Ask Angellous about his beliefs (Christianity)

[Buttercup]

To me it just seems on par that if you reject the miracles prescribed to Jesus you might as well reject the resurrection also.

*....chimp grabs Fat Tire and says, Good Afternoon!"..

 

[angellous_evangellous]

To me it just seems on par that if you reject the miracles prescribed to Jesus you might as well reject the resurrection also.

*....chimp grabs Fat Tire and says, Good Afternoon!"..

Yes. If I were consistent I would reject all of them. :162:

 

[Buttercup]

Then you could switch religions.......but, all your education would be for naught.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Then you could switch religions

Precisely. I affirm the resurrection because if I didn't, I could not call myself a Christian. I confess the resurrection, but I don't have to confess the miracles. The confession is too closely married to Christian theology.

.......but, all your education would be for naught.

That's not true. There are plenty of atheists and non-Christians who have PhD's in New Testament teaching and writing.

 

[Buttercup]

That's not true. There are plenty of atheists and non-Christians who have PhD's in New Testament teaching and writing.

I hear ya....and it's embarassing when atheists or agnostics know more about your religion than you do. And they still reject it. Hmmmm.

Thanks for your answers.

Have a fun weekend with your own personal noise maker. Take her out for dinner.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I hear ya....and it's embarassing when atheists or agnostics know more about your religion than you do. And they still reject it. Hmmmm.

The Bible can be studied "objectively" like any other work. The readings that everyone brings to the table are all valuable. As a scholar, I read the text with people from every concievable background, sexuality, creed, country, ethnicity, etc. The readings are wide and different, and it's fun to hear everyone's perspective.

Believing it is an entirely different cup of tea.

I will say that I found it shocking how many of my colleagues actually believe in the physical resurrection. You can't have Christian theology without it.

I've only met a handful of atheist NT PhD's. I think that all of them were originally Christians who simply deconstructed their faith.

No*s and others here on RF have accused me of being an athiest or agnostic.

See for example:
http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28885 post # 25

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28885 posts 22 and 24

Thanks for your answers.

Thanks for your questions.

Have a fun weekend with your own personal noise maker. Take her out for dinner.

I shall.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

If you lean toward no, do you believe Jesus to be a great man, prophet, son of God, part of God, or other?

In my view, Jesus is a great man, son of God, and prophet.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

You've stated that faith is from God, so do you believe in predestination over free will?

I've thought about this some more...

I will sum up my view:

God is free do to what God wants, and I think that God lets humans do what they want. Sometimes God "predestines" events and we don't have a choice, and sometimes we choose to go against what God desires.

I definately think that the God of the Bible does not "will" everything absolutely like Calvinists try to claim. That is, Calvinists will say that in order for God to be soveriegn, God's will must be absolute in all things and no one can resist it. I agree that sometimes God makes his will absolute, but in the Bible this is not always the case. People can refuse to do what God commands and refuse to participate in God's plan. That does not void God's plan but opens us up for redemption.

 

[Buttercup]

No*s and others here on RF have accused me of being an athiest or agnostic.

If you believe Jesus was God...came to die for our sins and was resurrected I don't see how anyone could accuse you of being an agnostic.

You believe Christ died to atone for our sins right? And you have accepted his atoning works on the cross?

 

[Buttercup]

AE....

I'm sure you're familiar with the eschatology of the Book of Revelation and how the church ages are chronicled right? You know...Ephesus thru Philadelphia? The church age we are in now is called Laodicea according to one Hebrew Christian scholar I know of.

One of the hallmarks of this current church is a supposed state of apostasy. Do you see the Christian church of today in that way?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

AE....

I'm sure you're familiar with the eschatology of the Book of Revelation and how the church ages are chronicled right? You know...Ephesus thru Philadelphia? The church age we are in now is called Laodicea according to one Hebrew Christian scholar I know of.

One of the hallmarks of this current church is a supposed state of apostasy. Do you see the Christian church of today in that way?

I completely reject that interpretation. It is married to dispensationalism, which I reject.

I'd rather criticise people for hypocricy than accuse them of being apostate. That's too heavy an accusation for me to hurl at anyone, despite my tendancy to use harsh rhetoric.

 

[Buttercup]

I'm not fond of the teachings myself but was wondering what you thought.

But if my perceptions are correct, the teachings are not so much that individuals are in a state of apostasy, but rather the Christian Church as a whole....

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I'm not fond of the teachings myself but was wondering what you thought.

But if my perceptions are correct, the teachings are not so much that individuals are in a state of apostasy, but rather the Christian Church as a whole....

That's a false dichotomy.

In any event, I don't think that the teaching that the church as a whole will ever be apostate can be supported by any reading of the NT. IMO, there will always be a larger number than we would expect that are faithful to God.

 

[Buttercup]

IMO, there will always be a larger number than we would expect that are faithful to God.

That's what I think as well......

 

[angellous_evangellous]

That's what I think as well......

BTW, I really appreciate your thought-provoking questions.

Happy reading...:highfive:

 

[Buttercup]

Have you done much study on the Anti Christ?

What are you thoughts that he will be of Roman origin...or Catholic?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Have you done much study on the Anti Christ?

As much as he deserves.

What are you thoughts that he will be of Roman origin...or Catholic?

I interpret the Anti-Christ as either Nero or Domitian, both long dead persecutors of Christians. Therefore, I don't look to the future for an anti-Christ, or any of the events in Revelation.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Slam!

 

[BrandonE]

I can't remember exactly how I wandered over here (because I've been reading this thread for so long now), but I'll bite...

AE, in reading this thread (which has been pretty interesting), you seem to state that you believe that God will save some that outright reject him in this life. Am I misunderstanding? (Assuming I didn't misunderstand...) Do you have any explanation for why this would be other than "God can do what he wants"?

From my impression in reading this, you seem to be (doctrinally) a long way from the main-line and hard-line Christians that I've come in contact with before. Do you feel that you are? Do you think that there needs to be any sort of unity of belief in Christendom beyond basic affirmation of the two creeds you've mentioned previously?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I can't remember exactly how I wandered over here (because I've been reading this thread for so long now), but I'll bite...

AE, in reading this thread (which has been pretty interesting), you seem to state that you believe that God will save some that outright reject him in this life. Am I misunderstanding? (Assuming I didn't misunderstand...) Do you have any explanation for why this would be other than "God can do what he wants"?

I thought that maxim was a pithy and intelligent interpretation of Scripture. God does what she wants. Perhaps she will be just and save us all, or have mercy and send a few to eternal judgement. Whatever God does, I am sure that God will remain righteous.

It seems to me that a defining characteristic of the God of the Bible is that God can do anything that God wants and still be worthy of worship, righteous, and just = even if by rational human standards what God has done is unjust, inhumane, and perhaps even evil. The genocide of Canaan, the killing of innocent people in Sodom, the Flood, and perhaps the death of the woman and husband in Acts are excellent examples. Sending people to an eternal hell would also fit here, but that is perhaps an exclusively western view of God.

From my impression in reading this, you seem to be (doctrinally) a long way from the main-line and hard-line Christians that I've come in contact with before. Do you feel that you are? Do you think that there needs to be any sort of unity of belief in Christendom beyond basic affirmation of the two creeds you've mentioned previously?

There is plenty of room for theological exploration within Christianity.

BTW, I know an excellent place for hard-line rhetoric... Besides, if I were mindlessly mainline I would have entitled the thread

Angellous Mindlessly Regurgitates Mainline Christian Proof-texts

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