Thursday, January 13, 2005
seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?
some exerpts from Richard F. Hall's essay on the topic:
The Realistic Christian ... believes in the social value of the golden rule: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This includes: don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mat19:18-19). He/she also understands the psychological and social importance of "forgiveness" in conduct (Mat.5:38-39). This includes loving your enemies, forsaking retribution and granting forgiveness, never criticizing or condemning, but displaying compassion (Luke 6:27-37). The Realistic Christian understands that if a belief in heaven and hell is required to enforce the message of love and compassion for most people, so be it; for, through identification with these people, he/she has a responsibility of stewardship that is taken seriously with love.
The Realistic Christian is not an anti-theist, and regards denigration of religion and God with repugnance. He/she understands that all the evils associated with the Christian movement, for instance, have been committed by the barbaric participants and were never promoted by the philosophy of Jesus Christ.
...
The Realistic Christian reveres and loves the Bible as a book written by men with the best intentions. He is pleased that this literature has been considered Holy to have it passed to us virtually unaltered through the centuries so that we have an accurate record of the evolution of ideas between it's covers.
But on the question of God, the atheist is usually silent, agnostic, or spoken only to his friends and family. It is to these atheists that I am speaking. With all that I have said so far, and with the well being of your family and community and your stewardship at stake, one would not want to be ostracized as a hypocrite. But, just as Jesus has reinterpreted the Laws of Moses for greater understanding (Mat.5), so must we, once again, reinterpret the concept of God for better understanding.
The Realistic Christian ... believes in the social value of the golden rule: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This includes: don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself (Mat19:18-19). He/she also understands the psychological and social importance of "forgiveness" in conduct (Mat.5:38-39). This includes loving your enemies, forsaking retribution and granting forgiveness, never criticizing or condemning, but displaying compassion (Luke 6:27-37).
The Realistic Christian understands that if a belief in heaven and hell is required to enforce the message of love and compassion for most people, so be it; for, through identification with these people, he/she has a responsibility of stewardship that is taken seriously with love.
The Realistic Christian is not an anti-theist, and regards denigration of religion and God with repugnance. He/she understands that all the evils associated with the Christian movement, for instance, have been committed by the barbaric participants and were never promoted by the philosophy of Jesus Christ.
...
The Realistic Christian reveres and loves the Bible as a book written by men with the best intentions. He is pleased that this literature has been considered Holy to have it passed to us virtually unaltered through the centuries so that we have an accurate record of the evolution of ideas between it's covers.
But on the question of God, the atheist is usually silent, agnostic, or spoken only to his friends and family. It is to these atheists that I am speaking. With all that I have said so far, and with the well being of your family and community and your stewardship at stake, one would not want to be ostracized as a hypocrite. But, just as Jesus has reinterpreted the Laws of Moses for greater understanding (Mat.5), so must we, once again, reinterpret the concept of God for better understanding.
nuff said for now.
