Unfundamentalist

Above All, Love

Christian Issues

How to Find an Unfundamentalist Church

by in Christian Issues

The question we’re asked most frequently, both on our Facebook Page and on our blog, is “how can I find an Unfundamentalist Church?”

Since we’re not an actual church or denomination (we’re simply an informal group of like-minded people), we can’t refer you to our nearest local franchise. But we can point you in the direction of churches that are likely to share a similar set of beliefs about Christianity.

Of the major denominations, we recommend checking out Metropolitan Community Churches, The Episcopal Church, The United Church of Christ, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Unitarian Universalist churches.

Of course, specific congregations vary as to how much they align with “unfundamentalist” or “progressive” Christian beliefs. After all, a church is no more (and no less) than a reflection of the beliefs and priorities of its leadership and its members. So, some churches within those denominations are more Unfundamentalist than others, and many churches outside those denominations are also quite Unfundamentalist.

Though it might seem challenging to find out where a church stands on a wide variety of theological and social issues, there’s a handy shortcut: if a church is welcoming and affirming of LGBT people, then they are likely to also share many other beliefs in common with Unfundamentalist Christians.

Regardless of whether or not you’re LGBT, the searchable directory at GayChurch.org is a great resource for finding churches that are likely to… [Read more…] about How to Find an Unfundamentalist Church

Why the Bible Doesn’t ‘Clearly Say’ Anything

by Don M. Burrows in Christian Issues

If it’s a day ending in Y at Unfundamentalist, it’s probably a day on which we’ve gotten some version of the following from one of our detractors: “Your argument seems to be with the Bible.”

These are the people who believe the Bible to be the Definitive Word of God, and who believe, even when offered any number of nuanced arguments about why that’s problematic, that “the Bible clearly says X,” about any given issue.

If you are saying those words in English, living in present-day America, then you are uttering either an obfuscation or an outright lie. Because the Bible doesn’t “clearly say” much of anything.

Sure, it isn’t as though most of the New Testament contains completely opaque Greek. Much of it is quite straightforward. But the Biblical texts get especially sticky on matters of theology and social politics, when verses are used to declare people sinners or unfit for heaven. In such a context, a verse like “No one gets to the Father except by me” calls for a much greater discussion than a verse like “they went down into Nazareth” (though issues of narrative flow are even raised for the latter).

This is because the Bible is written in ancient languages, and ancient languages are particularly difficult for us to nail down, since no one is currently alive speaking them as living models of communication. So scholars work hard to tease out the meaning of problematic passages using the tried-and-true tools of philology—the study of ancient… [Read more…] about Why the Bible Doesn’t ‘Clearly Say’ Anything

If all are saved, then why follow Jesus?

by Matthew Distefano in Christian Issues

“If all are saved, then why follow Jesus?” is one of my least favorite inquiries. The question assumes that if there is no eternal hell awaiting those who fail to choose Jesus as their “personal Lord and Savior” in this life, then Jesus is not worth following. As if our primary concern as Christians should be the afterlife, rather than ushering in the at-hand kingdom of heaven. Ugh!

But, despite the annoyance this question causes me, let’s explore a few answers, shall we?
Answer 1: The Gospel Brings Peace
“As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.” ~ Eph. 6:15

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~ Phil. 4:7

In case you haven’t noticed, our world is shrouded in violence. Syria is a mess. Palestine is in shambles–so too are Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Brazil, Mexico, and the list goes on. This list also includes my country, the United States of America. Even as I write this, the United States–a supposedly “Christian” nation, as I’m often told–just chose for its President a “Christian” man whose solution for defeating terrorism is, in part, to “take out their families,” over a “Christian” woman notorious for her pro-war voting record and dubious political dealings.

Some Christian nation!

On top of this precarious political situation, our city streets are also witnessing increased… [Read more…] about If all are saved, then why follow Jesus?

How Can You Call Yourselves Christian When You Don't Believe in the Bible?

by in Christian Issues

I recently received this question via our contact form:
How can you call yourselves Christian when you do NOT believe in the Bible?
It’s easy to dismiss this as mere ignorant trolling, but on the off-chance that it contains some degree of sincerity, I’m going to respond to it.

