For example, let us say that the person rejects the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the Virgin Birth. Can one still be a true Christian?|||You just took out Christianity.|||Anybody who rejects the deity of Christ could only be Christian in name.
Liberal Christians don't reject the Deity of Christ, though, or any of those other things, necessarily. I'm as Liberal a Christian as you will ever meet, and I believe in everything you listed in your question.|||Absolutely. There is, unfortunately, a difference between the religion OF Jesus Christ and the religion ABOUT Jesus Christ. Jesus taught certain basic principles of living, and rarely --- is ever --- inquired about the doctrinal beliefs of his followers. A clear, succinct outline of the religion he taught and lived is in the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded (among other places) in chapters 5 - 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. Suggestions for application of those principles are made in the very short Letter of James, which was written by one whom many scholars believe was the brother of Jesus.
The word "salvation" is from the same Greek word for "health"; "salvation" implies, to me, spiritual health. SO, to the degree that I am spiritually mature and healthy, I experience "salvation." It was in Roman Catholic theology and tradition that "salvation" came to mean something about the afterlife. By the middle of the 19th century, when Protestant fundamentalism came to the fore, that the idea took on added life and strength. Many Protestant Americans seem to think that their religious beliefs and practices have been the norm throughout Christian history, but that just simply is not true; they would do well to spend a little more time exploring what Jesus actually said and did and taught, as opposed to what later followers (especially, Paul) said he taught.
Incidentally, Jesus never taught that he was God. He stated, in fact, that "My Father is greater than I." I find it strange that some of the most ardently anti-Catholic people in Christendom are fundamentalist Protestants, some of whose most closely-held beliefs come not from Scripture but from Roman Catholic tradition.
For his day, Jesus was most emphatically a religious liberal!|||YOU DON'T HAVE TO LET SOMEONE ELSE DEFINE CHRISTIANITY FOR YOU.
According to the book of James, "true and pure religion is helping the widow and the orphan". All the hot air in the world about hyperbolic, stratospheric, Trinitarian transcendence doesn't make up for the smug complacency and Laodecian laziness that certain belief-is-enough Christians have toward the trouble and tribulation of their less fortunate fellows.
If Christianity was just about what you believed and not about what you do, why did they include in the New Testament the gospel parable about the two sons? One son said he would do something and didn't; the other said he wouldn't do it and did. Which son was the most righteous? Nothing you preach in terms of orthodox doctrine can make up for the fact that you ignored a cry for help from a suffering friend.
Faith without works is dead. All the yak-yak about the preexistent, metaphysical magnitude of Jesus' mystical, celestial status doesn't obscure the fact that it's not about what Jesus was metaphorically, but about what Jesus TAUGHT. Those who downplay the necessity of helping others are NOT Christians, whatever other "perfect" doctrines they espouse.
The supernatural aspects of the Bible are inflated flamboyancy. "Firstborn of creation, preexistant with God before time began, etc." is a lot of airy-fairy, hyperbolic, advanced-Christological cant. These superlatives may sound impressive and imperial, but it really boils down to what you are doing right here in real-time to improve reality, to repair the real world, and to rescue and redeem the broken.|||You could well be the rare true Christian. No one really knows whether the teaching of Jesus was corrupted by Paul or not, but it was more likely than not.
Romans chapter 13 was specifically written to tell believers to submit to all forms of authority and government (for they are servants of god), and such passages extolling the sanctity of all governing authorities are incongruous in the contexts of a holy book.|||It depends on how conservative or liberal of a Christian belief system the answerer of this question is coming from.
I consider myself a Christian, but many other people wouldn't. Personally, I don't care what others think of my beliefs, for I do not base, or alter my beliefs, because of others' beliefs.
As to your first example of accepting or rejecting the inspiration of scripture. Again, it depends. This time on which particular parts of the scriptures are truly inspired, and which parts "come from" the cultures of the time they were written in. Some of the verses in the Bible are quite inspired. Some, not so much. The parts about stoning people to death because of adultery, or talking back to your parents, and the parts about how slaves should obey their masters, and the parts about how God supposedly commanded the Israelites to massacre their neighbors, because of the neighbors supposed wickedness, and many other examples, are all simply the reflection of the then culture, plain and simple. The parts of the scriptures that talk about how your faith makes you whole, or "pray believing you have your desires, and you shall have them", or the part that says "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have, is thine", are very inspired, and inspirational.
