Are there a minimum set of core beliefs that all Christians accept?

by nicolaou 38 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  nicolaou

  For example, a Christian could not simply believe that Jesus was a compassionate man could he? Christ must be accepted as being divine either as part of a Trinity or at least as the Son of God.

  • Must a Christian believe that the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Bible are actual events or can they be accepted as allegory?
  • Must a Christian believe that "all Scripture is Inspired of God"?
  • Jesus is said to separate the sheep from the goats - can you be a Christian without accepting that Jesus will kill all the goats?

  There seems to be so much about Christ that many Christians are simply too uncomfortable to discuss. Why?
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  drew sagan

  It all depends upon the type of Christians you decide to keep company with ;)
  
  I'm sure there are plenty of Christians out there that will talk with you about the things you brought up, but there are just as many if not more that wouldn't.
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  nvrgnbk

  Perhaps this is the core belief...

  I kid the Christians!
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  Awakened07

  You'd think so, and certainly a lot of Christians would say so, but in my debates on this forum I've found that it's very varied. It seems to some it's enough to believe Jesus existed, more or less.

  The 'beauty' of that is that any argument you may come up with may be called a straw man argument, because it will be to some. I was in a situation here once where I had to debate all sorts of angles, because the more posters that came to my thread, the more differing views there were. I would say one thing about what I thought Christians agreed on, and many people would come out saying "Well - I don't believe that! I personally believe this!". And so on. So I don't know.

  There are some individual ordained priests I've read about who don't believe in any miracles or even God, so...
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  OnTheWayOut

  • Must a Christian believe that the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Bible are actual events or can they be accepted as allegory?

  THE DA VINCI CODE and HOLY GRAIL, HOLY BLOOD have led to a flood of books about
  the Dead Sea Scrolls and what the churches are not telling you, and to the "Lost Gospels"
  that have been rediscovered. A generation ago, all Christians were expected to believe that
  the 4 popular Gospels were literal and that Jesus died for the sins of mankind. Today, rather
  than lose church members, it seems many churches allow for the idea that the Gospels are
  allegory.

  Must a Christian believe that "all Scripture is Inspired of God" ?

  Even before the current generation, it seems that Christians were allowed to view the Old Testament
  with doubt about any literal belief in it. Scholars and Science have gained much ground in proving
  the scriptures were written "after the fact" in many cases. I think the Church has long ago backed
  down on the OT and allowed it's members to believe what they want.

  Jesus is said to separate the sheep from the goats - can you be a Christian without accepting that Jesus will kill all the goats?

  This is not a main topic in any watered-down Christian churches today. They discuss Jesus as a
  "savior" and not as a vindicator. Old-timey fire-and-brimstone churches (and JW's) still talk about
  this, but most put the Father in the place of Killer to keep the Son from a tarnished reputation.
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  Superfine Apostate

  i've been talking to some kind of atheist christians already, so no... there's no smallest denominator.
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  Sad emo

  Nic' you're looking in the wrong place!

  Core beliefs are those set down in the 'Apostles' creed:

  I believe in God, the Father almighty,

  creator of heaven and earth.

  I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

  who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

  born of the Virgin Mary,

  suffered under Pontius Pilate,

  was crucified, died, and was buried;

  he descended into hell.

  On the third day he rose again;

  he ascended into heaven,

  he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

  and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

  I believe in the Holy Spirit,

  the holy catholic Church,

  the communion of saints,

  the forgiveness of sins,

  the resurrection of the body,

  and the life everlasting.

  Amen

  As you might see, nothing blatantly Trinitarian or non-Trinitarian and nothing about the things you mentioned initially
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  BurnTheShips

  Thats a good question (and I wonder if your motive is to divide and conquer ;-)), and harder to answer than it would seem on first blush. I read this recently that Christian orthodoxy can be defined as what the majority of Christians have believed in all times and all places.
  
  Burn
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  BurnTheShips

  Nicolau:

  Must a Christian believe that the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Bible are actual events or can they be accepted as allegory?

  Christianity stands or falls on miracles- more than the other Abrahamic faiths. If Jesus performed no miracles, if there was no Resurrection, then it is a lie. I do not believe it can be accepted as allegory.

  Must a Christian believe that "all Scripture is Inspired of God" ?

  Yes. However, that leaves room for interpretation of Scripture.

  Jesus is said to separate the sheep from the goats - can you be a Christian without accepting that Jesus will kill all the goats?

  As the Apostolic Creed above makes clear (and I recite it daily in my personal worship), that Jesus will judge the living and the dead is a core belief of historic Christianity.

  Burn
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  Awakened07

  Sorry, I know it's stupid, but I have to mention the big, pink elephant currently in the room:

  I doubt all Christians would agree with that creed? Are we saying all Christians have a common, core belief in "the holy Catholic church" and the "communion of saints"?

  More or less rhetorical questions.