Liberal Christians??

Question

Isn't that an oxymoron? I mean. . .the Bible says one thing , yet the liberals way of thinking is totally contradicting to the Word. How can one be a liberal christian?

Answer 1

Liberal Christians? You mean those of us who aren't fundamentalists, understand that a parable is a story used to illustrate a point and does not equal history, know that in our religion the New Testament trumps the Old Testament as the contract with God as to how we are supposed to behave (God said love one another and let him be the judge, not go around judging and abusing people for him), bother to actually study the bible and its history instead of taking other (usually equally uneducated) people's word as to how it is supposed to be interpreted, understand that the majority of the bible was passed down from generation to generation to generation many times before it was written and was not actually physically written word-for-word by God and that ever revised edition changes the wording and therefore context of the material, are secure enough in our faith that the idea of evolution doesn't actually conflict with the Word of God and aren't scared by it, understand that made in his "image" can mean made the way he envisioned us to be and not made to look just like him, and have trouble believing that a good, gracious, kind and loving God would forsake any of his people just because they don't think the way we do? You're right -- we must be heretics. Whatcha gonna do about it?

You know, it's interesting... I grew up United Methodist because my grandfather was a minister. My Dad was Catholic. I grew up around Catholics, Jews, Southern Baptists, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and Sikhs. We went to church every Sunday and frequently discussed religion. I took some theology classes in college. And yes, I've read the Bible. But I never ever ever was told that I had to "witness" in order to secure my spot in heaven. I learned that if someone comes to you with questions, then it is your job to discuss religion openly and honestly. If they aren't open to hearing about it, then it is actually a sin turn them away from the religion more than they already are by trying to beat them over the head with it. Of all the religions and all the denominations out there that I've encountered, the only one I didn't get along with was the fundamentalist Southern Baptists. I had a discussion with my husband's pastor one time about how preaching the fire and brimstone view offended me and isn't supported by the bible (that concept was introduced by King James to try to scare his subjects in line with religion since they didn't respect him, and much of it actually comes from the "pagan" idea of the afterworld they called Hel), and his pastor told me that he agreed with my interpretation, and that he'd learned the same things I had when he went to Seminary, but that he was required to preach what his congregation wanted to hear. So, who's misguided?

Answer 2

A lot of Christians think that Christianity necessarily entails a certain liberalism. For the farthest extreme of this belief, take a look at "liberation theology." I'm a pretty big fan of liberation theology, actually -- I guess I'm quite liberal.

Answer 3

Liberal, Consevative, left, precise, all of us may be christians if we've popular Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. And persist with what the bible says we mus do and how we would desire to stay as christians. i do no longer continually accept as true with liberals, and that i do no longer continually have confidence in consevatives and so on, yet that does no longer mean we cant serve the comparable God. who're we (or all human beings else) to decide and say that folk are not christians. isn't that the Lords job?

Answer 4

Nope. I'm a liberal Christian. My faith leads me to care about the poor and the elderly. That leads me to go liberal.

The way conservative Christians act, though, always trashing the Clintons and spewing hate at the liberals, I'm beginning to think that 'conservative Christian' is an oxymoron.

Answer 5

How can one be a Conservative Christain? I mean.... the Bible says one thing, yet the conservatives way of thinking is totally contradicting to the Word. How can one be a Conservative christain?!

Answer 6

It is not as hard as you would like it to be. Liberals tend to follow the Bible while Conservatives follow the words of men in organized religious institutions.

Answer 7

Jesus is a liberal. Don't believe me? Read the Sermon on the Mount again. You sound like one of those phony christians who only listens to Pat Robertson, Jimmy Swaggert, James Kennedy and their ilk. False christians all and jesus would repudiate them.

Answer 8

In general, it seems to me that most liberals are very New Testament, while most conservatives are very Old Testament.

No implied judgement there, just an observation.

Answer 9

You can if you understand the Bible liberally or in a "liberal" way.

Answer 10

Did Jesus say anything about making a stack of money no matter who suffers in the process, not to take care of our planet, and to crush with violence anyone who stands in the way of your own selfish interests? I think we must have read different translations of that book you go on about.