Why can't Evangelicals adopt the Amish's attitude? (Jehovah's Witnesses, belief, dogma)

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by buddy5

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian theological stream which began in Great Britain in the 1730s. Its key theological beliefs are:

• A belief in the need for personal conversion (or being "Born again")
• Actively expressing and sharing the Gospel
• A high regard for Biblical authority, especially Biblical inerrancy
• An emphasis on teachings that proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus

They can't be like 'the Amish' because it's a different religion. Check out point #2. I believe all Christains believe in points 1, 3 , and 4. But point #2, separates them as Evangelical.


Evangelism means "spreading the Gospel".

Not all Christians believe in point 1 either. Being "Born Again" is a concept to which not all Christians accept as non-Evangelicals do not believe in the necessity that one be "Born Again." It is one of the fundamental principles that separate Evangelical Christians from Non-Evangelical Christians.

Point 3 is not shared by all Christians. Not all Christians interpret the Bible fundamentally. Many Christians interpret the Bible according to context instead of the literal interpretation that is endorsed by Evangelicals.

The Amish are Christians as well. They are no less Christian than Catholics. If you believe the Amish are not Christians due to their unique culture then you could make the same argument about Catholics.

[JazzyTallGuy]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Let me educate you, the majority of Christians in this country do not identify themselves as Evangelicals. I'm sorry if that fact is difficult for you to accept. Sorry but you are among a minority of Christians not the majority.

I understand the Gospel better than you and have actually read the Bible front to back and have taken historical courses on it. The Gospel is based on FAITH. You cannot force someone to accept Christ. It defeats the very purpose of Christianity, a fact that Evangelicals like yourself fail to appreciate. In fact, the author John Milton who wrote Paradise Lost and was a Biblical scholar himself even stated this in one of his famous essays.

Spreading the Gospel is one thing, Imposing the Gospel is not what Jesus preached. You are to come to Jesus through your own will, not out of fear. You cannot harrass somemone into accepting Christ. Unfortunately, the Christian Taliban aka the Evangelicals failed to grasp this basic concept of Christianity.

And like all good Evangelicals, you take that out of context. God didn't instruct you to harrass people or impose your beliefs upon others. It's about faith. You are supposed to spread the Gospel but the final decision to accept the Gospel is up to the individual. For example, a true Christian would allow homosexuals to get married. The decision to marry is ultimately theirs, or as you might see it, the decision to sin is ultimately theirs, you are not to interfere with their decision. That is the Gospel. The Gospel does not command you to interfere with their personal decision and block them from getting married. Evangelicals, however, have twisted this concept and see it as a license to interfere and impose their will upon the decision of others.

I do have a problem with that. The difference is I also have a problem with your people telling Gays they can't get married in a city that is thousands of miles away from you. I have a problem with your people telling women what they can and can't do with their bodies. I have a problem with your people impeding scientific advancement because of your religious views on stem cells. I have a problem with Christian Serbs killing over 100,000 Bosnian Muslims in the Balkan wars. I have a problem with the Southern Baptist Convention denying Civil Rights to African Americans in the 1960's. Do you have a problem with any of this or are you fine with this hypocrisy, I'm guessing you are.

Finally, this is the United States of America not the United States of Jesus. If you want this to be a dogmatic overzealous Christian nation, move to an island with your followers and form your own nation. Until then, realize that you live in a nation with several religions and spiritual views so you cannot harrass people or impose your religious views on the entire country. I'll respect your views, you should respect mine. It's can't be a one way street in which you are allowed to proselytize but get angry or block others from doing the same.

Amen Brotha Preach!

[buddy5]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Not all Christians believe in point 1 either. Being "Born Again" is a concept to which not all Christians accept as non-Evangelicals do not believe in the necessity that one be "Born Again." It is one of the fundamental principles that separate Evangelical Christians from Non-Evangelical Christians.

Point 3 is not shared by all Christians. Not all Christians interpret the Bible fundamentally. Many Christians interpret the Bible according to context instead of the literal interpretation that is endorsed by Evangelicals.

The Amish are Christians as well. They are no less Christian than Catholics. If you believe the Amish are not Christians due to their unique culture then you could make the same argument about Catholics.

