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Are you saying you’re considering it, then? lol5% is the percentage of atheist ministers. It's gotta be higher than that.
The estimate of 5% seems low to me as well. My guess wouldn't be a great deal higher though. Maybe 10-15%.5% is the percentage of atheist ministers. It's gotta be higher than that.
Not having a high Christology is not the definition of "atheist".I had a talk with someone (relative) a couple weeks ago, who knows I don't believe that Jesus was God, a son of God yes, but not God and not in the traditional sense. I believe Jesus is worth following and so I try. I do believe in God.
She wanted to know why I would participate in communion and did I know that I'm not a " real Christian". Suggesting I'm more of a an atheist than Christian. Hmmm....is that true?
This is all that is necessary to say you are not an atheist. Many people believe in God without having a high, or even any, Christology. A pagan worshipping the Norse pantheon is not an atheist, just a different flavour of theist (polytheist instead of monotheist).I do believe in God.
I figured that too, but they were very insistent that I shouldn't take communion, where I have my own conversation with God, or sometimes I don't participate when the church asks you to come to the front, rather I prefer when you're asked to remain in the pew to partake.Not having a high Christology is not the definition of "atheist".
This is all that is necessary to say you are not an atheist. Many people believe in God without having a high, or even any, Christology. A pagan worshipping the Norse pantheon is not an atheist, just a different flavour of theist (polytheist instead of monotheist).
That's kind of been my take for a long time. If the person themselves can in good conscience say, "I am a Christian" and elucidate some kind of rationale for why they use that label, that should be good enough. Christianity is now so broad and diverse, I don't think there is any point to gatekeeping the label "Christian". Otherwise you just have endless flamewars over who is and is not "Christian".As long as Jesus has a place in someone's spiritual life, I am willing to say that person is a Christian if they identify as such.
I'm available by Zoom if you want to really freak her out.I had a talk with someone (relative) a couple weeks ago, who knows I don't believe that Jesus was God, a son of God yes, but not God and not in the traditional sense. I believe Jesus is worth following and so I try. I do believe in God.
She wanted to know why I would participate in communion and did I know that I'm not a " real Christian". Suggesting I'm more of a an atheist than Christian. Hmmm....is that true?
Other people shouldn't be judging you.I had a talk with someone (relative) a couple weeks ago, who knows I don't believe that Jesus was God, a son of God yes, but not God and not in the traditional sense. I believe Jesus is worth following and so I try. I do believe in God.
She wanted to know why I would participate in communion and did I know that I'm not a " real Christian". Suggesting I'm more of a an atheist than Christian. Hmmm....is that true?
Agree. Whether or not anyone partakes of the wine & bread is really nobody else's business.Other people shouldn't be judging you.
Very true. But if we had no opinions, we would have nothing very much to discuss.In my opinion - much of this discussion is just opinion. We all have them.
Yes and yes.We need to avoid negative sharing of them. We need to accept that our opinions change over the years .
Yup. I enjoy hearing other peoples' opinions.Agree. Whether or not anyone partakes of the wine & bread is really nobody else's business.
Very true. But if we had no opinions, we would have nothing very much to discuss.
If the national church wants to involve its members in discerning the way forward, it needs to be ready for opinions.
Yes and yes.
That's how the church has been for a long time, though. Prior to the reformation, most of Christianity was hierarchical, the West somewhat moreso than the East. Popes, patriarchs, bishops, priests holding all the power and all the cards and making the rules. Really kicked in with Constantine but was starting to gel even before that. Post-Reformation, at least in the myriad Protestant churches, the hierarchies became more decentralized and nowadays, you are as likely to be dealing with a congregational hierarchy and rules as anything on a broad scale. Or something looser like the United Church's old GC-Conference-Presbytery-Congregation hierarchy which was as much about division of responsibilities as layers of power. Each level could really have it's own hierarchy of power independent of the other levels.Churches seem to )and get problens lose members) when 'someone' is in charge and starts creating rules and regulations.
Well 1 Corinthians lays out the protocol for taking communion and there is a warning if you take Communion in an unworthy manner ---now we don't have to believe what the Scripture says -----but you can't change what the Scripture says if you do take communion in an unworthy manner -----but they were very insistent that I shouldn't take communion,
I knew he must have had some good ideas.Same guy who said women must be quiet in church and ask their husbands if they have any questions.
Okay, so hear me out.The Lord’s Supper and Covenant Fidelity
1. Participation in the Supper visibly identifies the believer with the atoning death of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:26).
2. To partake “unworthily” contradicts that testimony and incurs covenant liability (“guilty of the body and blood”).