tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post8820895957097514962..comments2024-03-28T10:44:30.518-06:00Comments on American Creation: John Adams Addresses A Nation of Christians & more on what is "Christianity"?Brad Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17669677047039491864noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-46904105789666184432009-10-27T16:38:35.043-06:002009-10-27T16:38:35.043-06:00I think faith is the "undefined" term, t...I think faith is the "undefined" term, that should remain undefined.<br /><br />Faith is an attitude or state of mind, that understands limitation, fallibility, and conditioning of reason, but does not invalidate reason to "prove" faith. Faith remains and affirms "the human".<br /><br />Faith is an attitude toward life itself, that wonders, as a child does over the mystery of "all that is". Faith affirms 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as the "good". Faith believes in a graced existence, for all humans.<br /><br />Religious traditions frame faith through understanding the "transcendent", without understanding the "immanant".<br /><br />Both the transcendent and the immanant are necessary for democratic governance, as it affirms humility of mind as it concerns transcendence, but does not allow the political realm (the immanant) to dissolve "human rights".Angie Van De Merwehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12617299120618867829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-35897357696969870032009-10-27T09:06:53.241-06:002009-10-27T09:06:53.241-06:00Tom, I don't have your email address and I hav...Tom, I don't have your email address and I have something to send to you.Phil Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06756814849309388483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-38983543106677910952009-10-27T01:42:25.551-06:002009-10-27T01:42:25.551-06:00I think this and John Adams' above sentiments ...<i>I think this and John Adams' above sentiments were sincere; however both are consistent with unitarianism or what has been termed "theistic rationalism."</i><br /><br />Yes, once again, it's Jefferson and Adams, although their private thoughts were quite different from their public thoughts.<br /><br />Jefferson was definitely a "theistic rationalist," Adams less so, since in the same quotes he calls Christianity a "revelation," which simply means it came directly from God.<br /><br />There were tons of other Founders, including Washington and Madison, about whose religious beliefs nobody can say for sure, since they designed their writings that way.<br /><br />I know plenty of religious people who say equally little, because, following the Bible, they refuse to cast their pearls before swine.<br /><br /><i>"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."</i>---Mt 7:6Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-44511912303263094982009-10-26T21:18:37.238-06:002009-10-26T21:18:37.238-06:00depends.
most fundamentalist/conservative evangel...depends.<br /><br />most fundamentalist/conservative evangelical christians believe that the trinity, atonement, inerrancy are christianity *essentials*. and any denomination or sect that does not accept those are questionable christians or at best termed false teachers (indeed even amongst reformed and evangelical church leaders, evangelicals like greg boyd, brian mclaren, rob bell are tagged as heretics, even though they believe in the same *essentials*.<br /><br />and regarding jesus, stephen prothero, in *american jesus* details how the 18th century focus of christians was not on jesus but mostly centered in the old testament.Naumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06741963276339044331noreply@blogger.com