A simple question: What makes you a Christian?

[Labors of Hercules]

Were you born into a Christian family? Is it because you were baptized by a Minister or Priest?
Is it how you define what you believe?

There is an hypothesis that Progressives have a different definition of "Christianity" than Conservatives. Is this true?

So as a Christian I would love to know what YOU believe that makes you a Christian... :popcorn:

[Orsino]

1. Jesus was cool.

There's a teacher I could follow, or would like to think I had the courage to follow...whether or not he actually existed.

[Nikki Stone1]

10. :)

:)

[distantearlywarning]

2. I like what Jesus had to say.

He speaks to me.

Other than that, my parents were atheists. There was no religion in my house when I was growing up. I decided to become a Christian all on my own in my late twenties.

[bryant69]

3. Anybody who describes themself as a Christian is a Christian

Hitler was a Christian because he described himself as a Christian.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Perky]

24. Ummm no.

We are Christian through salvation and we shall be known we are hHristian by the fruit we bear.

My Christianity os not a name tag or an intellectual or even moral ascent. It is a life surrendered to the will of God.

I fail daily, but my understanding is that it is more about what you do with your life mor than it is about what you don't do or where you fail.

[bryant69]

25. Yes but we don't have a heart-o-scope to measure anybodys

commitment to Christian Ideals. And there is no agreement among Christians on what exactly those standards should be. There are Christians who feel it a holy duty to support President Bush, and others who feel it a holy duty to oppose him, for example (I count myself in the latter count). For an outsider to the faith or even for insiders the only real definition that works is self description.

You are free of course to suggest that Hitler didn't live up to the standards of Christianity that you hold to - He certainly didn't to mine.

Bryant

[Perky]

27. The point was Christianity is far more than a merit badge.

[bryant69]

29. Your Christianity is - but to others saying "I'm a Christian" means no more than

saying "I like to wear t-shirts."

Bryant

[Perky]

31. well you and I know that does not make them a Christian

[bryant69]

36. Here's why Atheists don't like this theory, and I have to say they make sense

Any times a Christian does something we consider reprehensible, even when, as in the case of Bush and Cheney, they claim that their actions are in harmony with their Christian belief system, we can happily say "But they aren't real Christians, so it has nothing to do with me."

But it really does have something to do with us, as unpleasant as that is to consider.

Bryant

[Perky]

39. That's why "Judgment begins in the House of God"

We are not called to judge the world and sinners (that's His job), we are called to judge the Church (sin, orthodoxy, apostasy, deception, phariseesism-gnosticism (see Galatians)) See to me the rules that the Dobsonites want to place on the world/America through the legislative and Judicial process are only meant for the Church and then only (according to Paul) through the unction of the Holy Ghost. Since we are incapbele of keeping the Law

I will let you know some day when I figure it out how we do that (judge the Church) when the Church has become as fractured as it has)

:shrug:

[stirlingsliver]

40. No One's Actions Are Always "In Harmony with Their Christian Belief System"

There is not one single person whose actions are always "in harmony with their Christian belief system".

So, there is no one who is a "real Christian".

[JerseygirlCT]

54. I really don't think any human being can know another's heart

like that. I'd rather leave it to God.

I have to agree -- it's not my business if someone calls themselves a Christian.

If they do, I need to take them at their word, I think. And hope that it's sincere.

[More Than A Feeling]

50. Ding ding ding...We 'ave a winnah! n/t

[Warpy]

4. Depends on which Christian you ask.

Some will tell you that anybody who says he's a Christian is a Christian.

Others will tell you that anybody who believes the myth is a Christian, even if they flout all commandments and precepts.

Others will tell you that people who go to church every Sunday are Christians.

Others will tell you that anybody who has been baptized is a Christian.

And a very few will tell you that people who practice Christ's teachings of loving their neighbor, charity, tolerance, and worship are Christians. These are the keepers.

[Labors of Hercules]

8. Where do we go to find the keepers?

apart from here...

[Warpy]

21. Check out the folks who volunteer all over the place

from food co ops to Meals on Wheels to soup kitchens, anywhere there is a human need that depressed wages and disabilities don't allow people to fulfill for themselves.

Look at the people who give money to the homeless without lecturing them on how to spend it.

Check out the folks who call the Red Cross after a disaster with donations of clothing and furniture.

They're out there. The other groups are just louder and harder to ignore.

