View Single Post
Old 04-13-2006, 03:48 PM   #133
Textcritic
Acerbic Cyberbully
 
Textcritic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: back in Chilliwack
Exp:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheese
Based on the best definitions of Christianity I can find...
Christianity - a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.

It has within its body the redemption, salvation theories along with the blessings and punishments that must be born within the dogma to keep its parrisioners in line.
Are other theistic practices part of the same dogma? Mormonism, JWs, Catholics? There are those who suggest otherwise, yet ask these Churches if they are Christians and I bet you can guess the answer.
So based on this , a Christian is anyone who has a personal definition of what Christianity really is? Seems fairly open based...but is it reality?
I would suggest that yours is probably the best and most comprehensive definition. I would classify a "Christian" as one who subscribes to the definition, but would necessarily include that a Christian has an opperative doctrine of the incarnation based on the divine nature of Jesus Christ (This is a major point of distinction which seperates Christians from JW's in particular and Mormons). Trinitarianism has been a fundamental doctrine among the vast majority of Christian sects for the better part of the last 1700 years.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheese
OK lets play a game here. For a few minutes lets pretend that I am your older child.
"Dad...I simply cant believe that any man could build a boat big enough to hold all of the world's animals...yet alone two of each. Why does the Bible say its so?"

Why or how can you find the spiritual in that story vs the Santa Claus myth?
I rather like this game!
I did not mean to suggest that the Santa claus myth has no value, but it hardly compares in its theological importance to the flood narrative (which is coincidently very old; perhaps the most ancient tradition in all of scripture!). Like all traditions in the Bible. the Flood of Noah has undergone a very lengthy and complex development in its religious function and theological application. It forms the basis for most segments in rabbinic Judaism (and has functioned similarly for the Zadokites, Essenes and Samaritans) for their theology regarding original sin and the fall of mankind. It served as a programmatic explanation of the origin of language and race, and was the foundation for the original covenant with Moses. For Christians, the Noahic covenant is critical to offset the exclusivity of the later Mosaic covenant.
How would I explain all of this to a six year old (going on seven)? Thank God I do not have to yet! The best explanation I could come up with on the spot is that first of all, neither do I believe the Noiahic myth globally, nor literally. This myth (like ALL myths) has an historical basis, as this was the only method for historiography in the ancient, pre-literate, pre-scientific, pre-linear world. Whether or not there was a Noah,m or whether or not there was a flood (I believe there probably was a major regional flood upon which the myth is based)is really beside the point. The point is that Noah was declared righteous (i.e. in good standing with God) as a result of his faith (Hebrews 11 provides the classic Christian application for the Genesis 6 narrative).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheese
Wow you use big words...wheres my Funk and Wagonal LOL. Damned PhDs!
The phenomonal and the unexplained can be just that...phenomonol and without knowledge. They dont have to be explained in a religious context do they?
Whup! Look at the time1 I need to go pick up my son from scholl, so I will need to continue this later...
Textcritic is offline   Reply With Quote