A Moderate Christianity Forum

[BeachOfEden]

Type in the key words "Progressive christianity" and this site is quick and easy to find. But whenever i have tried to type on the key words "Moderate Christianity" NOTHING comes up. I am wondering..since I and a vast majority here wonder how "Moderate Christianity" might compare to Progressive christianity and wondered if they may be more like us or less....I am wondering...should a whole forum be created especially for "Moderate Christianity"? And if so, who should create it? Should TCPC make one? Or some other individual or group of individuals who indentify themselves as "Moderate Christians"? If such a group of individuals exists already..then WHERE are they?

[irreverance]

That's a pretty good idea. Except, I would suggest not calling it a "moderat Xy" board. Rather, try "Reconciling Christianity," with an emphasis on people trying to reconcile not only con and lib approaches, but con and lib people as well. it could become a place for those who want to dialogue and learn from each other. Personally, I would suggest it be separate from TCPC. If not, it could easilly be seen as an extension of the progressive agenda. A separate identity may be necessary to pick up those disgruntled with both cons and libs.

[BeachOfEden]

Well, the idea is that there is NO place, that we know of that is pacifically created for "Moderate Christians", and so i was sugessting someone could create one. Many individuals I have talked with on Beliefnet that come from Luthern, Methodists, and Presbyterian backgrounds have voiced that they DO like the term "Moderate Christianity: and that is sounds appealing to them..but that they are uncertain where others like this are and where they gathered. Such a site should be a safe haven..free from conservatives who might intimidate them and attack them. First, let's constrate on them leaning towards Moderate Christianity...If they have not even come this far in their thinking..then those who are not even "moderate" in their thinking should remian in their own conservative relms.

[des]

What happens if you type in "Traditional Christianity"? I did that. I got a mixed bag from conservative to mainline Protestant and Catholic views. I think there are still some who hold to more mainline (and I'm not talking about the more liberal UCC, etc.) Christian views, even if they dont' now attend church.

 

There is a pretty active Traditional Christian discussion on beliefnet.

Check here:

http://www.beliefnet.com/boards/boards_mai...sp?Category=133

Current hot topics: inerrancy (no generally); baptism; "Do not sin anymore" (discussion of Jesus' remarks in healing the paralized man John 9:30-41; Jesus, Mary; relativism; salvation (mostly universal salvation. This is a very polite discussion (no actual debate is allowed); allowance/ tolerance for varying beliefs; etc.

 

You might also check out:

http://www.christianforums.com/f11-non-den...minational.html

However, be warned: I can't stand the interface-- looks like major vomitus! :-)

(Tends to be a bit more conservative than the above.)

 

http://groups.yahoo.com

have some groups if you try "traditional christianity" or "mainline Christianity". Of course you can read them unless you join up.

 

The best I've seen is the top one. They also have debating Traditional Christianity. No proselizing is allowed. Looks like some good discussion here too.

 

 

 

As to whether we should have one, I think we should. How exactly to advertise we are here?? I also think we should have a more ongoing dialogue with other types of faiths (Buddhism, Wicca, etc.).

I really like the idea. Anyone else?

 

 

--des

[irreverance]

I think that the term "Traditional Christianity" is the code word for "moderates." On B-Net, that's the term they use. Maybe that's the name of the rabbit hole, at least today.

[BrotherRog]

Seems to me that "moderate" Christian forums take place across the nation in droves every Sunday during the adult Sunday School classes in most mainline churches.

[soma]

Staff have edited your profile

 

Dear somasoma77,

We have edited your profile:

 

Specifically, we edited this part of your profile:

Your icon has been changed to Other-Church. Changing it back when you return from suspension will result in more warnings.

 

I got this message and was banned from christianforums.com for awhile because I wrote a piece on Christian Tolerance. They say I am not Christian and can't post on the Christian section only on the other religion section. I don't think they are very moderate. I also appealed the decision many times to no avail. I will post one of my appeals. They didn't like the part where I said there was one God.

Edited February 6, 2005 by soma

[soma]

One appeal that was rejected. They kept asking me questions which I answered at the end.