I do not subscribe to the "you must accept it all, or reject it all" mentality. One does not throw the baby out with the dirty bath water.
As to the deity of Christ. I affirm the deity of Christ. I also affirm the inherent and essential deity of all of us, of everyone. In my interpretation of the Bible, Christ came here as a "way-shower", to show us the way, back to God. To show us how to live. He came here to be the example for us all to follow, not to be the exception for us to worship.
As to the resurrection of the dead. In my interpretation, Life is inherently eternal. Death in this world is merely birth into the next expression of Life. There is no death, in the sense that one ceases to exist. Your life continues to express on a different plane of existence, after you are done expressing your life here.
As to the virgin birth, I believe that story is an allegory, attempting to convey an idea. In my opinion, it was attempting to show that Jesus came from a "pure" source. That Jesus was not "corrupted" by humanity's sinfulness, upon his egress from his human mother. Personally, I don't believe that humanity is inherently sinful, and I don't think that that story is meant to really convey that idea, literally. I believe my interpretation of this story is supported by the findings that the story of the virgin birth was written many years after Jesus' life here on Earth, to support and explain how Jesus could be divine, even though he came into this world the same way as we all did. Had the people at the time not believed in the atrocious idea of humanity's sinfulness, the virgin birth story would never have had to been created.
Now as to why I believe I'm a Christian, even though more traditional Christians wouldn't, is because I attempt to follow what Jesus taught. To love God with all of my heart, soul, mind, and body, and to love my neighbor as myself. To treat well the "least of these" as the divine expressions of God, that we all are. To understand that that which defiles is not necessarily what we eat, and drink, but in our negative thoughts and beliefs. That when I mistake myself to be who I think I am, I lose my life, but when I understand who I really Am, an essential expression of God, then I "gain" my life. That that which "depresses" my expression of life, is "sinful", but that which expands, and accentuates life, is of God. That I should bless, and curse not. There is not time enough, or space enough here, to continue to give these examples. All of these things, and so many more, are the reasons why I consider myself a Christian, in the truest sense of that word.
Thanks for the question.
Peace and Namaste!|||Only the "deity of Christ" seems to be central enough to the definition of Christian. And then it'd be arguable, since many of the early Christians also didn't accept the divinity of Jesus. Those other things, sure they could reject them and still be a Christian.|||1 Corinthians 15:3
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
John 8:24
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.|||There is no universal definition of Christianl. Web pages that discuss religious tolerance usually explain the details of this phenomena. Christian (and hence saved) are terms without meaning sufficient to communicate anything worth communicating.|||If you reject the deity of Christ, then you are NOT saved. Jesus said you will die in your sins if you don't believe "he is who he is"|||Not likely given those parameters. They are kinda fundamental (in the GOOD sense of the word).|||If you reject those things, you're not a Christian in the first place.|||you can't be a CHRISTian and believe in the Bible but not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That's called Judiasm|||No way.|||1 Corinthians chapter 15 says that denying the resurrection of Jesus means no salvation.
There are certain beliefs that are required for getting into heaven. Required for salvation is believing that JESUS is God, that the Trinity is true, and that salvation is only by believing in JESUS for His free gift of eternal life in heaven, without adding any of your own works. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and then Jesus rose from the dead!
Adding any works, means no salvation.
The other issues, while they obviously should be believed, are not required for salvation.|||By their own beliefs then, they would not then BE a Christian?
My life as a Christian is lived by following the Bible and letting God/Holy Spirit/Jesus Christ guide my life. I don't know how one could not believe any of the following and still consider themselves to align with Christianity.
God is very clear about His holiness and cannot excuse sins because He is almighty. He loved us so much that He DID provide a way through Christ Jesus, but in order to engage with that, one must acknowledge the authority of Scripture, believe Christ was 100% God AND man, and believe that because of His perfect sacrifice He rose again, thus defeating eternal damnation for His children.
Interesting question!!|||How can you love Christ if you are calling Him a Liar ?
(1 Corinthians 16:22 KJV) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
Is that crystal clear ?
(John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(John 14:7 KJV) If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.|||No difference as the belief it self is adulterated by Poulose.|||((Pulls up a chair and waits for the fireworks to begin.))|||yes GOD HAS NO LIMITS....WAIT NO NOT THE DIVINITY...IT IS UP TO GOD BUT WHO would do that?? grr
brb
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