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I just love Fluffybunny' Christianity. I mean the term. The floating about "Hello trees hello, flowers! God's in his heaven -all's right with the world" bad for my breakfast. But then it isn't a problem like organized religion.
Mystic says I'm a Concrete Thinker, and I don't mean Gldrule's boots (1). And I do deal in he practical suff and I am much happier debating wots in the Bible with bods like you and Pneuma. The fluffy bunnies are still hopping about of course, but they still live on Authorship Down and Jesus is significant because of what the Bible says he did, said and was, and not just as a label attached to mental feelgood.
(1) They do say as 'ow, if you passes by the river right by the old iron bridge, on dark and windly nights, you can hear the ghostly voice calling.... "You have nothing!.... Zilch!... Nadaaarrr....."
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 06-12-2017 at 10:18 AM..
If you had paid attention, you would see that I had pointed that out as an extreme negative, such as the Westboro BC.
My point is, liberal Christianity dismisses the idea that "all have sinned" and instead focuses almost totally on "God so loved..." In reality, both are true. To experience the good news, you must understand the bad.
It is NOT "an extreme negative." It is the BASIC message that 99% or more of Christianity has given for centuries, and it has filtered into the secular world as one of the most virulent prejudices that exists. It is NOT just about acting on their feelings it is the denial of who they ARE.
btw liberal Christianity does NOT deny that we all "miss the mark," it just denies that the consequences we face for it are not what you say they are, because punishment without the possibility of change is just barbaric revenge; a concept not consistent with the love of God.
Your problem is that you think that "Holy" and "judgement" are inconsistent with love.
Last edited by nateswift; 06-12-2017 at 09:12 AM..
Salvation: Deliverance from the “pit of selfishness”
Repentance: “Realizing error, finding the better way”
Regeneration: “Determination” to do better
Sanctification: "Growing in understanding"
Jesus: The “embodiment of the way God intends for us”
Atonement: “Invalidation of the law”
OT: “Source material” for the history of an ethnic group
NT: “Material accrued” around the life and teachings of Jesus
Divine judgment: “Bringing home our errors” for our benefit
Resurrection: The “basis of our hope” for inclusion in God’s community
As Transponder has pointed out, this is in effect thinly disguised secular humanism. This “Christianity” is properly located in the Self-Help section of your local bookstore, not the Religion section. This “Christianity” is all about “poor little us” and our problems. God? Oh, he’s just there to help us get through the night, the Big Therapist In the Sky. Part of my challenge – somewhat of a rhetorical challenge, I will admit – was to produce a coherent theology that was recognizably Christian. This is not recognizably Christian. It would not be recognized as Christian in any Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant congregation. Inserting "Jesus" 175 times into the owner's manual for my Ford does not make it recognizably Christian.
As Transponder has suggested, why not just admit you believe Christianity is a Big Lie and move on to what you actually do believe – secular humanism if you have utterly no spiritual beliefs or the New Age community if you do? What is gained by pretending you are talking about Christianity? I truly don’t get it, unless there is actually an anti-Christian agenda - which I suspect there is.
I now realize the accepted term for this sort of "Christianity" is "watered down Christianity," although I still sort of like "fluffy." Google that phrase and you will find an abundance of "source material" from recognized Christian scholars.
A response to be expected from a mind thoroughly imbued with "Reform Theology." "No one is 'Christian' just because he believes and follows what Jesus taught about relating to God and man, you HAVE to buy into the 'theology' cooked up over the las 2,000 years designed to control your thoughts and actions.
Check what I said about the NT: New Testament..... materiel accrued around the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, embodiment of the Christ, containing conflicting ideas of the nature of that ministry, but clearly indicating the nature of the Spirit which is to be our guide.
Do me a favor and check the forum rules on what constitutes "Christian."
It is NOT "an extreme negative." It is the BASIC message that 99% or more of Christianity has given for centuries, and it has filtered into the secular world as one of the most virulent prejudices that exists. It is NOT just about acting on their feelings it is the denial of who they ARE.
Nate, you're trying to explain to a fundamentalist, something which requires empathy to understand.
You'd have better luck smashing bricks with your tongue.
It is NOT "an extreme negative." It is the BASIC message that 99% or more of Christianity has given for centuries, and it has filtered into the secular world as one of the most virulent prejudices that exists. It is NOT just about acting on their feelings it is the denial of who they ARE.
