Ask Angellous about his beliefs (Christianity)

[Songbird]

I don't think that I've caused any controversy, and I hope that I do the right thing if I do.

The scary thing is that my "views" etc can make or break me, so a lot of people in my position end up promoting things that they don't support so they don't have to move, get another job, or get fired. Thankfully, I've been able to see many professors get fired over their beliefs (and two for simply being women!), so I was able to see first hand how people can handle that kind of thing in a healthy way.

The best thing about avoiding controversy is finding a church / school with a long heritage of tolerance and a stable faculty/administration.

Outside of my own university / church I intend to fight tooth and nail, but inside I want nothing but harmony.

Yes, what's that called? Economic inerrancy or something....I didn't say that right...I suspect many people support concepts they aren't comfortable with in order to not get fired. And I've seen profs get fired here too for presenting views that clashed with those of the Christian colleges they taught at.

I'm impressed how you walk the line! I've been pretty saddened and angered that people are fearful to explore and express their views. I could go on about that, but I just can't decide what to say.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

For some reason, I've never found being a scholar hard on my faith. I committed at the beginning to change as a learn, and I think that paid off rather well.

Yes, I'm able to reposition and simplify my faith as I become more knowledgable.

I don't think that faith over-rides historical detail and it informs and shapes dogma. That is to say - if faith over-rides historical detail then faith can dictate history, which doesn't make sense. And I think that dogma should be the product of faith rather than its master.

Sounds Good.

I was talking to an Anglican priest last week, about Jesus teachings. He was taught by his professor to accept the difficult teachings and adjust his thinking to accept them.
I would prefer to think that if the teachings seem out of character, then they probably are.
As I am never likely to attain much in the way of scholarly background, This way of trying to characterise teachings, seems a reasonable compromise.
I find it unlikely indeed, that all his teachings were accurately recorded, or that none were attributed to him in error.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

AE

1) What are your temporal rewards for following Christ?

2) What are your eternal rewards for following Christ?

3) What if any monetary rewards do you enjoy from Christianity? I am not asking for figures.

I would say "none" to all three questions.

But for #3, I'd have to say that it's all how you add up the numbers. I work for a company that helps raise money for churches (to fund buildings, major land purchases, and debt retirement). I also have received (what is to me) quite sizable scholarships from private persons and universities so I could pursue religious studies, seminary, and doctoral work.

Before I dedicated all of my time to doctoral work, I made a decent living traveling around and doing everything that churches asked me to do. I was sort of a ministry consultant, and I plan to do this again when I finish my dissertation.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

AE I have looked over this thread and it compels me to ask this question. You say that you instruct the flock in Presbyterian, and conservative baptist churches. However, you also say that you don't have a clue as to heaven or how to get there, or even if there is one. This heaven thing has really been bugging me lately, and I have been looking for some advice on the subject. Maybe I am in the wrong place, I don't know.

That's because I believe heaven to be a matter of faith, and God chooses who "gets there." Because I don't know the mechanics of God's mercy, I don't have a clue how to get there.

It's not in my hands.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Yes, what's that called? Economic inerrancy or something....I didn't say that right...I suspect many people support concepts they aren't comfortable with in order to not get fired. And I've seen profs get fired here too for presenting views that clashed with those of the Christian colleges they taught at.

I'm impressed how you walk the line! I've been pretty saddened and angered that people are fearful to explore and express their views. I could go on about that, but I just can't decide what to say.

Thanks .... but like I said, I've been very fortunate to see how more experienced people than me have handled similar situations.

 

[Meishere]

Every operational system has an operators manual. If the bible is not the word of God what gives any of your opinions about Christianity any merit? How can they be anything more than opinions since their is no standard or rule by which your statements can be measured. How can the statement of any scholar have any meirt without a rule by which their statements can be measured? DMSH

 

[Quagmire]

DMSH

DMSH?

Dan Mac's Sockpuppet, Huh?

 

[Marble]

What do you like so much about Christianity/Jesus that you devote so much of your time to it/him?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

DMSH?

Dan Mac's Sockpuppet, Huh?

:biglaugh:

 

[angellous_evangellous]

What do you like so much about Christianity/Jesus that you devote so much of your time to it/him?

I'm captivated by the story of redemption and renewal of all things through the death and resurrection of Christ.

 

[waitasec]

angellous,
do you believe god has/had a specific purpose for every individual human being who has ever lived?

 

[Marble]

I'm captivated by the story of redemption and renewal of all things through the death and resurrection of Christ.

Why do you believe that to be true?
It could all be just a legend...

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Every operational system has an operators manual. If the bible is not the word of God what gives any of your opinions about Christianity any merit? How can they be anything more than opinions since their is no standard or rule by which your statements can be measured. How can the statement of any scholar have any meirt without a rule by which their statements can be measured? DMSH

Well, the Bible itself is a matter of scholarship. Scholars chose which texts to use out of the tens of thousands of manuscripts, scholars translate it, and interpret it. The bible offers no rules for this process because the bible is the product of people who have to develop rules for the bible's compilation and preservation.

In short, the scholar's work has merit when it is useful for guiding and informing other scholars who review the work according to its own claims.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Why do you believe that to be true?
It could all be just a legend...

Whether or not it is legend has no bearing on its ability to communicate truth.

In fact, the legend is often much more truthful than historical reality.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

angellous,
do you believe god has/had a specific purpose for every individual human being who has ever lived?

I don't meditate on that very often, but I think that I'll have to say yes.

This purpose is not realized, IMHO, because of a variety of circumstances, which brings me back to the idea of redemption. Things aren't the way that they are supposed to be, and one day God will correct it. Why not now? Well, I think that God wants us to express our humanity in a way that enriches one another.

 

[waitasec]

I don't meditate on that very often, but I think that I'll have to say yes.

This purpose is not realized, IMHO, because of a variety of circumstances, which brings me back to the idea of redemption. Things aren't the way that they are supposed to be, and one day God will correct it. Why not now? Well, I think that God wants us to express our humanity in a way that enriches one another.

is this a way for you to reconcile the harsh realities of life's indifference we face?

or, are things not the way they're supposed to be because we are flawed individuals?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

is this a way for you to reconcile the harsh realities of life's indifference we face?

or, are things not the way they're supposed to be because we are flawed individuals?

Well, I believe that God has a purpose for everyone, and I realize that this is problematic because of all the crazy stuff in life that clearly isn't part of God's purposes. At the same time, I think that God's purpose is dynamic - responsive to our choices and the choices of others - so we can still participate in God's goodness in tragedy and other evils of life.

 

[waitasec]

so god rolls with the punches, so to speak...
much like most of do i guess...

 

[angellous_evangellous]

so god rolls with the punches, so to speak...
much like most of do i guess...

I never thought about it like that.

 

[Meishere]

Well, the Bible itself is a matter of scholarship. Scholars chose which texts to use out of the tens of thousands of manuscripts, scholars translate it, and interpret it. The bible offers no rules for this process because the bible is the product of people who have to develop rules for the bible's compilation and preservation.

In short, the scholar's work has merit when it is useful for guiding and informing other scholars who review the work according to its own claims.

So do you choose which parts of the bible you want to believe? Much of the bible is just recorded history, and much is simply instructions for Christian living.