New Blog Post: "Confessions"

by brerarnold, Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 20:35 (4613 days ago) @ edwardyoung

If you don't believe in the Virgin Birth or Resurrection "stories" then I'm not sure why you call yourself a Christian. Those are pretty fundamental to the whole Christian thing. I'm not trying to pick a fight. You are free to believe anything you like and identify yourself any way you like, of course. I am just curious why you chose the 'Christian' word as opposed to some other word that isn't so narrow in it's definition. I may have misunderstood what you meant. If so, I apologize.

Very few, who have not made a particular study of church history, are aware of how diverse the range of beliefs is among Christian. Most people only know what they believe, and some about what their closest neighbors believe.

For instance, someone who grew up in a Catholic country such as Italy might find it hard to believe that ministers in Protestant churches marry. I know folks who believe in adult baptism who simply don't get why other churches practice infant baptism. And then there is a long history of conflict between those who believe in full immersion baptism versus those who just sprinkle some water on the head.

Would you believe, here in the South, that I had to explain what an altar call is to someone? Yep, just last month. She had never heard of it. I don't know how you could live here and never once even so much as been to a tent revival, even if only out of curiosity. But there you have it.

There is no aspect of doctrine or practice on which you cannot find disagreement between at least some number of Christians and the rest. Everything, absolutely everything, which is found essential by one is seen as unnecessary by another. And yet, we are all Christian.

I am not reaching out to the convinced here. I am reaching out to the modern, scientifically-minded non-believer, who thinks that the medieval dogma and superstition he has rejected are the whole of what faith is about.