Why be a liberal Christian?

Question

Religious liberals tell you that, more or less, they cherry pick the good from the bad. They reject Leviticus's prohibition of homosexuality. They accept evolution and the big bang. But they still, albeit tediously defend the virgin birth or the resurrection.

How is this possible? Isn't fundamentalism an actually more accurate interpretation of the Bible? How do you decide what to observe and what not to? Why throw out a six day creation story but keep the virgin birth story?

gratvol: I don't take Leviticus to be anything other than an exceptionally weird piece of bronze age literature.

BUT if I did take it to be the literal word of God, I think I would be required to kill people who eat seafood. That's my whole point.

Strangesuzy: I'm not religious. I simply asked the question in an effort to appear neutral. But I think there are other parts of the New Testament that are frankly weird. Like Revelation.

Answer 1

If you read your post, then everything you say the liberal christians throw out comes from the old testament. Didn't your jesus reject the old testament too? Your question suggests the liberal christians are only accepting of the writings in the new testament, but wait, aren't they the teachings of your christ? Isn't that what your religion is supposed to follow?

Answer 2

Well, I don't know if I qualify as a "liberal Christian," but I am a Christian and not, apparently, fundamentalist.

That said...

There is no direct discrepancy between the Big Bang theory and the story of creation in Genesis. The Big Bang proposes that matter began with an explosion of light, and Genesis proposes that matter began with an explosion of light.

As for evolution, I don't subscribe to the theory of macroevolution. Yet the age of the earth is a different matter from macroevolution. It is fairly simple to reconcile the six-day creation thing. I mean, a day for a person on Jupiter is different from a day for a person on earth. So a "day" for God is different than a day for me.

Concerning Leviticus' prohibition of homosexuality, I, frankly, am not well versed enough in the Old Testament to speak about this. I know a lot about the Bible but not everything...and willing to know more, continuing to read it. At present, I don't know what to say about homosexuality. It is okay to not know, I think, if one is willing to know and is studying the Bible.

So, my decisions are not as radical or divergent as you seem to propose for anyone who isn't a fundamentalist.

Why "keep" the Virgin birth story and the resurrection of Christ? Because they're true. There is no relativism (as with God's day length compared to our day length) here. It is not a metaphor.

I guess the bigger issue you're asking is whether or not I read the Bible and determine something to be false. I don't. I read the Bible and if there is a discrepancy between it and some commonly held belief--like macroevolution--I do further study in both areas to seek the reconciliation.

Answer 3

I can live without catfish if I get to live without homosexuality.

People make to much of homosexuality, it is a sin, no more no less. I don't hate them, I understand that they are not so different from us in our own personal sins.

I do not agree with saying that their sin is normal or making it a law or a constitutional right, that would be like legaliizing pedaphilia, or murder which are also sins.

I do not believe that they have no choice, I can believe that they may be predisposed to it, or just weak in or without faith. I have sins in my life that I struggle with and may have problems with all my life, but I don't won't anyone to say it is not wrong or that it should be legalized to make me feel better.

When my daughtor was 6 years old (141 IQ) she asked me if a person could be a democrat and a Christian at the same time, this was not promted and she had come up with this question from watching the news. I was not sure how to answer the question.

I promote conservative Christian values in my home, we pray for others, we love children, we care about others, we put God first and we work for our living. I can not abide with abortion as a right of a woman when the baby has no choice. I will not call a sin lifestyle. I will not promote a redistribution of wealth so that those that are lazy can live off those that work hard.

How could I answer my daughter, she asked an honest and very good question? I said that I did not think so which put some of my friends and family in a bad light. But how can you be a Christian and promote the murder of millions, how can you love God and trust his word and say this is o.k. but that does not count any more.

Let every man be wrong and God be right.

Answer 4

What you seem to be arguing is not liberal vs. fundamental. You're asking about Bible literalism, or people who believe everything the Bible says is word-for-word absolutely true. And that's scary, because if we did everything the Bible said, we'd be doing some pretty crazy stuff that doesn't work with a democratic society. If you believe in following the Bible to the T, then you'd better not ever work on a Sunday and you probably need to have more than one wife. Some things condoned in the Bible frankly do not work in a democratic, free society that the USA is supposed to be, and doesn't work in the 21st century. However, Jesus' basic message, and his most important (not all those archaic laws), will always be universally applicable in any society, in any time period -- do unto others, love thy neighbor, etc.

Answer 5

Simply Stated...you don't know a flying f*&k what you are talking about....most of the Bible is metaphorical, filled with parables, and not meant to be taken literally. The Bible is taken litererally contradicts itself many many times. You should grow up and realize the Bible was written by men! The final thing I have to say to you is that if Jesus was around today HE would be considered a liberal and a revolutionary...he would not be considered a conservative by any sense of the imagination. You are looking at the present through the eyes of the past and getting a totally distorted picture of it!

Answer 6

I quite agree. Trying to find a faithful, Bible-serious church has been something of a prolonged experience for me, but it's well worth the search. As C.S. Lewis pointed out, either Jesus means nothing, or He means absolutely everything. There's no middle ground, and we can't pick and choose among the words of the Most High.
Blessings to you!

Answer 7

Fundies also pick and choose which parts of the bible to follow--by your definition, all christians are liberal, since nobody follows it to the letter in this day and age--for instance people who live by the rule that one shall not wear clothing pertaining to the opposite gender, and have their women always wear skirts or dresses, ignore the following verse which says "thou shalt not wear clothing of mixed fibers"

Answer 8

Because they keep most stuff from the New Testament and throw out the Old. Jesus contradicted the OT a few times anyway, and there was a lot of 'you have been told... but I say...' going on.

Answer 9

...Scripture says "a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." Liberal Christianity (a church or individual) can rationalize away any kind of behavior (like many a psychologist does) and try to ignore guilt.
...It is the spineless coward's way out – they have a fence and will straddle it. And that position pleases many, who much prefer to embrace heretical doctrine (heresy) (including popular culture or whatever in is in vogue, and pitching Biblical truth) to avoid schism (a separation or division into factions; a formal breach of union within a Christian church.; disunion; discord.)
...The path of least resistance is to "be positive" and just say/do nothing. They want their warm pack, their big church, and will do anything to please it and keep the peace, including sacrificing the truth as given in Scripture.
...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord; we choose schism, if necessary, that we would remain true to God's Word.
...I pray that all readers will stand for God's word.

Answer 10

So I assume if you hold of Leviticus's prohibition of homosexuality you hold of the other Levitical laws right?

such as no eating pork or shell fish, mixing wool and linen, not shaving your face, and the like.

if not who is the person picking and choosing?