[me b zola]

30. In the religion/theology forum

[classof56]

5. A person needs to acknowledge his/her sinful state and accept Christ

I'm giving you this information based on the evangelical/fundamentalist theology. After you acknowledge your sinful state and asked forgiveness, you must personally accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Here's an iteration of what's called the Sinner's Prayer:

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

After accepting Christ, the believer follows Him in baptism, but there are differences as to what the accepted method is--generally, Baptists and other fundamentalists opt for immersion. It is then the believer's responsibility to live with love and in a Christlike manner but all this does not rule out the possibility of sinning, even after salvation, thus the requirement to confess those sins and ask for forgiveness continuously throughout life here on earth. It is the act of accepting Christ, however, that assures one's eternal salvation and entrance into the presence of God upon death.

There are variations of this of course, thus accounting for the zillion denominations within the Christian religion.

Just to be clear, I am a lifelong Baptist/fundamentalist who now, observing my fellow Christians and their lack of love and Christlike living, am rethinking the core of my beliefs. As a man once said to Jesus, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief."

Tired Old Cynic

[Labors of Hercules]

13. How does a person reconcile that Christ said in everything to be selfless?

But there is NOTHING selfless in what is written here:

"I have broken your laws, my sins, I am truly sorry, I want, forgive me, help me, I believe, died for my sins, hears my prayer, I invite, lord of my life, in my heart, help me obey..."

And what I hear in so much other Fundamentalist rhetoric sounds like this:
"We know we SHOULD 'live with love and in a Christlike manner', but it's too difficult because really we want to do what's in our best interest, so thank God our salvation isn't contingent upon actually thinking the way Christ taught us to think, but rather just knowing that we're 'believers'"

It makes me sad, truly to the point of tears sometimes, that the ESSENTIAL TRUTHS Christ taught us have been almost entirely eliminated from what has become the predominant definition of "Christianity". To the point that I say time and time again...

THIS IS NOT WHAT JESUS INTENDED.

[Perky]

26. Christianity is not reducable to morality

That is the problem with the Christian right...they want to impose their morality on everybody to insure ...well I dunno...I guess God's blessing and protection.

What they fail to recognize is that the way to God is not through morality, it is through spirituality and that spirituality has as one of its byproducts morality. You can not legislate spirituality. and morality is a poor substitute for authentic Christianity.

[classof56]

37. I am currently reading a book titled "Misquoting Jesus"

It's written by Bart Ehrman, chair of the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. It is an incredibly detailed and remarkably researched account of how we got our Bible, specifically the New Testament, and how the translations and words of Jesus got "tweaked" by scholars with often very different motivations and agendas. I agree that the words of Jesus I have always known and studied are pretty much ignored by a lot of "mainstream" Christians, but at this point I'm not sure I know what Jesus actually intended. He's quoted as saying, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me", which pretty much lays out the path to salvation as preached by the Fundamentalists. This rules out any other way to God and that's the tough part, when one thinks about it. It becomes complicated and of course confusing and difficult to explain and I can only hope Jesus actually did say "seek and you shall find", because these days I'm doing a lot of seeking!

[LanternWaste]

6. falling down, getting up, falling down, getting up...

Born into a Christian family. Moved away from religion when I was a teen and knew more than anyone else. Got a bit older, began reading the classics from both sides of the argument and made the decision based on that.

Accepted Christ as my Saviour and doing my best (falling down, getting up, falling down, getting up...) to live as He proscribed.

:hide:

[Perky]

28. :) I often discover, that I am far better off when I just fall down

:)

[Rosemary2205]

7. What makes me a Christian

is a deep belief that my soul was created by God for the purpose of love. That my physical body, while a miracle, is also an end result of Adam and Eve's choice to disobey God. I believe that Jesus paid the price for that original sin and opened up an avenue where I can petition God to assist me in becoming a kinder, more charitable person.

I believe my Christian faith is a responsibility AND a benefit. In one sense I can "cast my burdens upon the Lord" but in another sense I am to "feed and clothe my brethren". I believe when our time comes, we are all judged by the totality of our lives, not just "am I saved" or not. But what sort of life did we live. I am not one who believes that charitable loving atheists end up in hell. I believe everyone is given an opportunity to meet Christ in person and then make up their minds at some point in their lives (not necessarily THIS physical life).


And yes, I'm aware to many on DU this is nothing but gobbledygook.

[Nikki Stone1]

9. When I was a kid in Catholic school, we took home notes to boycott Gallo wine

(because of their mistreatment of migrant workers) and our local priests and nuns were against the war in Vietnam. Times have changed, but there are still people of social conscience to be found in the religious life, no matter what Ratzinger spews.

[shraby]

11. My treatment of others.

[emilyg]

12. Excellent.

[Elspeth]

22. Yes.

Great answer.