I never said they, the Amish, were not Christians.
I just answered the OP's question.

[Blewcas]

wHY CAN'T MUSLIMS BE MORE LIKE JEWS???

[Sophiasmommy]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.;15622271[I

]Not all Christians believe in point 1 either. Being "Born Again" is a concept to which not all Christians accept as non-Evangelicals do not believe in the necessity that one be "Born Again." It is one of the fundamental principles that separate Evangelical Christians from Non-Evangelical Christians.[/i]

Point 3 is not shared by all Christians. Not all Christians interpret the Bible fundamentally. Many Christians interpret the Bible according to context instead of the literal interpretation that is endorsed by Evangelicals.

The Amish are Christians as well. They are no less Christian than Catholics. If you believe the Amish are not Christians due to their unique culture then you could make the same argument about Catholics.

Then they're not Christians. Chrisitanity isn't a spirtual buffet where one can pick and choose what they like. Jesus said, "lest any man be born again, he can not enter the kingdom of God." John 3:5

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by buddy5

I never said they, the Amish, were not Christians.
I just answered the OP's question.

I am the OP. The point wasn't that the Amish and Evangelicals practice and believe the exact same dogma. It was simply that both are Christian groups that endorse a conservative lifestyle. If the Amish can remain conservative and respectful of the mainstream, why can't Evangelicals do the same. Both religious groups believe in spreading the Gospel so that really has nothing to do with it. Spreading the gospel is not the same as imposing one's beliefs upon society. Again, there is a difference between spreading and imposing. The former means to share information but allow the final decision to be in the individual's hand. Imposing means to force others to adopt a faith through coercion. When you seek to ban certain laws, that is coercion. Christianity is based on faith not coercion. You defy the very essence of Christianity by using coercion to force certain dogma on society. In other words, you are not being Christian by forcing society to accept your beliefs.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Sophiasmommy

Then they're not Christians. Chrisitanity isn't a spirtual buffet where one can pick and choose what they like. Jesus said, "lest any man be born again, he can not enter the kingdom of God." John 3:5

Except you are treating it like a buffet as well but just aren't aware of it. You are choosing to interpret the Bible in a way that befits your culture and attitude. Evangelicals most certainly interpret the Bible just like non-Evangelicals. The only difference is you aren't aware that you are doing it and think your way is the only true way.

[momonkey]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I was sitting by an Evangelical on a flight. He was a missionary doing work in Costa Rica. He was downright angry and belligerant toward the Mormon missionaries. He was cursing them and claiming they were not spreading the truth. It's funny how Evangelicals expect tolerance toward their proselytizing yet when he was on the other end, he certainly had no tolerance for another group pushing their beliefs in his direction.

Can you explain why you believe in proselytizing yet when others do it, it's wrong? After all, they are just like you and practicing what they believe and want you to have a good outcome so why such opposition to other groups proselytizing? After all if you can proselytize, shouldn't you tolerate a Hindu, Muslim, Mormon, Atheist, Buddhist knocking on your door and prosleytizing or does it only work in one direction?

Yawn!

Strawmen?

Can you explain where did I indicated I opposed evangelizing by any individual or group?

Are you able to provide audio or video of your conversation from the plane or are we to simply take your word?


P.S. Most evangelicals welcome the efforts of others to proselytize them because it gives them the opportunity to do their own witnessing.

[censusdata]

I think the evangelicals' problem with the current situation is that they are a vast majority of the religious population but aren't allowed to show any public signs of their faith.

I don't see an expression of religion on public land is unconstitutional IF it does not EXCLUDE other religions. Let's take the Utah fallen trooper memorial crosses. If they forced crosses to memorialize crosses who were non Christian that would be unc'al IMO. But I don't see a problem with using a religious symbol of each trooper's faith to memorialize them - it could be a Christian cross, Muslim crescent moon, or Jewish star of David, etc. If all the troopers happen to be Christian should they not have a right for a cross as a memorial??

[Sophiasmommy]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Except you are treating it like a buffet as well but just aren't aware of it. You are choosing to interpret the Bible in a way that befits your culture and attitude. Evangelicals most certainly interpret the Bible just like non-Evangelicals. The only difference is you aren't aware that you are doing it and think your way is the only true way.

Um, what?