Ironically, the requirement to “believe in the Bible” in order to be a Christian is itself unbiblical. Nowhere in the Bible is this standard ever stated. Jesus doesn’t preach that one must believe in the Bible to be saved. The disciples don’t go forth to deliver Bibles to the world so that those who read them can be saved. Paul doesn’t proclaim that the Gospel is believing in the Bible. Nor is the converse true: the Bible never declares that those who don’t believe in it are excluded from the Kingdom of God.

But the very idea of “believing” in the Bible is itself nonsensical. The Bible is an extraordinarily complex collection of texts, written and edited by various authors over great spans of time for different reasons and within different contexts. Interpretation of these texts is an equally complex process, and cannot simply be reduced to “believing” everything that is contained within the pages of the Bible. I don’t believe that bashing infants’ heads against rocks makes you happy (Psalm 137:9). I don’t believe that slaves should submit to the cruelty of their masters (1 Peter 2:18). And I don’t believe that women should be silent in church (1 Corinthians 14:34). Does not believing those passages… [Read more…] about How Can You Call Yourselves Christian When You Don't Believe in the Bible?

It's Time! No More!

by April Kelsey in Christian Issues

We live in tumultuous times; that is certain. Truly, this is the end of days. I have watched with increasing alarm as our society has fallen further and further away from the Truths of Scripture. For too long, I have remained silent, quietly praying that God would turn the hearts of the children back to their fathers, but alas: I cannot remain silent anymore. Unless we take swift and serious action against the moral decay in our society, God’s ultimate judgment will fall upon America.

There is one issue in particular that I believe is contributing to the division and downfall of our society, and it’s time Christians drew a line in the sand and said, “No more!” We must gather our resolve and oppose this depravity that stands in direct opposition to God’s Word. We must speak the truth in love to those who engage in this sin and to those who tolerate it.

This sin now surrounds us daily. It has crept into our media, our homes, our schools and—yes—even our churches. This abomination that was once despised and practiced in secret is, once again, flaunted in the open. I’m talking, of course, about…

Racism.

Yes, that vile act of judging someone’s worthiness by their skin color. Racism is a sin, and God hates it! And it’s time Christians stopped pussy-footing around and said so. Loudly.

The Bible is very clear on the issue of racism. It says that all humans were made in the image of God. It also commands us to love our neighbors. It even says that… [Read more…] about It's Time! No More!

How Can You Be Christian and Vote for a Pro-Choice Candidate?

by in Christian Issues

We’re often asked how people can be Christian and vote for a pro-choice candidate. In answering that question, these are some important points to consider:

How likely is it that Roe vs. Wade will ever be overturned? Chief Justice John Roberts, who is conservative, believes that Roe is a settled matter. It seems to most reasonable people that appointees to the court should be non-partisan. They should be objective. Appointing ideological people to the court does not serve Justice. It does not serve the Constitution.

How much does the pro-life movement do to prevent unwanted pregnancy? That’s where the real problem lies and where the real efforts should be made: prevention.

The reality is that many of us who were once active participants in the pro-life movement realized that the answer to this question is: not very much. If Roe was suddenly overturned tomorrow, what would change? We’d still have women getting pregnant who didn’t want to be. We can prevent that with education and contraceptives quite effectively.

But instead, the pro-life movement tends to support abstinence-only education and tries to block age-appropriate sex education.

They tend to oppose access to and information about contraceptives.

They have actively lobbied against things like coverage for contraceptives in healthcare reform and have gone so far as to conflate several forms of birth control with abortion itself.

All of these things are terribly counterproductive and… [Read more…] about How Can You Be Christian and Vote for a Pro-Choice Candidate?

Thou Shalt Desire: A Primer on the Mimetic Theory of René Girard

by Matthew Distefano in Christian Issues

In this article, I am delivering on the promise I made in my previous entry that I would explore the mimetic theory of René Girard.

