Who's a Christian?
Jesus said follow me! I would assume that those who were trying to live their life like Jesus, who became the Christ, would be those we'd call Christians. Jesus had never heard the word Catholic, not was He one. Jesus had never heard the word Protestant, now was He one. However, those who call themselves either Catholics or Protestants are sure they're Christians and they're quick with reasons why others are not Christians. So, who's a Christian anyway?
Maybe a good place to start would be to list all those who aren't Christians.
Of course gays and lesbians, monogamous or not, surely aren't Christians. Pat Robertson can affirm that. Those who have not been baptized (of course in the right manner) aren't Christians. Those who do not subscribe to the Nicean Creed are not Christians. Those who have not confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior before a local congregation aren't Christians. Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and Jehovah Witnesses aren't Christians.
And then I learned last year that I'm not a Christian! A real bummer! :-(
I, and most people in the list above are deemed to be outside the Christian family simply because we have not passed the various litmus tests of those who sit in the seats of righteous judgment(s). One person says I'm not a Christian because I do not believe in original sin, nor that Mary was a virgin. Another says I'm not a Christian because I don't believe in an eternal hell, but believe God will eventually save all of His creation(s). Such thinking simply isn't God's thinking!
Harry Emerson Fosdick asked this question way back in 1925 (and it still needs answering), "To be a Bible Christian must we think, as some seem to suppose, that a fish swallowed a man, or that the sun and the moon stood still at Joshua's command, or that God sent she-bears to eat up children who were rude to a prophet, or that saints long dead arose and appeared in Jerusalem when our Lord was crucified? Is that what it means to be a Bible Christian?"
For some that's exactly what it means.
It wasn't a litmus test for Jesus. And it's not a litmus test for Fosdick who went on to say, "To have found in Christ, revealer of God and ideal of man, one who calls out our admiration, captivates our love, centralizes our ambition, and crowns our hopes, that is to be a Bible Christian."
We need to appreciate the diversities- not stifle them!
All the doctrinal formulations, endless doctrines, and narrow dogmas are only ways of trying (albeit it poorly) to convey divine and mystical truths- in human and earthly terms. I like the description of Fr. Richard Rohr who said, "A Christian is someone who has met one."
We have way to many who carry the name on their clothing and not in their hearts
Related Tags: christian, virgin, mormons, eternal hell, richard rohr, original sin, seventh day adventists, hos a christian, jehovah witnesses, harry emerson fosdick
ernie@lrchouston.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Boating, Why not treat your staff to something special this Christmas
Everyone is working hard for you and it's challenging times. People are all feeling a bit down a - Current Affairs, Why is the Media Silent on the Obama Birth Certificate Question?
Why has every major news source in the United States almost totally blacked out all reference to - Verse No. 13 in the Bible Versus the Quran
This is a new series (1-13) of Verse No. in the Bible versus the Quran. Verse No. 13 in the Old Te - An Agreement With God For Spiritual Growth
Unique spirituality information tells us that before we entered this physical universe we all made a - Introduction To Jewish Mysticism And Kabbalah
When non-Jews ask about Judaism, they commonly ask questions like: What is the nature of God? Do you - Spirituality Information: You Are An Eternal Being
Has your spiritual growth taken you to a point where you encounter the spirituality information know - Some Questions And Answers For Your Spiritual Growth
Life's eternal questions lead you to the spirituality information that ultimately provides your spir - Spirituality Information: You Put The Meaning To Life
Your spiritual growth leads you to the idea the you are constantly making choices in life and inevit - A Thanksgiving Paraphrase
I am so thankful that we do not have the original manuscripts from the New Testament. Because there - Religious Invitations and Religious Announcements
Religious Invitations and Religious Announcements Throughout the life of a person, there are probab
Most viewed articles in this category:
- No Sign in the Prayer Test
The recent release of the Richard Dawkins book, "The God Delusion", has brought renewed accusations - Bible Versus Quran Versus Sciences Array (2) the Bees
Before dealing with the topic of the Bees in Quran versus Bible versus sciences, it is mandatory to - Understanding the Heart
(If you wish to more benefit from this article, please read first our "The Alems" titled article. - Christian Dating vs Courtship
Over the past decade, or so, It's become popular in modern churches to use the concept of courtship - Bible Versus Quran Versus Sciences, Array (19) the Birds
The issues concerning the Birds in the Bible are:1) The Birds are Detestable and intolerable, 2) The - Starting the Wealth Process
Luke 6:38 KJV Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken togethe - Dissolving the Illusion of Fear
Webster defines fear as unpleasant emotions cause by expectation or awareness of danger. However, - Crossing Paths with a Whistleblower
Mordechai Vanunu grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home but abandoned the faith by his mid teens. He bec - Conspiracy Madness
In connection with the WTC disaster there are conspiracy theories that have been proposed. Such as t - How You Dream Your World Into Existence
Reality is not real. It is a dream. This is not a metaphorical statement. On the quantum level of
