Comments on: Death to the Liberal/Conservative Divide http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/ Thoughts on faith and culture from the community of NewLife Christian Fellowship, Glastonbury, CT Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:05:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: The NewLife Blog » The Benefits of being a Blogging Church http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-3245 The NewLife Blog » The Benefits of being a Blogging Church Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:09:51 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-3245 [...] Christ, freestyle rapperKill the Pharisee within usTime to Shut UpHomosexuality and the ChurchDeath to the Liberal/Conservative DivideQuestion EverythingJesus among other gods pt. IIIJesus Among Other Gods pt. IIJesus among other gods [...] [...] Christ, freestyle rapperKill the Pharisee within usTime to Shut UpHomosexuality and the ChurchDeath to the Liberal/Conservative DivideQuestion EverythingJesus among other gods pt. IIIJesus Among Other Gods pt. IIJesus among other gods [...]

]]> By: Death to Liberals! Death to Conservatives! | Intrigue http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-734 Death to Liberals! Death to Conservatives! | Intrigue Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:52:59 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-734 [...] { Read it Here } Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...] [...] { Read it Here } Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

]]> By: Eric Stillman http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-669 Eric Stillman Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:15:28 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-669 Wow - thank you Michael. It certainly sounds like God has His hand on your life and is using you in some exciting ways. Thank you for the encouragement and testimony to how silly theological boxes can be. Wow – thank you Michael. It certainly sounds like God has His hand on your life and is using you in some exciting ways. Thank you for the encouragement and testimony to how silly theological boxes can be.

]]> By: Michael Bush http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-668 Michael Bush Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:11:04 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-668 I came to check out out the blog after reading about it in today's Hartford Courant. I am a UCC pastor in East Granby and I loved what you had to share/say. I grew up in a Congregational church, was introduced to a life-changing relationship with God through an evangelical college ministry, chose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in a charimatic Christian group, and have been called to proclaim and live the good news back in the denomination in which I began. As you might guess, I am not one to place myself or others in tidy little theological boxes :-) I hear an invitation in your blog for "evangelicals" and "liberals" to come and learn/grow together. If that is so, I accept that invitation. I came to check out out the blog after reading about it in today’s Hartford Courant. I am a UCC pastor in East Granby and I loved what you had to share/say. I grew up in a Congregational church, was introduced to a life-changing relationship with God through an evangelical college ministry, chose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in a charimatic Christian group, and have been called to proclaim and live the good news back in the denomination in which I began. As you might guess, I am not one to place myself or others in tidy little theological boxes :-) I hear an invitation in your blog for “evangelicals” and “liberals” to come and learn/grow together. If that is so, I accept that invitation.

]]> By: Wes Feshler http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-652 Wes Feshler Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:09:05 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-652 I agree with this post, with some personal editions & additions: - We tend to judge and to label ourselves and others by their weaknesses, their sins, their biblical doctrines, and other assumptions about their churches - We tend to be negative in our acceptances and assessments of other beliefs and practices - We tend to justify our own actions by questionable interpretations of God's word, the Bible - We tend to fellowship only with others of the same beliefs and kindred spirits - We tend to assume a lot about others in our comparisons to them - We tend to emphasize our missions or purposes without accepting those designated for others - We tend to pray, meditate, and worship in many different ways and - Christian unity will increase with our imitation of Christ's relationship to his heavenly Father - Christian unity will increase with our seeing the good or Christ in others, and its potential - Christian unity will increase with our common purpose to do good works with the gifts and the talents we have been given - Christian unity will increase with Christ as the head of the church and our practical submission to him - Christian unity will increase with the cessation of debates and a replacement of Christian love for a different believer - Christian unity will increase with the realization that it is a desire and command of God the Father - Christian unity will increase with humility, obedience, and trust in our Almighty God And, an Old Testament Bible basic from the book of Proverbs 3:5-6 rings loudly for today's church: "Trust in the Lord iwth all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all his ways, and he will direct your paths." I agree with this post, with some personal editions & additions:
- We tend to judge and to label ourselves and others by their weaknesses, their sins, their biblical doctrines, and other assumptions about their churches
- We tend to be negative in our acceptances and assessments of other beliefs and practices
- We tend to justify our own actions by questionable interpretations of God’s word, the Bible
- We tend to fellowship only with others of the same beliefs and kindred spirits
- We tend to assume a lot about others in our comparisons to them
- We tend to emphasize our missions or purposes without accepting those designated for others
- We tend to pray, meditate, and worship in many different ways

and

- Christian unity will increase with our imitation of Christ’s relationship to his heavenly Father
- Christian unity will increase with our seeing the good or Christ in others, and its potential
- Christian unity will increase with our common purpose to do good works with the gifts and the talents we have been given
- Christian unity will increase with Christ as the head of the church and our practical submission to him
- Christian unity will increase with the cessation of debates and a replacement of Christian love for a different believer
- Christian unity will increase with the realization that it is a desire and command of God the Father
- Christian unity will increase with humility, obedience, and trust in our Almighty God

And, an Old Testament Bible basic from the book of Proverbs 3:5-6 rings loudly for today’s church:

“Trust in the Lord iwth all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all his ways, and he will direct your paths.”

