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From: barry@ames.UUCP (Kenn Barry)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Re: one more time...
Message-ID: <1689@ames.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Oct-86 01:37:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: ames.1689
Posted: Tue Oct  7 01:37:45 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Oct-86 10:49:42 EDT
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Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
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From: devonst@burdvax.UUCP (Tom Albrecht):
>For nearly two millenia the Christian faith has understood that there are
>certain basic dogmas which define what it means to be a Christian.  Belief
>in the bodily resurrection of Christ is one of these.  For you
>to assert that one can be a Christian and deny the concept of the
>resurrection is very bold and, I'm afraid to say, quite wrong.  The
>resurrection is not some obscure and secondary teaching within
>Christianity; it is the very foundation of the Christian faith.
>[...]
>A Christian doesn't deny that other religions can offer some measure of
>good to society.  You can live a "good life" in the human sense as part
>of another religion.  But if you deny that Christ is the Son of God, that
>His death was an attoning sacrifice for sin, that he rose from the dead as
>evidence of His ultimate power over death, don't call yourself a Christian.
>You're no more a Christian than a Hindu who denies these things.

	And you, sir, are presumptuous. Not even the Pope has
been able to dictate "The" definition of Christianity for the
last 400 years. Your definition is a common one; it is accepted
by many, perhaps most, Christians. But not all, by any means.
There is no official body in all the world with the authority to
define what a Christian is. Didn't you hear about the
Reformation? :-)

>>They've certainly turned me off to the idea of affiliating with
>>any existing Christian denomination, in spite of the fact that I'm
>>very concerned with the importance of fellowship, community action,
>>and the search for religious meaning in my life. [Bill Ingogly]
>
>That's an interesting statement because many "mainline" denominations would
>affirm the things you are saying.  There are ministers in the PCUSA church,
>for instance, that deny the divinity of Christ and the bodily resurrection.

	Glad to see you admit it. In light of this, by what right
do you assert authority to tell us what THE definition of
Christian is?

>Unitarian Universalists are most certainly not Christians, but I guess
>that's what you are looking for.  You appears as if you have made up your
>mind about who Jesus Chrsit is and you don't want any part of it.  That's
>OK, just don't tell Christians what Christianity is.

	I love it. A little more of this kind of insult, and
you'll have liberal Christians lining up to join HASA in droves :-).

-  From the Crow's Nest  -                      Kenn Barry
                                                NASA-Ames Research Center
                                                Moffett Field, CA
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