Yelling "God hates ****" at military funerals is definitely extreme. I've been a Southern Baptist all my life and we've never done anything like that, or even considered it.
My point from the beginning of this thread was to point out that watered-down, liberal Christianity is equally as dangerous and wrong as the above. Both distort the message of Christ.
I just love Fluffybunny' Christianity. I mean the term. The floating about "Hello trees hello, flowers! God's in his heaven -all's right with the world" bad for my breakfast. But then it isn't a problem like organized religion.
Mystic says I'm a Concrete Thinker, and I don't mean Gldrule's boots (1). And I do deal in he practical suff and I am much happier debating wots in the Bible with bods like you and Pneuma. The fluffy bunnies are still hopping abou of course, but they still live on Authorship Down and Jesus is significant because of what the Bibles says he did, said and was and not just as a label attached to mental feelgood.
(1) They do say as 'ow, if you passes by the river right by the old iron bridge, on dark and windly nights, you can hear the ghostly voice calling.... "You have nothing!.... Zilch!... Nadaaarrr....."
STILL not paying attention. Why am I not surprised?
Yelling "God hates ****" at military funerals is definitely extreme. I've been a Southern Baptist all my life and we've never done anything like that, or even considered it.
My point from the beginning of this thread was to point out that watered-down, liberal Christianity is equally as dangerous and wrong as the above. Both distort the message of Christ.
And MY point is that "God hates ****" is just the extreme of the spectrum of disgust almost all Christians display for the nature of the character of those lgbtq kids who are consistently shamed by that whole spectrum, even those who claim to be telling them that they are wrong....in love... REALLY?
STILL not paying attention. Why am I not surprised?
No, I was paying attention, but I wanted to check the OP to find out why fluffy bunny Christianity supposedly doesn't work (not jus hat it doesn't suit him). and why you think it does.
If you go back and check it would seem to be that reading and accepting the doctrines set out in the Bible (give or take a change in message, here and there) is necessary to align you spiritually to receive the Holy Spirit. Because (or so it seems the OP is arguing) you get only a sort of fluffy feelgoodness which is NOT the Holy Spirit but something you can't tell from fluffy anything else-ism or indeed a fluffy humanism. Indeed it IS fluffy humanism and only has the label 'Christianity' (and a few selected quotes one happens to agree with) to distinguish i from humanism (1).
What have you to say to that?
I'll tell you what I say to it. The OP is no argument that it doesn't Work, only that the OP believes it is not getting the Holy Spirit. I'll explain why. The only difference between fluffy Christianity and Bible -based Christianity is that one is a bit more based on the Bible (not totally - that would be the error of Bible Literalism ) than the other one. I may be wrong, but the denominational debate seems to be not about whether one cherry -picks the Bible- both seem to do that - but how extremely picky one is about the cherries.
(1) always a foopnote... this includes of course the irreligious theist or 'agnostic' who may do fluffy bunnies or Humanism with a sortagod -
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 06-12-2017 at 09:55 AM..
I do find that fluffy "Christians" tend to use phrases like "twisted via some venom" rather more often than one might expect from those whose entire raison d'être is theoretically spreading the love of God, but we'll let it go. I have seen fluffies describe passages in the NT - indeed quotations attributed to Jesus - as "filled with venom."
My grandmother wasn't a great Christian, but did attend mass regularly and donate appropriately to support our Church. Her term of art was guttersnipe. However this may be dated, and my use of an archaic expression such as gutter snipe may not be appropriate to your post. Most often she referred to FDR as a guttersnipe. They were sort of synonyms in my home growing up.
As to your soul, my prayer was if you reached out that the holy spirit quickly find and help lift any animus you may harbor, for your own sake. If that is fluffy, so be it, my hardscrabble childhood has become one of adult wealth and happiness. May you find the same. Hardship is not unique to non-Christians. It is possible to overcome hardship without violating Christian beliefs.
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I mean the term. The floating about "Hello trees hello, flowers! God's in his heaven -all's right with the world" bad for my breakfast. But then it isn't a problem like organized religion. 
) than the other one. I may be wrong, but the denominational debate seems to be not about whether one cherry -picks the Bible- both seem to do that - but how extremely picky one is about the cherries.