[triguy46]

14. Depends on choice of denomination...

but for me an affirmation of faith. Our lowly version of Peter's, Matthew 16:16 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

What does NOT make one a Christian in my opinion: attending church. leading a 'good' life. having parents who were Christian. those can all be good things but lack the voiced declaration.

[King Coal]

15. It ain't from the fundies, mormons. or JW's.

[monmouth]

16. Do unto others, blah, blah, blah. So sick of this Christian crap...eom

[FredMertz]

20. Yea, what a sucky world it would be if we treated others as we'd like to be

treated!

[pingzing58]

17. I follow and try to live out the teachings of Christ as found in the Christian Scriptures.

[ReadTomPaine]

18. As usual, Monty Python supplies the answer...

(At least for Catholics!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0kJHQpvgB8

There are Jews in the world.
There are Buddhists.
There are Hindus and Mormons, and then
There are those that follow Mohammed, but
I've never been one of them.

I'm a Roman Catholic,
And have been since before I was born,
And the one thing they say about Catholics is:
They'll take you as soon as you're warm.

You don't have to be a six-footer.
You don't have to have a great brain.
You don't have to have any clothes on.
You're a Catholic the moment Dad came

[JerseygirlCT]

55. LOL!!! I LOVE those guys! nt

[Elspeth]

19. Being a Christian is about having a love for God, humanity, and having a loving mindset

God loves us and it is that love we are supposed to enact in the world. God is not an auditor with a spreadsheet, counting every little sin. And God is not about shaming people. God is about the life and liberty of the human soul. We have certain loving missions in our lifetimes, tasks we need to be doing, with our special talents, in loving service to all souls on the planet. This may sound very vague, but there are real practical consequences to this loving service.

1. We need to preserve our planet. (yes, we pray for the stewardship of the planet every week) We understand that our life on earth is about manifesting God's love, and there is no way to do that in this place if we destroy it. There is also an inequality about the destruction of the earth, where the most damaged places are often inhabited by the least able to deal with them. THat is where charity comes in.

2. We need to treat EVERY person as our neighbor. The Good Samaritan story was about loving people that politics and social pressure has shunned. Jesus often spent time with "undesirables" (at least according to the mores of the time.) I interpret this to mean that no one is beyond the love and help of God. This also means we have to put an end to war and torture. These are the opposite of what allows a soul to grow and blossom. Only love can nourish a soul.

3. We need to put our money where our mouth is and really HELP people, regardless of where they are or where they come from. We need to help people in our immediate circle and outside of it. We need to give of our time, our effort and our money. We need not to be selfish in this. Give up the latte and put the $3 toward a homeless shelter.

Sorry to go on so long, I just think it's important to say.

[Labors of Hercules]

43. Thanks for going on so long! It is important...

To be a Christian in truth, is to be loving and giving. More than believing any specific thing, the essential thing is to believe that Jesus lived and showed us the way to live ourselves. People get so caught up in believing everything in the bible is the literal Word of God, and focus all their energies in defending the Bible and not in upholding the real teachings of Christ.

[Aristus]

23. Yes. Conservatives DO have a different definition of Christianity:

One variation or another of: "Let's all get rich an' go ta Heaven!"

The progressive definition of Christianity:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

[Hubert Flottz]

32. I have a big...

snake!

[DFW]

33. Nothing.

Nothing makes me a Christian, and probably nothing could make me a Christian.

By the same token, nothing makes me think badly of someone else being or wanting
to be a Christian. Believe what you want to believe and go in peace, as long as you
accord me the same courtesy.

Works for me, anyway.

"Live, let live
"That's my advice,
"And if you've got a question
"Ask me nice."

--John Hammond, Jr.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. Not a Christian, but an admirer of what he is (alleged) to have said.

In the same way I admire Gandhi, Tolstoy, Martin Luther King.

[Emit]

35. I think you are missing a key point

The issue, at least for me, is that the "theocratic right seeks to establish dominion, or control over society in the name of (their) God..." ... "...It is about the manipulation of people of a certain faith for political power. It is about the rise of dominionists in the U.S. federal government ..."

~snip~

Twenty-five years ago dominionists targeted the Republican Party as the vehicle through which they could advance their agenda. At the same time, a small group of Republican strategists targeted fundamentalist, Pentecostal and charismatic churches to expand the base of the Republican Party. This web site is not about traditional Republicans or conservative Christians. It is about the manipulation of people of a certain faith for political power. It is about the rise of dominionists in the U.S. federal government.