 

My defense:

 

There is but one pure consciousness, one power and one medium that we all use." I said that and the Nicene Creed says," We believe in one God." I said, "This medium is in one God that creates many manifestations. Multiplicity comes from unity without breaking up the one true God or Whole because everything is in God." The Nicene Creed says, "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life." This is saying the same thing in different words. The moderator is off base saying what I wrote doesn't support the Nicene Creed. Whoever complained is way off base and needs to pray and stop condemnation of a statement that says there is one God.

 

From the Bible quotes to support my arguement:

 

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe---and tremble! James 2:19 NKJV

 

There is only one God. Ephesians 4:6 NLT

 

Your eyes are too pure to behold evil, and you cannot look on wrongdoing. Habakkuk 1:13 NRSV

 

The Lord despises the thoughts of the wicked, but he delights in pure words. Proverbs 15:26 NLT

 

"The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him." John 4:23 NRSV

 

"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24 NKJV

 

One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. Ephesians 4:6 BBE

 

The Lord is God, in heaven on high and here on earth; there is no other God. Deuteronomy 4:39 BBE

 

"Am I a God who is only in one place and cannot see what they are doing? Can anyone hide from me? Am I not everywhere in all of heaven and earth?" Jeremiah 23:23-24 TLB

 

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 RSV

 

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. Romans 11:36 BBE

 

"The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" Deuteronomy 6:4 NKJV

 

"I am the First and Last; there is no other God."

Isaiah 44:6 TLB

 

Answer to questions

 

Yes, I believe in the Trinity: The Father , The Son and The Holy Ghost. Yes, I believe in One God of the Universe. Jesus had human feelings and I believe in Jesus. Jesus is the human manifestation of God. God has no beginning and no end. Jesus became human so the answer is yes and no. Yes the trinity is three, but there is only one God. God can do what he wants, he is everything.

 

Anwer to more questions

 

There is one God that is exclusive. This one God is made up of the trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

 

If God is everything and the trinity is God then there is nothing outside of God or the Trinity. In the beginning there was God. So God is all there is.

 

Jesus is God and he is with us.

quote.gif

 

Answer to more questions

God is three persons in one: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The three are seen operating together in Hebrews 9:14 where Christ, through the Holy Spirit, offered Himself without sin to God. "I (Jesus) and my Father are one." John 10:30 There is no limit to God's existence in time or in distance. He is infinite in all directions. Was God speaking through the burning bush to Moses? Are you asking the same questions that the pharisees asked? The name of the Church is The Immaculate Conception. Do you feel like a pharisee? You are surely acting like one.

[des]

I got this message and was banned from christianforums.com for awhile because I wrote a piece on Christian Tolerance.  They say I am not Christian and can't  post on the Christian section only on the other religion section.  I don't think they are very moderate. I also appealed the decision many times to no avail. I will post one of my appeals. They didn't like the part where I said there was one God.

 

Soma, I don't know too much about christianforums except that they have the ugliest interface I have ever seen (that's the one with about ten different icons. But from what I have seen there are multiple forums, they even appear to have a liberal forum. So which forum were you banned from, or were you banned from the whole thing?

 

Well since I can stand looking at beliefnet, at least that looks safely moderate.

 

 

--des

[soma]

At this time I can't use any of it, but I think they will let me use the "other religions" after a suspension, but I am banned forever from Christianity. Good thing Jesus is in my heart. I think it is terrible that they have to protect Christians from thoughts, ideas even if they are provocative. I feel Christians can think and think of the Almighty God in many ways.

[des]

Banned from Christianity! Wow!

Good thing this is virtual and they can't burn you at the stake.

Oh well they have the ugliest interface I have ever seen, must mean something.

 

 

--des

[BeachOfEden]

There are '4' theological terms or phrases that I am VERY LEARY of because they suggest "exclusiveness"..and they are as feollows:

 

(1) Orthodox ( means usually we are right and everyone else is wronng)

 

(2) Traditional ( meaning WE are the orginal unsullied version of...-...and the rest of you are some weird unorthodox version)

 

(3) "The Truth" (means we have found it and own the copy rights to it..and everyone else is in spiritual darkness.

 

(4) theocratic...which is suppose to me "God Ruled" but really means fundamental ruled by old white men.

