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<p>I’m a card-carrying-conservative rightwing mainline Christian who shares that view.</p>
<p>like I said, OP. Around these parts it’s mighty tough to judge a book by it’s cover (label). LOL.</p>
<p>We are a complicated lot. ;)</p>
<p>I’m a happy pagan, myself. Want to traipse through the woods and jump over bonfires with me?</p>
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<p>I’d vote for neither as a very good definition.</p>
<p>I know that I’m a Christian and I don’t take the New Testament as the literal truth. I do, however, believe that God sent his son to gift me with salvation.</p>
<p>Like garland, I’m one of those wacky liberal Christians. I love to read the Bible, but I rarely thump it.</p>
<p>Garland: please give me a better definition. Thanks.</p>
<p>I believe I was saved at birth. It’s what happens afterwards that’s hard.</p>
<p>Dmd–Gee, now you have me. I know that not being some other religion doesn’t make you a Christian. And I know tons don’t take the NT literally. For me, accepting the ideals of Jesus as the evocation of love and goodness in the world, kind of gets at it.</p>
<p>I’m more of a pre-resurrection follower than a post-. Which is why I often say “follower of Jesus” not “Christian” which seems to get a bit too much into, what did He do for me? Rather than, what does he ask me to do for others?</p>
<p>katliamom - sounds like you have the most fun. I’m all for traipsing through woods and bonfires.</p>
<p>I belong to a religion that had to go to the Supreme Court to be recognized. (We take no stance on the existence of God, but do believe in Ethics.)</p>
<p>Am I a Christian? I don’t really know. I think of myself as one. </p>
<p>I have had an occasion lately to have to speak to my kid about my “beliefs”. She is very religious in a mainstream Christian way - raised Methodist, currently a member at a Presbyterian Church - and I was hoping to put her mind at least somewhat at ease that dear old dad might not automatically be seared on the Devil’s own Hibachi when my time came. </p>
<p>I told her that I believed and accepted that Jesus was my personal road to God. It was the faith of my ancestors. It was what I knew, where I was most comfortable. I also told her that I did not believe it was the only road to God, as I believe that there are many ways to the same place. I suggested that I had no idea whether there was a Heaven or Hell and spent little time thinking about either as reward or punishment. And that I knew that if there was a Hell it was reserved for people who believed in God and by an act of volition rejected God, not for those who found it difficult or impossible to believe for whatever psychological or sociological reason. </p>
<p>Her response? “That’s just what Aunt So and So believes.” LOL. I don’t know if that satisfied her.</p>
<p>Curm, I thought the devil had a George Foreman! And since I am a self proclaimed non Christian I figured at least I would get a good overall tan.
Darn…</p>
<p>Is there anything wrong with the previous religion? </p>
<p>Jason Lee and Whitman missionaries, of Oregon Territory fame, converted none of the Native Americans. Was it the Message or was it their Passion?</p>
<p>Ok…here’s my long winded answer! I was raised a Roman Catholic but to my mother’s great dismay I am what they call a “lapsed” Catholic. I aspire to be more “Christ-like” but do not share the concrete beliefs of many fundamentalist Christians. As for colleges…I am a big fan of the Jesuits and the Jesuit colleges – just wish I could afford to send my children to them. I absolutely believe in God…but am not sure about all of the details. </p>
<p>Am I conservative politically? Hmmmn…hardly! Was Jesus a conservative? I’m thinking he would be better described as a liberal Jew who believed in obligations to feed the hungry and take care of the poor. I’m thinking he might support the premise of Universal Health Care. I’m a fan of the hymns from my childhood like…“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me,” “Let there be Peace on Earth,” and “They will know we are Christians by our love.”</p>
<p>So my answer – I am a Christian.</p>
<p>Mini…I live in PA land and there are lots of Quaker meetinghouses here. I’ve always been fascinated by Quakers and should really attend a meeting.</p>
<p>Trivia Question — Clue – I’m thinking he wasn’t a “practicing” Quaker but…in the strange but true world – Who was the only Quaker President?</p>
<p>Who was the only Quaker President? </p>
<p>RMN … the pride of Whittier.</p>
<p>hmmm…I’m pondering the location of the comma in the OP… “conservative, Christian stances” vs. ‘conservative Christian stances’. It does make a difference doesn’t it?</p>
<p>Lutheran pushover here. Kinda in the ‘leave me be and I’ll leave you be’ category.</p>
<p>(Always amazed how PC it is to stick “Christian” in the title of a thread in such a manner, but not Muslim, Jew, etc…)</p>
<p>I am a cultural Christian (Protestant), raised in a family that never missed church, attended church voluntarily as a young adult, raised our kids with weekly attendance, and continue to be affiliated with a nearby church although attendance has been a little sporadic lately. However, from a belief perspective I would consider myself agnostic, so net net I guess I’m not a Christian. On the political front, I am liberal on most issues but generally avoid comment on the political threads.</p>
<p>"Who was the only Quaker President? </p>
<p>RMN … the pride of Whittier."</p>
<p>Nope. You missed the only real, practicing Quaker.</p>
<p>(shall I keep you guessing?)</p>