Fun da mentalist - What is in a name?

[Caimanson]

I have recently come across many testimonies of people coming from nominal or liberal Christianity, finding new life in Orthodox Christianity. And one would think that "progress" is always from conservative toward liberal.

The point is, that depending on your life journey, and God's purposes in your life, you may be all these things at one time or the other.

I certainly think that I have been.

Respectfully,

Learner.

Amen to that Learner!

I don't like either labels, you can be fundamentalist or liberal irrespective of what camp you belong. I think it has more to do with the attitude of the heart. You see liberals intolerant and narrow-minded, and fundamentalists that can be tolerating and loving, its what's inside not the uniform you wear.

Alvaro

 

[InLove]

The Parable of the Lost Recording
By InLove​

There was a woman who was a lover of great music. One day, while attempting to organize her extensive music library, she came across a beautiful version of a folk song performed by an exemplary classical artist. Not knowing where she should file the recording, she decided that all of her recordings should be filed under the individual artist’s name. That way, she thought, she would not forget that the classical artist had also recorded the beautiful folk tune.

Many days later, the woman was searching for a nice folk song to put on her playlist for a gathering of folk music lovers at her house. She did not remember that the classical artist had recorded the folk tune, because she had only filed her recordings under the artist’s name.

Still later, she ran across the beautiful folk tune again, and realized that she could have put in on her playlist for her guests. So she decided that she would simply crossfile all of her recordings so that she would never miss another opportunity to play the appropriate song at the perfect moment.

Then, the exemplary classical artist who had recorded the beautiful folk tune decided to make a country album.

This is kind of how I view our urge to categorize everything, including Christianity. But I still enjoy the conversation.

InPeace,
InLove

 

[neosnoia]

I have recently come across many testimonies of people coming from nominal or liberal Christianity, finding new life in Orthodox Christianity. And one would think that "progress" is always from conservative toward liberal.

That would be me. Ex-fundamentalist. Ex-liberal. Progressively evangelical. Traditionally creedal.

 

[neosnoia]

We've had the same issues with definitions of liberal, progressive, radical....everything is so based on perception and degrees...

Very true. For simplicity sake, I use the "self definition" given by fundamentalists to themselves:

• Inerrancy of the Scriptures
• The virgin birth and the deity of Jesus
• The doctrine of substitutionary atonement through God's grace
• The bodily resurrection of Jesus
• Christ's premillennial second coming

Outside of that, what some might call "fundamentalism" I would call legalism. After that, would come conservatism. After that, on a sliding scale, would perhaps be traditionalism?

 

[neosnoia]

Modern evangelicals such as Dr. James Kennedy, Dr. John Dobson, and others list the mystic endeavors as outside what they belive to be "true Christianity" Ergo the term liberal or mystic Christianity. Some even accuse the mystic as being part of the occult.

What Jeanott said and what you say here seems to be particularly true of fundamentalists, legalists and conservatives. Not so true of traditionalists (which is why I think all the great mystics were (are) Catholic).

Check out the website Lighthouse Trails Research Project. They expose the "dangers" of contemplative Christianity. I visit it regularly to get links to the sites that they say to watch out for because I end up liking those sites (or writers) so much.

 

[arthra]

Years ago I had a knowledgeable professor who taught the Bible as literature and I aske dhim about the meaning of fundamentalism and he said it simply meant going back to the fundamentals of belief..going back to the Bible... and forty years later I think this is probably as good a definition as I've heard. However the word has been tainted a bit and misused as with terms like "liberal". But "back to the Vedas" or "Back to the Qur'an" would also probably come under the definition.

- Art

 

[RubySera_Martin]

But I have found myself in quite a mystical state when I have meditated on certain Psalms and other passages of scripture that seem to reach out and touch my head and heart. Those sorta "Eureka" moments followed by a closeness to the Presence of the Lord that seem to fill my being and the whole room. (Tell me if you know what I'm talking about!)

I know what you're talking about, Dondi. On another thread you asked me about being in tune with the Spirit. I would consider this to be one manifestation of such. I didn't dare go into this kind of thing there because I was afraid I'd get blasted for my unorthodox views and experiences. Sometimes I think Jesus was wise when he said not to thrown one's pearls to the swine, or to share sacred experiences with those who will ridicule and attack the speaker.