Greatest Sect of Christianity

[Kidlicious]

Please define "relativism." You've used it about two hundred times in this thread but I don't think you know what it means.

You can look it up loinburger, but specifically we are speaking about those who believe that two different contradicting "truths" are true. For example, they believe the word or god is inspired by God and each generation can interpret a different truth for themselves.

[loinburger]

specifically we are speaking about those who believe that two different contradicting "truths" are true.

Nobody thinks this way outside of the novel 1984. Don't project your insanity onto others, it's not fair to them.

[Lorizael]

Again, loinburger, we have Bibles in English now.

Cumquat.

[Kidlicious]

Nobody thinks this way outside of the novel 1984. Don't project your insanity onto others, it's not fair to them.

Whether or not they actually believe it, is a good question.

[loinburger]

specifically we are speaking about those who believe that two different contradicting "truths" are true

Whether or not they actually believe it, is a good question.

Your definition of a relativist is somebody who believes two contradicting things, with the caveat that they might not actually believe two contradicting things. This is an incredibly stupid definition, please provide a better one

My definition of a Christian is somebody who believes that Jesus is the divine savior of mankind, with the caveat that they might not actually believe that Jesus is the divine savior of mankind. See how stupid that sounds?

[molly bloom]

Again, loinburger, we have Bibles in English now.

It does help to comprehend English of course.

Cumquat.

All right. But you bring the handcuffs and the oil.

[Kidlicious]

Then look it up. Quit acting like an idiot.

[loinburger]

Then look it up. Quit acting like an idiot.

I already know what the word "relativist" means - the reason I asked you to define it is because you have used it very often in such a way that it is clear that you don't know what it means, and you have just proven that this is the case with your idiotic definition of the term. You're using the term to be equivalent to "stupid jerk who has the audacity to disagree with Kidicious," so please stop using the wrong term and instead use "stupid jerk who has the audacity to disagree with Kidicious." Then you'll at least be slightly less dishonest.

Or you can use "hack" instead, which evidently means "somebody who has read more of the Bible than Kidicious has," which is true for every single Christian and former-Christian who has posted in this thread.

[loinburger]

I wonder - is your minister a "relativist hack"? Is this why you're afraid to tell him that you believe that the bible is God - fear of rebuke from somebody who you would then need to reclassify as a "relativist hack" in order to avoid admitting that you are not infallible?

Your thinking basically boils down to "God wouldn't let me read the bible incorrectly, therefore I can't be wrong" - you've promoted yourself to Prophet status.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Interestingly enough, last night, the esteemed theologian N.T. Wright, the former Anglican Bishop of Durham, came to speak near me and I attended. It was quite interesting. The basic premise of his new book ("Simply Jesus") is that we need to look at the Gospels afresh. Basically, we are sometimes Creedal Christians rather than Canonical Christians, when we should be both. What this means is that if you merely look at the creeds, you have the virgin birth followed by the cruicifixion - which kind of leaves a bit hole in the middle. There is a reason - the stuff the creeds are about were the controversial bits, but the stuff in the middle (the story of Jesus's ministry) wasn't. Wright states that Jesus's arrival was to fulfill the Old Testament scriptures about the arrival of the Messiah and King and Jesus's death and resurrection are announcing to the world that the King has arrived and the that world is now God's. We are called to be his subjects and transform this world in the name of King Jesus, ruler of the world, by acting in a different way than the boss everyone around manner of power which was of this world prior. This is a new kind of power, one that moves through serventhood.

This is a type of view that is being taken up by a lot of theologians, especially those that take Old Testament prophecy seriously - that Jesus came to announce the coming of his Kingdom and took ownership of this entire world (the whole planet is the "Holy Land") and it must be continued to be brought through us (or the Holy Spirit working through us). So instead of "The Kingdom of God is Near" placards, maybe "The Kingdom of God is Here" would be better.

He also spoke of the intersection of Heaven and Earth and that the idea that Heaven is this far away place in the clouds is not a correct interpretation. Heaven and Earth dovetail together. That Heaven exists all around us, but is veiled from us. In certain respects you can see it as a Venn Diagram & were Heaven and Earth used to intersect was the Temple, but when Jesus came, the Temple became us and Heaven and Earth intersect in the Heart of every believer. This also resulted in him stressing that at the end of days we aren't going to be taken somewhere else, but the veil between Heaven and Earth will drop and they were completely become one - hence, we are are staying here and therefore we need to take this place seriously.

Very well worth it. He is a great speaker as well - highly engaging. And he signed my copy of "Surprised by Hope" as well .

[molly bloom]

Quit acting like an idiot.

Own goal. Glass houses, stones, he who is without sin, et cetera, et cetera.

[Kidlicious]

@ claim that this is heaven. That's how most protestants believe already, nothing new.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Who said that this Heaven? Not yet. But the Kingdom has come and Heaven and Earth intersect in every believer, because the Holy Spirit resides there.

Besides, most Protestants believe that Heaven is somewhere else, which makes them believe in silly things like the Rapture.

[Kidlicious]

If you're saying the kingdom of heaven is in the individual's heart I agree. But if you're saying something about society I don't.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The Kingdom is here. You need to wake up to and allow the blessings of the Holy Spirit flow to bless all of Jesus's Kingdom (ie, the entire world).