infinitum and ad nauseum.
      3. The Social Gospel...meeting felt needs of people...should not be separated from the Gospel...defined as telling people they need Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  Give  hungry folks food, meet medical needs, clothe folks, drill wells in parched lands, and let them know you're doing it because of the love of Christ as His ambassador.  If they appreciate the words, they'll look into He for whom you stand.
      4. Thus endeth the New Testament lesson...let us sing "Amazing Grace..."

      replyreport
   3. 78

      Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The Social Gospel cannot be divorced from the rest of the Gospel. Although I personally think that Jesus will come back before mankind can rid itself of any evils. But it all comes under the heading of "doing good works because of our faith."

      replyreport
   4. 78

      Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for the links.
      
      Having read the Wikipedia, I would say I'm definitely NOT a "Christian atheist." I've never understood the whole "God is dead" movement.
      
      Red-letter Christianity sounds good but I'd have to look at it closer.

      replyreport
2. 0

   paxwillposted 11 years ago

   What exactly is a Christian Atheist?

   replyreport
   1. 58

      MelissaBarrettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Believes in the teachings of Christ but does not believe that God exists.
      
      In short Jesus was a really swell guy with some really good ideas that we can all learn from but he wasn't the actual son of a deity... because such deities do not exist.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         Paul Wingertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Makes sense.

         replyreport
      2. 69

         aguasilverposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         What I call 'natural christians'!

         replyreport
         1. 0

            Chasukposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Natural Christians?

            replyreport
            1. 69

               aguasilverposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Hi, not seen you for a while!
               
               Yeah, natural christians, folk who obey Christ without accepting who He is.

               replyreport
               1. 60

                  Paul Wingertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Giving this more thought, uh oh! Jesus was simply preaching the ideas and philosophies of John the Bapist. Then he got in trouble with the Jewish Elders and Pilate took over from there. Jesus is not the inventor of Christianity. Same as Hamlet didn't write Hamlet, Shakespear did. Paul founded Christianity 30+ years after Jesus' death. It was Paul who took Jesus' messages, combined it with Judism along with some Roman Paganism, and the next thing you know we have the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, there's no evidence that Paul ever met Jesus. One can simply follow these ideas and completely reject a god.

                  replyreport
                  1. 69

                     aguasilverposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     But only if you reject what Christ stated.

                     replyreport
                  2. 78

                     Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     I've read people saying that, but I've never really understood it. Where do we find a body of work by (or attributed to, or by witnesses who knew) John the Baptist?

                     replyreport
                     1. 0

                        Chasukposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        There aren't any. It might be true, and it might not, but such claims fall under the category of pure speculation.

                        replyreport
                        1. 78

                           Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           Okay.
                           
                           Still, they get the idea from somewhere, I just wonder where.

                           replyreport
      3. 79

         kirstenblogposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Ahhh, cool! I had wondered the same thing actually. At first I thought it might be a person who was christian but no longer believes in god, I actually prefer your definition Melissa! Makes more sense too

         replyreport
3. 60

   EinderDarkwolfposted 11 years ago

   What is a Social Gospel? I've never heard of such a thing.
   
   
   
   Sounds wrong to tell people your doing something because of someone else. It sounds more like you could really careless about them, which if that's the case, your doing it for all the wrong reasons to begin with.
   
   
   
   I'm wondering the same thing.

   replyreport
4. 0

   Emile Rposted 11 years ago

   I've never heard the terms 'Red Letter Christian' or social gospel; but I like them. I have a deep respect for the figure of Christ. I think it would be great for Christianity to folllow his example, his words, and his footsteps. If I ran across such a group of people, I think I would join them. As it stands; those whom I have encountered who truly live by his words fall outside of their ranks.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      Chasukposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_letter_christian
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_atheist

      replyreport
      1. 0

         Emile Rposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the links. Although the names are self explanatory enough for my level of interest.

         replyreport
5. 0

   Chasukposted 11 years ago

   Well, John the Baptist is mentioned extra-canonically -- by Josephus, for one -- and he is/was revered by the devout of other faiths. It is unsurprising that a mythology has developed around him.

   replyreport
   1. 78

      Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I had forgotten he was mentioned in Josephus. Thanks for reminding me.
      
      
      Still, I have to wonder where they get the idea from...

      replyreport