ATLBarb63 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Do you think one can be a "Christian" without believing 100% in the Divinity of Christ? I consider myself spiritual, a firm believer in a spirit that connects us all and a follower of the great teacher Jesus. I love his teachings and they form the foundation for my spiritual path. However, I am not 100% sure he was "born of a Virgin, rose from the dead, and sits on a throne at the right hand of God" Can I be a Christian with these beliefs…or must I find another moniker for my spirituality? I am brand new to the forums and would love to hear everyone's thoughts! Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephM Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Barb, You can certainly be a Christian in the eyes of Progressive Christianity. Some fundamentalist would certainly beg to differ but it seems to me that the word Christian first coined in Antioch didn't have all the baggage dogma that sects of the Christian faith have put on it today. It seemed to me it originally just meant follower of Christ. Christ meaning the annointing of God (as to be smeared together with God) which is not a single person in my view. Even Jesus is recorded saying in a prayer to the Father I pray "that they may be one even as one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:" Welcome to the forum and feel free to make a formal introduction with whatever you wish to share about your background in the introductions area. Joseph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulS Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Personally Barb, I think it probably makes you a more traditional Christian than today's fundamentalists would have you believe. Jesus never sought worship, declared himself as 'Lord', or expected people to believe he had come to die as a blood sacrifice to please God. What Jesus was about was encouraging people to live a life closer to God. Following his teachings certainly help a lot of people feel closer to God, just as many others find different ways to be closer to God. If you look to Jesus as your teacher then that makes you Christian, certainly. I hope you enjoy participating here. Paul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romansh Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I think if we first separate Christ from Jesus, then we can put the two concepts back together again. If John 10:30 is as accurate for me as it was for 'Christ' ... that tends to lead us to some pantheistic world view ... I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveS55 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Hello Barb, I think many Christians are confused by the distinction between "Jesus", the man, and "Christ" as meaning the union of the divine Logos with human nature. Most Christians are taught to believe that Jesus is the second person of the trinity and therefore equal in stature to God. But, other Christians see it a bit differently. These Christians understand Jesus as a representative of this union (Christ), and in fact, theologically speaking, this was the thinking of some of the early Church Fathers responsible for the development of Christian doctrine, and the real understanding of the Incarnation. This view was ultimately rejected, mainly I think, because the "common folk", as the faithful were regarded, wanted a savior and messiah - something a bit more "special". Whether or not this was Jesus' understanding of himself, no one will ever know. My guess is that he realized a union with his "Father" (God), (as Romansh mentioned in his post) and that was about as far as he went. In any case, everyone is free to believe what they want, but not because everyone else does or because they don't consider you a Christian if you don't. This is just a different perspective for your consideration. Peace. Steve Edited February 21, 2015 by SteveS55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soma Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Barb the great thing about Christianity is the diversity so we can look at it from different views, learn, expand our view and enjoy the spiritual journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatherman Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 I think Christ defined discipleship when he said I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. When you look to Christ to help you find your way, to find truth, and as a guide for how to live your life, then I think you are a Christian. We can do those things without believing in Christ's divinity, but by believing in Christ's wisdom and way of life. And if you do that, you might be surprised by what you learn about divinity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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