Some more accurate views about Liberal christianity (from Mark Tindall): ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11 What is a Liberal Christian? Sometimes liberals are thought to be Christians who have backslidden; people who don't have enough faith, or are too "in the world." Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. Liberal Christians are committed believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who have thoroughly studied the scriptures and traditions of the Church, and have examined their faith in the light of reason and experience. They believe in: Diversity Perhaps the defining characteristic of liberal Christians is that they are comfortable with ambiguity and diversity. They realize that life is a complex spiritual journey, and that each person on that journey is confronted with unexpected revelations and unique experiences. Liberal Christians therefore welcome a variety of approaches to understanding God, and are open to new ways of talking about the divine. Religious questions are seen as complex, and answers only tentative. Certain that "now we see through a glass, darkly" (1 Cor. 13:12), liberals are cautious about making dogmatic statements or claiming to have a monopoly on the truth. They see the search for truth as an ongoing task, rather than one that has already been completed. A Non-Literal View of Scripture Conservative Christians are often content to answer religious questions by appealing to the absolute authority of Scripture. Liberal Christians, on the other hand, find such an approach to be flawed. Many see the Bible as a witness to revelation, or generally inspired, rather than completely inspired in all its parts. Just as Jesus was fully human and wholey divine, so one must also see the Bible as a product of both human and divine influences. Indeed, liberal Christians are quick to point out that the falleness and imperfection of its human authors gives the Bible an imperfect quality and authority. Liberals view Scripture through a critical lens, and are not afraid to challenge traditional assumptions and interpretations. They rely heavily on higher criticism of the Bible, which looks into the origin and composition of the biblical texts, revealing a great deal about the human aspect of Scripture. Modern philosophical, biological, and cosmological theories that are well supported by evidence, and reflect the true nature of the world around us, can also shape the way liberals interpret Scripture. Traditional Christian doctrines, such as the Virgin Birth, the Atonement, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the Resurrection, are sometimes given new interpretations by liberals. Perhaps more so than evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians, liberal Christians see the teachings of Jesus as having a central place. Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience are each given equal footing in determining Christian faith. An Intimate, Personal View of God Imminent and personal images of God in Scripture are attractive to liberals. For some this takes on the form of a belief in panentheism (Everything-in-God-ism). Liberals also see little distinction between the natural and the supernatural, and therefore do not look for "miracles" to confirm the existence of God. Instead, they feel that faith in God allows one to see the Spirit moving in the everyday stuff of life. .... I find many of the liberal Christian views on God, salvation, women, homosexuality, Scripture, and Creation to be convincing. When I was an evangelical Christian, I often felt the need to wash over historical and scientific evidence with "faith" because the world around me did not mesh with my preconceived notions about Scripture. I had questions about Evolution, the Bible, other religions, etc., but those questions were always met with criticism or simplistic answers by my fellow evangelical believers. As a liberal Christian, I don't feel like I have to be intellectually dishonest to myself any more. I can incorporate what I know about science, history, and theology into my world-view without conflict. In other words, liberal Christianity just makes more sense! It is ultimately the reason why I became one. from http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/2961/liberal.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..... 2. Liberal Christians support inclusivity in church membership, with no rules excluding people on account of their supposed living of a "sinful lifestyle" or being "unrepentant sinners" -- recognizing that we all have sins to which we ourselves are blind. 3. Liberal Christians tend to take the researches of scholarship seriously, and to guide their own views of such matters as the interpretation of Scripture and issues such as evolution, human sexuality, social justice, etc., based on informed scholarly research. 4. Liberal Christians tend to focus very much on the specific teachings of Christ as opposed to theology based in Pauline and OT Scripture, in asserting what is the primary mode of determining how one should follow Christ, in terms of doctrinal and moral questions. 5. Liberal Christians, while not denying Conservative efforts to do the right thing, tend to look on all issues from a perspective of compassion, mercy, and affirmation of human dignity, as opposed to a focus on sinfulness and moral rectitude. It does not deny sin or the call to live a moral life, but sees them as tangential to the need to follow God as He showed Himself in Christ, and to affirm the efforts of others to do so. It tends to focus heavily on issues of social justice, mercy, and the doing of good works in the community. from http://www.christianforums.com/t723243 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liberal Christianity: A religious movement that holds beliefs which are opposite to those of conservative Christians: - Emphasizes human rights, the findings of science, and the higher criticism (analysis) of the Bible; - Largely disregards biblical miracles, the infallibility, inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, the Virgin birth; - Ignores passages in the Bible which are immoral by today's standards -- e.g. those dealing with human slavery, oppression of women, religious intolerance, torture of prisoners, genocide, burning some hookers alive, etc.
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