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Thread: Definition of Christian

  1. #61
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by moynihan View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrawler View Post
    Spinoza has an interesting point of view on this.
    He was an interesting fellow. Could you elaborate?
    I've been waiting for Scrawler's reply, and I assume he was commenting on your "Nature and nature's God" paragraph.

    Spinoza was indeed an interesting fellow. A Sephardic Jew whose family moved (or fled) to The Netherlands, and was "excommunicated" from Judaism for his writings; he wrote largely on philosophy as distinguished from theology (advocating the former and criticizing the latter). Ethics is the relevant work (and one of his most important), and it's more painful to read than a Platonic dialogue. It is a series of logical propositions and the conclusions derived. Generally he was arguing that "God" isn't an independent entity who created everything, set it into motion, established rules and passes judgement on behavior. Instead, God is everything - hence "God or Nature".

    Keeping Spinoza in mind while reading Emerson is particularly enlightening.

    Stanford's online Philosophy Encyclopedia has a good summary HERE
    Last edited by dneal; April 13th, 2016 at 08:41 PM.

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    Senior Member edteach's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Someone who does not cut your head off if you don't agree with them. Unlike Islam.

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    Senior Member Dragonmaster Lou's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by edteach View Post
    Someone who does not cut your head off if you don't agree with them. Unlike Islam.
    Umm... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by edteach View Post
    Someone who does not cut your head off if you don't agree with them. Unlike Islam.
    You're saying it's a failure to excommunicate?

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    Senior Member dfo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Though true and sad, the Spanish Inquisition stopped killing people hundreds of years ago.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonmaster Lou View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by edteach View Post
    Someone who does not cut your head off if you don't agree with them. Unlike Islam.
    Umm... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition
    "Love is the final fight."

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    There is no universally accepted definition of what a "Christian" is. Major denominations don't even agree. And Jesus provided no specific definition.

    And excessive verbiage on this matter strikes me as the hissing of the serpent in the garden.

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by Empty_of_Clouds View Post
    Whence comes this desire for labelling?
    indeed

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    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by TSherbs View Post
    There is no universally accepted definition of what a "Christian" is. Major denominations don't even agree. And Jesus provided no specific definition.

    And excessive verbiage on this matter strikes me as the hissing of the serpent in the garden.
    "Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Someone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.


    I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I fail everyday.

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    If you go all the way back to our oldest copies, you will find that the translations don't change. Look at the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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    Senior Member jar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by Fuzzy_Bear View Post
    If you go all the way back to our oldest copies, you will find that the translations don't change. Look at the Dead Sea Scrolls.
    Actually the copies do change and that is even true in the Dead Sea Scrolls. But of course, the Dead Sea Scrolls have almost nothing to do with Christianity.

    Also, if it were possible to talk to any of the folk that collected those scrolls you would find that the one thing they could all agree on was that Jesus is not the Messiah or the Son of God.
    Last edited by jar; October 22nd, 2016 at 06:34 AM.

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by Fuzzy_Bear View Post
    Someone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.


    I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I fail everyday.

    We all do--saint and sinner alike--it's just that some of us admit to it and some don't.



    John
    Last edited by pengeezer; October 23rd, 2016 at 02:28 PM.

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    Default Re: Definition of Christiae

    I am going to be careful here as these threads normally end up with face offs between athiests and Christians and other theists but here goes...

    Not preaching to anyone or wanting to get into debate on the divinity of Christ: The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel by an athiest turned Christian journalistis a good place for the curious but the definition of Christian is very simple. If you accept Jesus as God incarnate and accept him as your personal Lord, friend and saviour then you are a Christian: a follower of Christ. It all comes down to this. The things that seperate Church denominations are doctrine and dogma

    This is my position. I am not a Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Baltist but a Christian.
    Last edited by matteob; January 4th, 2017 at 10:14 AM.

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  17. #74
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    Default Re: Definition of Christiae

    Quote Originally Posted by matteob View Post
    I am going to be careful here as these threads normally end up with face offs between athiests and Christians and other theists but here goes...

    Not preaching to anyone or wanting to get into debate on the divinity of Christ: The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel by an athiest turned Christian journalistis a good place for the curious but the definition of Christian is very simple. If you accept Jesus as God incarnate and accept him as your personal Lord, friend and saviour then you are a Christian: a follower of Christ. It all comes down to this. The things that seperate Church denominations are doctrine and dogma

    This is my position. I am not a Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Baltist but a Christian.
    The definition of Christian is not so simple, for the reasons you acknowledge (dispute with trinity doctrine, etc...).

    If you don't want to get into a debate on the divinity of Christ, don't make debatable statements.

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Those are heresies though. They have always been there. The only authority on Jesus is the Bible for me. The Nicene and Apostolic Creeds are a good answer to the question posed. I'll leave it there as conversations like this go nowhere. You either have faith or you don't.
    Last edited by matteob; January 4th, 2017 at 11:24 AM.

  19. #76
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Quote Originally Posted by matteob View Post
    Those are heresies though. They have always been there. The only authority on Jesus is the Bible for me. The Nicene and Apostolic Creeds are a good answer to the question posed. I'll leave it there as conversations like this go nowhere. You either have faith or you don't.
    Those are only heretical to some, and only became heresies when enough like-minded folks declared them as such and started threatening those of differing opinions with death.

    As for your last two sentences... it's rather boorish to pop your head in the door, declare yourself to have the correct opinion and then ignore objections as you leave.

    p.s.: "faith" has nothing to do with trinitarian doctrine.

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Sorry I did not intend to be boorish. I just don't want to get into any quarrels or long drawn out debates. Well I would be happy to but your tone strikes me as a little pugnacious so I think it is best to leave things as they stand. I was merely stating how I define myself as a Christian and how all the Christians I know of various denominations define themselves.

    Happy New Year!

  21. #78
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Tone does not come across well in forums, and I see how my posts could be read. I think this thread has been very civil, and even educational; but not argumentative.

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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    Well then to answer you I personally have trouble terming groups like the Seventh Day Adventists and others who say that Christ was a "Godly Man" and not God incarnate ( as well as the earlier Arien (sic?) and Gnostic heresies etc) as Christians because it goes against what Christ taught about himself. To me they are like Muslims who hold Jesus as a Prophet but not as divine. Theologians can argue about this until the cows come home but to me you have believe in the Trinity to be a Christian.

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    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
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    Default Re: Definition of Christian

    I don't recall Jesus claiming to be God. I have difficulty with Pauline doctrine. Somehow Jesus brought a message, but realized he forgot some bits and came back as a ghost to relay them to a madman. He's the equivalent of John Smith, in my book.

    "Love one another" wasn't a difficult doctrine.

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