Today's hard right seeks total dominion. It's packing the courts and rigging the rules. The target is not the Democrats but democracy itself.

~snip~

Before the midterm elections of 2006, dominionists controlled both houses of the U.S. Congress, the White House and four out of nine seats on the U.S. Supreme Court. They were one seat away from holding a solid majority on the Supreme Court. As of January 1, 2007, dominionists will not control the leadership of either house of Congress, and the President will no longer be able to so easily appoint dominionists to the federal courts.

Five of the Republican Senators who were unseated on November 7 received whopping scores of 100% from the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family Voter Scorecards. Those Senators are: Conrad Burns (R-MT), George Allen (R-VA), Rick Santorum (R-PA), James Talent (R-MO), and Mike DeWine (R-OH). Rick Santorum was the number three ranking Republican in the party. Santorum and Allen both had Presidential ambitions. (FRC and FOF are the most politically influential of dominionist organizations.) For more discussion of the elections go to Talk To Action.

~snip~

Much, much more here:
http://www.theocracywatch.org/

Including videos:

http://www.theocracywatch.org/audio-video.htm

[Labors of Hercules]

45. Interesting, but not what I'm asking...

I'm asking you personally, if you are a Christian, what makes it so?

[Emit]

38. Here's a Bush Supporter's view on "The Christian Lifestyle"

Freshly written on the PBS NOW Politics & Economy discussion boards -- it's so fitting here:

The Christian Lifestyle

I have spent a lot of time discussing the Atheistic Lifestyle, but little about the Christian Lifestyle.

There are a lot of elements of the Christian Lifestyle, but the key elements are all contained in the Biblical verses.

Matthew 22:37-40 says, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

A person must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to begin to live the Christian Lifestyle that is presented in the Bible. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior indicates a person loves the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.

The difference in the person from before salvation and after salvation is presented in Galatians 5:19-23, ...

A major part of living the Christian Lifestyle is the weekly participation in the church services.

The best analogy of the need for spiritual refreshment is the following. All people are like small boats and life is an angry sea that tosses the boats in many directions. Christians get their compass corrected by regular attendance at church Sunday School/Worship services and a Wednesday night prayer service.

A key element in living the Christian Lifestyle is maintaining purity.

~snip~

Another key element is for the Christian is being salt and light to the world.

~snip~

Another key element is faith, hope and charity.

~snip~

The most important element in Christian living in bringing others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:19-20 states, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

http://discussions.pbs.org/viewtopic.pbs?t=77985

In fact, this particular person posts a great deal about his/her Christian beliefs at the PBS discussion board and provides an interesting, albeit scary, insight into the type of Christian that supports this authoritarian administration. While this post is pretty tame for clirus, one can do a search under his/her name and find some pretty crazy stuff. His/her theory, for example, on Theocracy vs Democracy is very telling:

The biggest problem with a Democracy is the freedom it allows. Freedom to do evil is as disastrous as no freedom at all. My solution to this and the solution proposed by the Constitution is the Separation of Church and State. This does not mean the elimination of the Church nor the State. The combination of Democracy, Christianity, and Capitalism is the best combination. Democracy allows choice, Christianity defines the proper choice and Capitalism takes care of those who do not make the proper choice.

~snip~

Christianity must of course discourage immorality, but that is best done as an act of prevention. By telling people of the disease, death and destruction of sinful acts, most will be discouraged from even considering the evil acts. If people are not prevented from sinful acts, then as a Democracy, certain evil acts can and should be defined by the citizens of the Democracy to be hazardous to society, and the person committing the evil acts be incarcerated or executed.

The combination of Democracy, Christianity and Capitalism provides the best method of survival of a society. Theocracy will not survive without the infusion of great amounts of cash associated with the oil wealth of the Middle East. Democracy is a bottom up government whereas a Theocracy is a top down government.

http://discussions.pbs.org/viewtopic.pbs?t=48638&highlight=christian+capitalism

He/She often posts about the evil Democrats, Liberals and Atheists:

~snip~

Atheistic liberals would like everyone to think the persons left behind are innocent victims of a mean God. Afraid not, Noah worked on the Ark for many years and they mocked Noah for listening to God. They made the choices, thus they reaped what they sowed. Now days, the Bible is available to everyone and Christians are mocked for listening to God. People are making choices, thus they will reap what they sow.

Atheistic liberals would like everyone to think Christians should take care of those that make wrong choices. I don't believe that. There are plenty of people that God places on this earth for Christians to exercise Christian Charity. Nothing would please Satan more than for Christians to spend all their time serving the tables of the poor that Satan has placed at the table of the poor through wrong choices.

