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Originally Posted by SecretMethod70
In short, to be Christian, it seems to me that one must simply believe the teachings of Jesus are an important part of leading a better life and being redeemed from....something. One must not necessarily believe that that redemption is from original sin, nor must one believe that Jesus is the only anointed one whose teachings are important in such an endeavor.
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But why the need to continue calling oneself a Christian, then? Given your definition, anyone who respected Jesus for his teachings, and who believes that the "human condition" exists (and that we cannot save ourselves from it), could call themselves a Christian. A Muslim could do that, an atheist, a Buddhist, a humanist, anyone basically... and thus the label becomes relative to the point of absurdity. One might as well not call oneself anything, if that's the perspective one has... because then it's not really about Jesus anymore. It's about creating something to fit one's desire to continue being called a "Christian."
But you might say, SM, that this is what all people of any religion do, anywhere. Perhaps that's the case, after all. (Then, I might have to agree with you.)
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Originally Posted by SecretMethod70
Religion is and always has been heavily influenced by culture. In fact, it's probably more accurate to state that religion is an extension of culture.
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The anthropologist in me would call it a "cultural construct."
And up until maybe 4 years ago, I still held a flame for Christianity, saying that I wasn't ready to consider it a cultural construct... [C.S. Lewis and his "one true myth" kept me going for a while] but now, yes, I believe that is what it is. (And cultural constructs certainly have their adaptive value for human survival... so I'm not saying that it's inherently a bad thing.)
Sidenote:
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Originally Posted by SecretMethod70
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin worked to resolve what he saw as a paleontologist (evidence of evolution) with the religious teachings of his time. He was initially shunned, but over time he has become more and more respected, if not for his specific methods of resolution then for having the courage to work towards such a resolution.
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I have to say that the stuff I read by Teilhard de Chardin (as recommended by Thomas Merton in some of his books) kicked ass. I still very much admire the Jesuits for their intellectual pursuit of faith... I found it so refreshing after so much time with people who didn't dare think to too hard or in-depth about what they believed.
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Originally Posted by Ustwo
The concept of an evolving god doesn't sit well with me, nor does our concept that we are gaining a greater understanding as time progresses. The first makes god a fuzzy being that has been around forever yet changes his stances in only a hundred years. The second allows for people to change god to what they feel it should be.
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Yep, neither one sat well with me, either. This was the point I was coming to, when I started to lose my faith. It essentially indicates that God was/is constructed by humanity, not the other way around... and if that were true, then I wanted nothing to do with that kind of god. Way too fucking postmodern.
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Originally Posted by Ustwo
His sermon was that you couldn't pick and choose from your religion, either you had faith or you didn't and when you start to pick and choose based on what you like and dislike you are no longer following the religion.
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Looks like we're on the same page here, Ustwo. You're making more sense.