]]> By: Rich Lacoss http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-634 Rich Lacoss Mon, 25 Jun 2007 03:13:12 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-634 Wow. Excellent and thought provoking, Eric. The question about denying the miracles of Jesus but living out their meaning is pretty convicting. May we all LIVE what we believe! Wow. Excellent and thought provoking, Eric. The question about denying the miracles of Jesus but living out their meaning is pretty convicting. May we all LIVE what we believe!

]]> By: Eric Stillman http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-601 Eric Stillman Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:24:30 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-601 <p>Good thoughts John, and thank you for referencing that important Augustine quote... I think there are levels of unity you can have with different Christians & denominations, so I don't think unity is an all-or-nothing thing. I don't recommend pretending we're all one big happy denomination, or pretending we agree with everything another Christian group does. I am saying that since unity in Jesus' mind was so crucial that it would show the world that He is the Savior, and since we've made such a mockery of that over the years, it's worth asking how we might begin to work towards unity. Certainly open, respectful dialogue is a start; arrogantly declaring ourselves closer to God (no matter what side you're on) only makes things worse. Acknowledging that in all Christian groups, there is wheat & chaff, true believers and those who are Christian in name only (instead of painting all "liberals" or "conservatives" as the same), is also a step towards unity. And then perhaps finding common ground where we can work together would be a good start - like acts of compassion & mercy that we can agree on (feeding the poor, caring for the sick). I just think that if unity is so important to Jesus, we might want to try a little harder at it instead of simply dismissing other groups who also call themselves Christian. Anyone have further thoughts?</p> Good thoughts John, and thank you for referencing that important Augustine quote… I think there are levels of unity you can have with different Christians & denominations, so I don’t think unity is an all-or-nothing thing. I don’t recommend pretending we’re all one big happy denomination, or pretending we agree with everything another Christian group does. I am saying that since unity in Jesus’ mind was so crucial that it would show the world that He is the Savior, and since we’ve made such a mockery of that over the years, it’s worth asking how we might begin to work towards unity. Certainly open, respectful dialogue is a start; arrogantly declaring ourselves closer to God (no matter what side you’re on) only makes things worse. Acknowledging that in all Christian groups, there is wheat & chaff, true believers and those who are Christian in name only (instead of painting all “liberals” or “conservatives” as the same), is also a step towards unity. And then perhaps finding common ground where we can work together would be a good start – like acts of compassion & mercy that we can agree on (feeding the poor, caring for the sick). I just think that if unity is so important to Jesus, we might want to try a little harder at it instead of simply dismissing other groups who also call themselves Christian. Anyone have further thoughts?

]]> By: john umland http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/comment-page-1/#comment-600 john umland Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:42:18 +0000 http://www.newlife-glastonbury.org/blog/2007/06/19/death-to-the-liberalconservative-divide/#comment-600 Hi Eric, I think you are approaching Augustine's maxim of "in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity." but do the liberals have the essentials that we can unite with them on? your description of liberals is little different from many devout humanists, Buddhists, Jews, and Mormons, but we can't unite with them until they submit to Jesus as their Lord and Savior who died for them and calls them to a life of repentance and self denial and humility. There is no doubt many conservatives have a dead faith without works and they still need a conversion, but it doesn't let liberals off the need for their own conversion need because they are compassionate but will call good what God calls evil. How can I unite with them in the name of Jesus? I can unite with them as the family of humanity, but I still want to free them of their religion and call them to repent and trust all the words of Jesus which are all the words in the Bible and not just the red ones. God is good jpu Hi Eric,
I think you are approaching Augustine’s maxim of “in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.” but do the liberals have the essentials that we can unite with them on? your description of liberals is little different from many devout humanists, Buddhists, Jews, and Mormons, but we can’t unite with them until they submit to Jesus as their Lord and Savior who died for them and calls them to a life of repentance and self denial and humility. There is no doubt many conservatives have a dead faith without works and they still need a conversion, but it doesn’t let liberals off the need for their own conversion need because they are compassionate but will call good what God calls evil. How can I unite with them in the name of Jesus? I can unite with them as the family of humanity, but I still want to free them of their religion and call them to repent and trust all the words of Jesus which are all the words in the Bible and not just the red ones.
God is good
jpu

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