Justified asked:
"What kind of answer is this?"
It's a short one.
Seriously, it is meant to say that the pointed nature of your questions is illustrative of those things which allow me to appreciate theological liberals so.
Scott J said:
"Please forgive me if I don't sound nice."
No sweat. This is th worst medium when it comes to not coming across as you intend.
"In what ways would you qualify yourself as conservative and in what ways more liberal?"
Well, I hold to verbal pleanry inspiration of the Bible, Inerrancy, the full deity of Christ, that sort of thing.
Liberal? Well I probably show more social concern than your average conservative evangelical. I am proabably less likely to equate one's interpretation of Scripture with Scripture. I believe there is a proper place for Higher Criticism in biblical studies (though not for the conclusions of such radicalas as Crossan, Funk, Borg etc).
" Not a very difficult task when you don't hold to any absolutes... nothing beyond compromise... nothing that will not be sacrificed for the sake of fellowship. When we fundamentalists hold the Bible up as our standard, people's actions are judged... and rightly so. It is the Word of God. We should not make any apologies for "not being nice" when the Bible calls something sin.
How is it nice to let someone continue in an error when the Bible gives the truth?"
I don't think that is the indictment you think it is. I believe that it is those who hold to the truths of Scripture who should be less judgmental of people. Their actions are another thing. We aren't known as being conservative so much as condening of people. Condemning sin and condemning sinners is not the same thing. But we do a poorer job than do liberals of maintainng the distinction between the sinner and the sin. We are itersted less in restoration and reconciliation, it seems, than liberals are. Granted they tend to do it by way opf winking at sin. But we should be better at restoration and reconciliation precisely because we don;t wink at sin. Yet that is not the case.
"They seem to want sin to reflect culture rather than scripture. If that is your definition then I would agree that they emphasize the "politically incorrect" sins."
What I mean is this: liberals seem to understand that there is such a thing as "Christian behaviour". And they know that the church doesn't hold to it. The liberals I know understand that for the church to be what it should be the church needs to change,and needs God for that. Less prone to being sanctimoniously self righteous if you will.
"You obviously haven't debated with BW Smith about evolution."
Actually I have, though in other fora. And on other Biblical studies issues. That IMO is a case of someone just being zealous for new information (I won't call what he espouses facts or truths). Kinda like a kid witha new toy (no I am not callling him immature). Besides Smith isn't a liberal. He's a "moderate Soutern Baptist" last I heard.
"find the issues they care about and you will see their other side."
That's true for everyone. But I find they haver fewer of them than conservatives.
As for niceness vs. condescension, I don't find that. Sure there are some, but that's true on either side. On the whole I find that they genuinely are nicer. it isn't for nothing that fundametalits and conservatives are known as "angry Christians".
