Aaaah, gumbsters. I don't know if I am to go deep or flip with your freakin' questions.
If it is simply a "story" from man as to how to live as did christ, that would make a more believable story to me......but how can you seperate all that was written of him without simply giving your own independent interpretation......and can a person be "content" with a personal observation of how they view Jesus?
How can you separate all that was written of him without simply giving your own independent interpretation? I believe we are condemned to see things differently. I spent a delightful day with my dad yesterday. We reminisced. I told him how I used his life as an example. After several life-changing events (divorce, layoff, death of Myrna), he surprised me with his flexibility, his ability to 'redefine his life'. He growled, "What redefinition? It was always there. Maybe others were trying to define it for me, and when I got my chance..." Now, we're talking about a forty year lifespan here, and I am a direct witness. Even so, my perspective is condemned to be different. I told my dad nevermind, I'm keeping the story the way it is, because it's helped a lot of people. Can a person be "content" with a personal observation of how they view Jesus? Again, I think we have no choice. We'll do it anyways. It can't hurt to have a noble ideal inspiring us. Believing I am divinely led and that I serve a loving God does make me tread more carefully.
By christian, I suppose I mean your normal christian which is one who believes Jesus was actually the son of god, sent to the earth, died for mankind, was raised to heaven, and plans on coming back someday.
OK, some of that comes from the bible. Like, as you say, that's the only story we have written down. I don't wonder if the early Christians were better off before the codification, where the oral stories and bits of news were strung together, evolving, as the church matured. As soon as we codified, the Church become rigid.
My Christianity is firmly based on my experience. I believe I called out to God and he answered. I was literally rescued from a horrid future with my abusive first husband. So I cannot deny Christ, as I believe Christ spoke to me. For me, the bible came second. Now, how did I hear of Christ? Of course, I am part of the woof and warp of our society, and the Christian history is embedded in my makeup. It was a handy cultural reference. KNOWING it was a handy cultural reference, does it necessarily make it false?
Big Tex: My own poor opinion is I think Chrisianity is inclusive, rather than exclusive. I think one point Jesus was making was in looking for ways to include people rather than setting up rules and narrow defintions to exclude those who disagreed.
I couldn't agree more. I am on the verge of an epiphany, I feel it, and it has to do with this inclusiveness, that I first learned from Jean Vanier http://www.larche.ca/en/ .