The Search for Christian Hospitality

Dear Anonymous (July 13, 12:41 PM),

The core values (if I understand what you mean by that, and it’s not good to work with assumptions) of Christianity are driven by the elements of the Christian faith, which elements are very well summarized in the Apostle’s Creed, which is – “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, The Forgiveness of sins, The Resurrection of the body; And the Life everlasting. Amen.” The Nicene and Athanasian Creeds are two other important Christian creeds. All three are in agreement among themselves.

The creeds were established to provide a basis for declaring one’s belief. There will be disagreement among people who call themselves Christians about the meaning and details of these creeds. If a person recites these creeds and believes all the elements of them from their heart, then that person is a Christian. If a person willingly omits any portion of the creed because it is to them offensive or “that couldn’t possible be what God wants me to believe” or any other reason, then that person is clearly not Christian since that person refuses to subscribe to Christian belief as expressed in the creeds. The creeds are based solely on the Bible, God’s inerrant, infallible revelation to man. Disagreement with these creeds by individuals who call themselves Christians is not a problem with Christianity. It’s a problem with the people who want to change the Christ revealed in the Bible and His teachings to suit themselves.

Pastor McLaren,

Mediterranan Sea is after Ionian Sea with Twelve Islands, Medi-Terra, where the EArth heals, merging.

www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/9429378.asp?gid=200&sz=31026

www.sabah.com.tr/2008/07/12/haber,3478DA062D324A848AC8140D249E9884.html

with union and education we may save our faith, not with quarrel or war of languages.

sir, do You teach the languages in these movies?
if Pope Benedictus learns, can He pay the 9 millions of USD? now i know 3G, 3W and 3E. why does Pope Benedictus not unite all of the people on Earth in stead of riving with His prayers? why does He not unite all?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Ember
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Eye
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choke_%28film%29
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanted_%28film%29

youtube.com/watch?v=35wwB607CQY
youtube.com/watch?v=GvB_1KoQDKg

youtube.com/watch?v=so7qya7WYY0
youtube.com/watch?v=yMZ3Mi1vT-w

youtube.com/watch?v=O7ftozVc3lI
youtube.com/watch?v=y5HrxAXvQ6A

The problem with Christianity, on the whole, is this: Nobody has a clue as to what it actually is when asked to identify its core values and mission.

Of course there will be those that object to this stament by proffering vague and elastic remarks like (a)"All are within the body of Christ." (b) "Forgive your enemy." But passing through this trivial smoke screen banter it is mindful to ask what exactly the true, clear, shared and definitive values and missions that all Christians embrace: and none will ever be found.

This article further sustains this claim, albeit in a roundabout way. And HairySteve20's comment offers further evidence of this fact.

Whatever that can be said about Christianity will be denied, rebutted or even derided by others of the very same faith.

Unfortunately few Christians, if any at all, are courageouse enough to face this fact. Rather the masses and millions go on, day after day, working and reworking and revising the subtlties and merits of their current understanding of Christianity until they finally get ( or as in the above scenario, "find" ) a certain flavor that satisfies them.

Its dreary reading about the leaders of contemporary Christianity: they proffer no backbone or substance or even guidance for those that genuinely seek it. They offer elastic-compromise and "spiritual hedging." And this is because, as I have opined earlier, there is no true rightful path of Christianity.

Many Americans desperately seek mindful insights to satisfy and furnish their current spiritual needs. It is correct and right that Americans seek this need. But, if we start to be very grave about this affair, the question must be raised as to whether Christianity truly proffers a definitive, productive, unabiguous and fundamentally "all-loving" spiritual solution that satisfies this need.

On the 12th of July we've just had the Orange Order parades in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Thousands of Christians marching through major towns and cities celebrating their protestant faith.

By excoriating Catholisism. The men on the parade who play the Lambeg drums are paid a cash reward if they hit them hard enough to break them when they pass a Catholic chapel.

The people who follow the parades are so drunk they don't know what day it is. They sing songs like 'Hello, hello, we are the Billy Boys, Hello, hello, you'll know us by our noise. We're up to our knees in fenian (catholic) blood, surrender or you'll die, we are the Brigton Billy Boys.'

Isn't Christianty a wonderful inclusive religion. In Ireland and Scotland there are thousands of avowed Christians who will march in paramiltary regalia and go to church to sing about killing their co religionists.

I don't believe in god so I don't have to hate anyone but if you do perhaps you could think about who god demands you hate, homosexuals or muslims, and maybe pick another one.

Brian, I enjoyed reading your article. Why do you still think that there is a Church? Our Body is the Church.

I know my comment might offend traditional Christians, but my being a Catholic does not mean I do not believe in God or practice Love.

The God we know is the God who always judges us all the time or the Love of God who forgives our sin all the time? Why do you want to know his Plan? How dare could we? We just accept. That’s Big Love. How can you measure or describe?

Each day is a miracle as well--the fact that we are alive and can breathe. You have to feel the feeling of being Loved by accepting and appreciating every moment of life as Tim did.

With due respect, Tim Russert is a Catholic, but he is not the Catholic Church. The clergy decide who is to receive Communion in the Church. It is not a decision for Tim Russert, even in his lifetime, to have made. As a pious Catholic it is hardly possible that he would have wanted anyone to receive the Communion without the prerequisite. A priest may of course choose to be generous and ignore the gesture of Sally. There is more to a religious ritual than a social activity. One believer who believes that there is only one God who is worshipped under different names may feel equally at home in all places of worship. But that is not the case with an atheist. Sally's gesture is surely kind but may not find approval with Catholic clergy.

"...at least to the possibility of searching for God."

I often wonder why this is viewed as a positive step. That is, why would one be pleased that others are are confused (at least, not sure) about the circumstances of their lives? I suspect it is because it validates their own beliefs to some degree. Searching for God is actually a state of turmoil, is it not? It is said it is the broken man who finds God. Essentially, that means finds his way out by convincing himself things will be better in death and that his suffering is just all part of some big plan where he comes out ahead in the end.

The suggestion to search for something beyond one's current circumstances rather than tackling what is right in front of them is not the best or healthiest of answers. It is recommending avoidance and wishful thinking rather than practical answers.

Personally, I have learned that accepting and dealing with whatever is in front of me there is no need for comforting myself with "there is something better out there." Digging in and being passionate about the here and now is a far superior state of mind. I don't need to dream up something better, I can improve what I already have.

I hate to get technical and get into a word battle ... but I thought Brian was a leader in the 'Emergent' church movement ... not the 'Emerging' church movement. From my limited understanding Mark Driscol would be considered one of the leaders of the 'Emerging' church movement, where the Bible still holds authority and is not watered down to attract more seeker-finder types.