[des]

Well I don't know Beach. I'm not uncomfortable with a term like Orthodox (such as in the following: Orthodox Jew, Eastern Orthodox Church) as I feel it is a definition. Orthodox Jews are more intent on dietary rules, etc. Doesn't make it right. OTOH, orthodoxy implies that there are some things that are ok and some are not.

 

Another example, might be traditional. I don't have a problem with it, as a definition-- ie it's a traditional worship service (meaning perhaps higher church-- hymns, Bible readings, sermons, as opposed to contemporary-- implying differing music, talks, plays, etc.)

Or tradional implying an older sect, ie Lutheran or Anglican or .... vs a more contemporary sect, ie UCC, etc. To me it isn't implying bad or wrong at all. I tend to think of more moderate faiths as traditional. Of course it is all in the length of time. The Lutheran church as practiced today, is prob. way different than it was in the time shortly after Luther.

Nor is the modern Catholic church, though traditional much similar to the church of 100 AD.

(Of course there are liberal Catholics and conservative ones as well.)

 

 

The other thing, is if you are off to look for something moderate, you are not likely to find it using the term moderate. That's why you got a goose egg thru the websearch. It might be a *better* term, I agree.

 

OTOH, I could think of a way to make it exclusionary as well. As in "We're moderates, not like you extremists-- ie progressives and fundamentalists".

In fact, any term like this could be made potentially exclusionary by a phrase that ends up to be a we they thing. I'm not sure it is entirely a bad thing either. I mean I think it is the way our brains function. OTOH, I think it is necessary to be aware of it. I think it was Darby who pointed out that by classifying ourselves, ie progressive, moderate, conservative Christian, we are kind of missing the Christian part. Very good point.

 

I agree with you on the "The Truth". If we seek the truth that's one thing, if you claim you have the "the truth" it's quite another.

 

 

I'm not sure what to make of you problem with "theocracy". My understanding is that theocracy is a form of government where the laws and sometimes even form of government is based on the government of the Church. It pretty well describes (with the exception of some reforms) the government of Iran, and hopefully not what will happen in Iraq. It describes certain plans of some conservatives in the US, who would wish a government more based on church than state. Not caring for the environment as the End Times are coming; the death penalty in the US (alone among western nations); appealing legal abortion; federal money for faith based initiatives; (Christian or Judeo-Christian) prayer in public schools are attempts to promote government plans that is theocratic rather than truly democratic. (One might argue with one or two of these.) I don't think in any way it is an exclusionary term-- having a theocratic governmnet would BE exclusionary. So maybe that's what you mean.

 

 

--des

[BeachOfEden]

That term "Theocratic order" was/IS VERY popular with the JW organization is the key to their controll over their members and keeping them from questioning their leadership.

[des]

Re: Theocratic order and JW. Not too familar with JW, and I have learned a lot here. Let's just say I had a handful with CS. :-)

 

--des

[Guest admin]

Just a quick thought - I find Sojourners to be more on the moderate end of things...

[BeachOfEden]

Think of SoJos as being a mostly "Political" rather than just theological discussion.

[BeachOfEden]

I just created the 7 Points of Moderate Christianity Forum! All welcome to post there under Genereal Discussions!

 

Moderate Christians Forum

 

[BeachOfEden]

And I have also placed this same concept on MySpace...

 

Hey all Liberal and Progressive Christians,

 

I have just created a new myspace group "Moderate Christianity." it's for individuals of all backgrounds who may agree with the equality/social justice views voiced by Liberals and Progressive Christians..but who may have hestitated to try and indentify with such groups for fear that they'd have to reduce their beliefs in Jesus as Savior to simply a nice guy or do not view the Bible or mircles as mere positive man-made 'myths.'

 

If this speaks to you or any or your friends, then join the group!

 

Moderate Christianity Forum On MySpace

[darby]

Beach (or others)

 

I'm curious...do most people who identify themselves as progressive not identify Jesus as Savior? I did not pick that up from the 8 points, or from most of the posts.

[BeachOfEden]

I am not sure either. Let me post your question on a whole new thread and we will see how the majority responds. It will be called, "Jesus As Savior & Progressive Christians." If I can get this whole title to fit.