Either the Bible is the literal word of God or it is a book of mythology written by ordinary men. Is it intellectually legitimate to call yourself Christian while denying that the Bible is the literal word of God?
2007-01-28 10:22:35 · 15 answers · asked by Dendronbat Crocoduck 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
As to fundamentalists, they are the spritual heirs of a group of Christians who wrote a pamphlet called "The Fundamentals" in response to the publication of Darwin's "Origin of Species." This pamphlet emphasized the importance of a literal interpretation of Scripture over the "cold, Godless" claims of science.
The truth is that most Christians are fully-licensed, card-carrying citizens of the 21st Century, and not hovering on the extreme fringes, just as most atheists are people, just like everyone else, trying to make their way in a complex, unpredictable world.
The tendency of humans is to follow the sort of "either-or" sort of mentality. It's convenient, and allows us to point at people who don't believe what we believe and shake an accusing finger at the people on the other side of the imaginary barricade.
We'd like to be right, and certain of what we believe. It seems that for most of us, in order to be right, someone else must be wrong. Given that we cannot conclusively prove the existence or non-existence of God, we must abandon certainty and live in the question, frightening as that may seem.
2007-01-28 10:35:37 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Define "literal". The Church (and especially according to St. Thomas Aquinas) has consistently taught that the allegorical method of interpreting the Holy Scriptures is not only legitimate, it is required that we look deeper into Holy Writ and use the Tradition of the Church to do Biblical exegesis.
Ergo, I am certainly a Christian and I am definitely NOT a "fundamentalist".
Scripture. Tradition. Reason.
2007-01-28 18:31:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I still haven't really figured out what people mean by fundamentalist. I believe in the Bible as the living breathing Word of God. A Christian is a follower of Christ. How are we to follow Christ without knowing what He taught, and how are we to know what He taught without reading His words? I have never in my 29 yrs found anything in the Bible that doesn't jive with the character of God that I know. God never changes and He is powerful enough to keep His word in tact as it is what He left us to know Him by. If He's not powerful enough to do that, what is the point?
2007-01-28 18:30:50 · answer #3 · answered by BaseballGrrl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you can be non fundamentalist and be a Christian. I am not a fundamentalist and I know many Christians who disagree with much that is found in fundamentalists believes. I do believe the Bible is straight from God to us.
2007-01-28 18:30:32 · answer #4 · answered by lend322 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are showing me that you have no spirituality in your walk. Someone can believe the bible is the Word of God and think that some of it is not to be taken literal. Some of it is definitely symbolic. How can you say you are spiritual and not see that?
2007-01-28 18:29:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but only if you want to use logic. If the only reason you believe in God is because you read a book that God said he wrote and in that book he told you to believe in him...that's circular reasoning. However, if you see the inherent value in religion both as a logical system and as a moral code (and have the ability to separate ancient laws from transcending wisdom) than you have truly become a Christian...in my humble opinion.
2007-01-28 18:29:27 · answer #6 · answered by Theophile 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One does not have to believe a single word in the Bible to be a Christian. That, according to the theology of every Christian sect, only requires accepting Jesus as savior.
2007-01-28 18:30:08 · answer #7 · answered by neil s 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Bible was written by men and women who were inspired by God for all of us.
2007-01-28 18:29:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, if you have an open mind, you can take a lot of wisdom from the bible, without believing it is more than a metaphorical and poetic work of man.
2007-01-28 18:30:43 · answer #9 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bible believing Christians are fundemental... but that doesnt mean they are "fundies"... I believe the bible is literal but that doesnt mean I agree with the actions of so called "fundies"
2007-01-28 18:30:01 · answer #10 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