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Not sure how to answer your first question. What do you mean by prayer "working"? Does conversation with other humans "work"? Prayer is communication with God. Do I believe we can communicate with God or that God communicates with us? Yes. Do I believe that if I pray for a specific thing I want, I'll get it, thereby "prayer works"? LOL, you know better than that. (But, hell, I still TRY.) As St. Mick sings, you don't always get what you want, but you get what you need.
The basic belief that unites liberal Christians--is that we are to love God and love our neighbors, the basic teaching of Christ. Loving our neighbors means helping those we can in whatever way might be needed, including standing up for those who are victims of injustice.
The rest of what I think you mean by "doctrine" is there for us to question, discuss, and argue over till we die.
Not just liberal Christians do that (bolded above).
Not just liberal Christians do that (bolded above).
That's correct. However, the OP was asking specifically what basic doctrine unites liberal Christians, and that is it. Whereas, other Christians might put things that we don't accept, like "The Bible is the inerrant Word of God Himself" on equal footing with "love God and love your neighbors." Some of us believe that the first one often leads to contradiction of the second.
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 05-21-2015 at 02:27 PM..
What do liberal Christians believe? Do they generally believe that prayer works? Do they still believe in an afterlife?
Are there any widely accepted doctrines at all? What beliefs unite them? Or are beliefs largely left up to the individual? The only "universally accepted" doctrine I have seen so far (based on C-D anecdotes) is this: the fundamentalists are wrong.
Liberal Christians are typically catergorized as laissez- faire type God believers.
Liberal Christians are pretty much like Christians of any stripe - they belly up to the salad-bar of their faith, pick out what they like, and ignore what they find inconvenient.
As they stand in line, they're convinced that the Bible isn't virulently anti-gay and anti-woman. If they find themselves standing next to some fundamentalist who thinks Jesus was a supply-siding capitalist, the two probably look each other and both shake their heads in wonderment that the other could be so misguided.
Of course, such behavior is hardly limited to the Christian faith.
Liberal Christians are pretty much like Christians of any stripe - they belly up to the salad-bar of their faith, pick out what they like, and ignore what they find inconvenient.
As they stand in line, they're convinced that the Bible isn't virulently anti-gay and anti-woman. If they find themselves standing next to some fundamentalist who thinks Jesus was a supply-siding capitalist, the two probably look each other and both shake their heads in wonderment that the other could be so misguided.
Of course, such behavior is hardly limited to the Christian faith.
What do liberal Christians believe? Do they generally believe that prayer works? Do they still believe in an afterlife?
Are there any widely accepted doctrines at all? What beliefs unite them? Or are beliefs largely left up to the individual? The only "universally accepted" doctrine I have seen so far (based on C-D anecdotes) is this: the fundamentalists are wrong.
Ah. Another one of those "anyone who disagrees with me cannot be a Christian at all" threads.
I'm pretty sure that the Nicene Creed says it all for the vast majority of us.
Liberal Christians are pretty much like Christians of any stripe - they belly up to the salad-bar of their faith, pick out what they like, and ignore what they find inconvenient.
As they stand in line, they're convinced that the Bible isn't virulently anti-gay and anti-woman. If they find themselves standing next to some fundamentalist who thinks Jesus was a supply-siding capitalist, the two probably look each other and both shake their heads in wonderment that the other could be so misguided.
Of course, such behavior is hardly limited to the Christian faith.
It must be a simple life wherein other people can be dismissed and explained away so easily. It seems to be even more fulfilling when one gets to point and giggle at others on the Internet, thereby removing any trace of possibility that the people one is trashing might be human beings of more complexity than one has the capacity to imagine.
Ah. Another one of those "anyone who disagrees with me cannot be a Christian at all" threads.
I'm pretty sure that the Nicene Creed says it all for the vast majority of us.
Eh, liberals argue over the creed. I've got a guy in my parish who is a former priest. Facilitates centering prayer, teaches bible studies. Gave up his collar because he realized he didn't believe in the Trinity and an Episcopal priest is supposed to believe in the Trinity. But that's OK. Doesn't keep him from being an Episcopalian.
It must be a simple life wherein other people can be dismissed and explained away so easily. It seems to be even more fulfilling when one gets to point and giggle at others on the Internet, thereby removing any trace of possibility that the people one is trashing might be human beings of more complexity than one has the capacity to imagine.
Have a party with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gabfest
I think I'm going to frame this post.
Good post, MQ!
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