I'm an evangelical Christian - ask me anything

[Insieme]

I'm happy to answer questions, though I'm not interested if people just come on to be insulting.

I can only give my views and talk about what I believe - evangelicalism covers a broad spectrum of beliefs and I can only speak for myself.

Ask away!

Yes, let’s not talk about the football!

Thank you both for answering my third question so well, and nice to get two slightly different perspectives too. I think it’s great that there is enough flexibility in the interpretation of the Bible to, for example, apply guidance on the treatment of slaves to modern day situations with people we employ. I like to think that if there is a God he (or she) gave us our critical faculties for a reason and would expect us to use them to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.

I believe that with all I am, sockeating :)

Why are evangelicals so blindly supportive of Israel?

Mrsmee in general, I think open-air preaching is ineffective and in many cases off putting.

A couple of hundred years ago, it was more common, and more accepted, and a lot of well known preachers used it (I'm thinking of John Wesley and George Whitfield if anyone's interested). And of course Jesus and the apostles preached in the streets and fields.

But in our culture, it's completely alien now. People generally cross the road to avoid it! Which is the main reason I think we can be more effective in telling people about Jesus individually, and preferably naturally, in answer to their needs and questions.

However, I think the people who do preach in the street are often motivated by a need to tell people about Jesus. That might come from a genuine fear for people's souls. So while some of them might seem crazy, I'm reluctant to say they all are! As with so many things, there are a number of possible scenarios, and it's hard to know at a distance what is going on.

Only the Old Testament mentions same sex relationships, Jesus had far more important things to talk about. The Old Testament is a book of stories, some vile, some interesting.

Happy to not agree on every point, madhairday! That's what makes us interesting!

Yes indeed, Insieme, and I know we absolutely agree on the heart of it all :)

Gushpanka I have honestly never found Christians (in the UK) blindly supportive of Israel, so I really can't help you with that question, except to say that an American (atheist) friend has told me that Christians in the US do seem obsessed with Israel. I can't say if she's right or not though, or why.

Oooo, I think I might know the answer to that one Gushpanka! I remember reading it was something to do with the fulfilment of a biblical prophecy that would lead to the second coming of Christ. I think it’s to do with a very literal interpretation of the Bible and limited to a sub-set of American Evangelicals.

Coolcarrie there are at least three passages in the New Testament that reference homosexual activity. It's not something we can conveniently dismiss because it's only in the Old Testament.

Ah, yes, the Israel thing is to do with a fundamentalist Bible belt reading of scripture. Or something.

I had a friend a few years ago who was an evangelical christian. She was 'born-again' and attended a church called Liberty. She tried very hard to get me involved and, out of politeness, I attended several functions where the ladies were very friendly and welcoming.

But...when I scratched under the surface I found some of the beliefs to be truly awful and the last thing I would have thought from a christian organisation. They believed that disabled children were a punishment for the sins of their parents. They believed that homosexuality was a sin. They ran adverts about a choice-based pregnancy service they funded, but it wasn't really about choice, it was designed to get girls/women at a desperate point in their lives and to ambush them until they agreed to continue the pregnancy.

The more I heard, the less respect I had for them. It had nothing to do with acceptance and kindness and all to do with control of people.

Do you believe that children are born with disabilities because of the sins committed by their parents?

Chocolatedeficitdisorder No, I do not, and I'm appalled that any so-called evangelical church would believe that.

That's sad, chocolate. I'd be more than wary of any church saying that. I'm disabled myself and feel sick at that kind of thing - it's utterly opposed to Christian truth anyway. The church is full of flawed humans, sadly...

Well, not sadly. Happily. It's wonderful that flawed humans can come together and find freedom in faith. Just means messiness and often hurtfulness too, and some church communities perhaps don't have the safeguards in place to prevent these kinds of things becoming more of a culture for them. Not many, though. I've not heard anyone I know expressing that view.

Hello insieme! Catholic here, ex-evangelical. I've found the thread very interesting, and you have acquited yourself well.
I wanted to ask, in response to one of your answers earlier, what you think the Christian life involves? You mentioned that you disagree with the Pope on the idea of needing to go to church to be accepted by God. I think you might be pleased to know that it is extremely unlikely the Pope actually believes that idea.
I guess what I am asking is, what role do you think 'the church' plays in a Christian's life?

Floralbunting hi!

I think the church is there to encourage and teach Christians, and to present the gospel to non-Christians. Someone (I can't remember who) said the church is not a club for good people, but a hospital for the sick, by which they meant people who are broken, in trouble, or failing in some way. I think I agree with that basic idea. The church exists so we can encourage each other, keep each other going, and help people, and of course it's a place to learn more about God and meet to worship.

Hi OP. Have read this thread with interest, especially the “hate the sin, love the sinner” stuff about homosexuality. How do you feel about gay marriage/civil partnerships?

I think the 'hospital for sinners' idea is generally attributed to St John Chrysostom. It's a very common understanding all through the history of the church, from the ancient church to the present day.

ReggieKray I'm not bothered one way or the other about gay marriage. On the one hand, I know God disapproves of homosexual sex, but on the other, I think people should be free to make their own choices about how they live their lives, so long as their freedom doesn't restrict the freedom of others.

If gay people want to marry, then that's up to them.

I do have misgivings about the idea that ministers / priests etc might eventually be compelled to carry out gay marriages; I think they should have the right to obey their own consciences and decline to do so, if they feel strongly about it.

As a side note, I find it interesting that quite a number of questions revolve around homosexuality on this thread. I know people get upset about Christians saying God forbids homosexual sex. But he also forbids all sex outside heterosexual marriage too. That's probably far more common. Almost every heterosexual person I know has had sex outside marriage, but no one really takes that seriously or accuses me of being a bigot for thinking that.

Seriously, as a Christian, I spend very little time discussing homosexuality. I have never said to a gay person "You are committing a sin". It's just never arisen in conversation! Yet it seems to be a topic that people outside the church think we're obsessed with! I really don't mind explaining my position, but as I have said, it's on much the same level as any sex outside marriage, so not generally a hot topic, to me.

Have you ever read or learnt anything about other religions such as Islam or the Mormon faith or Scientology ?

The more I learn about all the world religions the more I see their inherent weaknesses and shared origins i.e. Invented by man !

Oo, yeah, I have a follow up, as I asked the woman on the JW AMA and it seems a fair enough question in tandem with donthaveascooby's query.

Do you investigate the sources of your info carefully? Do you make sure you have fair understanding of what others believe in relation to what you believe about them?

Do you undertake spiritual fasts?
Does God ever speak to you?

Donthaveascooby I know a fair amount about Islam as I did some academic research which touched on it some years ago. I have looked into the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses out of interest, after working with a colleague who was a Witness. I know no more about Scientology or Mormonism than a bit of general knowledge and tv watching has taught me!

FloralBunting I do my best! I do try to read secular research and comment rather than merely relying on Christian commentators, within the constraints of time and a busy life.