Do people make the wrong choices because they are deceived by Satan, or do they really ignore and reject God? It really doesn't matter does it. When the doors on the Ark were closed, there was only a concern for the righteous not the unrighteous. Christians have a responsibility to teach and preach Jesus, in the hope that the Atheists will accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

This subject has major political implications because the democratic party advocates socialism which makes the government the benefactor of the people of wrong choices. The government does not require repentance from those who make the wrong choices, but taxes everyone to pay for the people who make the wrong choices. By voting for a democratic candidate you are subsidizing sin.

~snip~

http://discussions.pbs.org/viewtopic.pbs?t=58824

~snip~

I recommend the following for any Christian that is dealing with Atheists.

1) If it is a taped interview, get a right of rejection contract.

The news media did a hatchet job on General Westmorland during the Vietnam war by editing the film footage. General Westmorland sued after the war, but did not win. It was agreed the news media lied, but that the freedom of the press was more important than the truth.

Do not assume the news media is honest. If you do not have a contract that states that you have final approval of what the news media presents as your interview, then you could easily be slandered by your own edited words. I would suggest a monetary damage award of $100,000 and a 20% per year interest rate, if any part of your interview is presented without your written approval. Keep a copy of the signed interview presentation.

2) Establish the religious convictions of the person doing the interview.

A person wanting to talk to you about Christianity is an excellent opportunity for evangelism. The first thing to do after the cameras start rolling is to ask the interviewer if they are a Christian. If they say no, then state, "so you are an Atheist?" This can lead to a whole set of questions on there beliefs. If they say they are a Christian, then ask, "do you believe in the inerrency of the Bible?". If they do not believe in the inerrency of the Bible, then ask, "what part of the Bible do you consider to be incorrect?" This can lead to a whole set of questions that are an opportunity to witness. If you get no answer, terminate the interview.

3) Reference the Bible for all subjects.

In your own strength you will be totally unable to defend the Bible. I have an electronic Bible that allows keyword/phase lookup. If you use the Bible as the authority, then the interviewer must attack God instead of you. See what the Bible says, then discuss what the Bible says. Admit you could be wrong in your interpretation. Ask the interviewer what is their interpretation.

If you are not allowed to use the Bible in the interview, terminate the interview.

~snip~

http://discussions.pbs.org/viewtopic.pbs?t=67125&highlight=christian+capitalism

[Labors of Hercules]

46. WOW. A culmination of everything Christianity is NOT, all in one post...

Makes my head hurt. :hurts:

[JVS]

41. Baptism in trinitarian formula...

belief in the Nicene, Athanasian, and Apostles' Creeds.

[Dinger]

42. I Am A Christian. I Try To Keep My Thoughts On Religion Confined To

the Liberal/Progressive people of faith group here. I don't post there very much though. It's pretty personal for me. I was born into a Christian family. As children, me and & siblings had a good church experience. I feel bad that there are some so-called Christians who are so hateful. I am not one of them. Like someone else in this thread, suffice it to say, Jesus was cool:)

[Labors of Hercules]

47. Yes he was.

But why is he so often ignored by people who say they believe in him? :shrug:

[GreenPartyVoter]

44. First I was born into it, then I married into it, finally I chose it myself but

on my own terms. Fundy believers would rarely call me one of their own.

[Swamp Rat]

48. I dig the water-into-wine trick, and I really love fish.

:D

[Labors of Hercules]

49. Ha! nt

[datasuspect]

51. if you accept jesus christ as your personal lord and savior, then you are a christian

good, bad, and indifferent.

[H2O Man]

52. "Jesus was all right,

but his disciples were thick and ordinary." -- John Lennon

[JerseygirlCT]

53. I think you might find as many definitions as people

To me, the basic one is a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Others would be horrified that the definition above doesn't include Jesus' divinity.

Others would say that, plus you must subscribe -- near-literally -- to the creeds.

Others would say you must accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.

And so on.

I do think for many, it's a matter of birth and just continuing on the path they were started on. For some, it's not at all, it's a conscious choice.

I think there are people in both camps for whom it's a very meaningful thing. And some in the first for whom it's a lot more about a sort of cultural identity.

I'd subscribe to the first view. I think it's an obligation one takes on, not some sort of award or medal. I think it's an indication that one is attempting to follow those teachings and lead a life modelled on them. (Not that I personally come even close to succeeding!)

[hiphopnation]

56. that's so not a simple question

i don't profess to be a christian, so I can't speak to your question except to say it is a loaded one.