The reason I’m doing this is simple: Girard’s theory is paramount in addressing the violence that grips our world and, at a time such as this–when bombs and bullets have become the paradoxical default answers for solving the problem of bombs and bullets–we need a better solution. In medicine, a disease can’t be properly treated without the correct diagnosis. Likewise, we can’t begin to address the problem of violence unless we understand its root cause.

So, let’s get started, shall we?

The key to unlocking our problem of violence is to understand that our desires are non-consciously derived from the desires of others–and vice-versa. I’m oversimplifying, but we are all copycats of each other, modeling for one another what objects should be deemed the most desirable. This might be hard to accept here in the West, where autonomy is king, but it is nevertheless true. If our desires were not influenced by the desires of others, and were instead fixed and static, they would simply be a form of instinct (Girard, I See Satan Fall like Lightning, 15). Hopefully we recognize that we are beings who possess something more than mere instinct–that we have a free will of sorts, even if that will does suffer from enslavement.

This enslavement is evident throughout our world. Pay attention to the fashion industry, which uses celebrities and other… [Read more…] about Thou Shalt Desire: A Primer on the Mimetic Theory of René Girard

No, We Are NOT Marcionites

by Matthew Distefano in Christian History, Christian Issues

The charge of Marcionism is often leveled toward anyone who says that “God is just like Jesus,” who rejects the violence depicted in the Old Testament, and who insists that Christianity is centered on the ideas of peace and reconciliation. This accusation is a form of the straw man logical fallacy, in which someone’s position is misrepresented in order to make it easier to attack and refute.

To understand why the charge of Marcionism is fallacious, let’s begin by taking a brief look at Marcion and his beliefs. Then, we will compare that system with what I, as a Girardian, believe, to see if the two belief systems are synonymous, or if the Marcionism accusation is grossly misguided.

Marcion of Sinope (c. 85 – c. 160 CE)

Though there are a number of reasons why Marcion was an important figure during the second century, he is now primarily remembered as the arch-heretic of the early Church because he rejected the God of the Hebrew Scriptures. Why would he do such a thing? Because Marcion could not reconcile the violence of the deity in the Jewish Bible with the nonviolence of Jesus Christ. Marcion asked the correct questions regarding divine violence, but he didn’t come to the correct conclusions. Instead, he arrived at dualism, where the Hebrew God was more like a demiurge, subservient to the New Testament Father of Christ.

As an unabashed Girardian, I completely reject this view. I don’t reject the God of the Hebrew Scriptures, only some… [Read more…] about No, We Are NOT Marcionites

How Does Identifying with the Kingdom of God Affect Our Political Participation?

by Tim Chastain in Christian Issues, Current Events

This is not a partisan political article; it promotes no political party and no candidate at any level. Rather, it raises the question of how our being part of the kingdom of God influences our voting and political participation and whether being part of the kingdom of God should even matter in our positions on political issues.

It is about five weeks until the polls close on the the national, state, and local elections in the United States. We will be voting to place persons in important decision-making positions, and many of us will vote on state and local initiatives as well.

As we move toward this event, we all know our personal opinions on candidates and issues. The question is: do believers approach issues in the same way as other citizens do, or are there principles of the kingdom that cause us to be different in any way?

I believe there is a difference. However, I can only speak for myself; I cannot dictate to anyone else.

The Two Kingdoms

Believers are members of two kingdoms at the same time. Secondly (first comes later), we are citizens of the United States of America (or another country)—equal to all other citizens of our country. As such, I think we have a responsibility to be good citizens—no, we should be model citizens! We should do our part to help the nation to be successful and to become better in its responsibilities. Yet, as people of the kingdom of God, I don’t think we can give national concerns our first priority.

Our ultimate allegiance is to… [Read more…] about How Does Identifying with the Kingdom of God Affect Our Political Participation?

Dispensationalism: A Doctrine More Dangerous Than Hell Itself

by Matthew Distefano in Christian Issues

Theopedia defines dispensationalism as a “theological system that teaches biblical history is best understood in light of a number of successive administrations of God’s dealings with mankind, which it calls ‘dispensations.’” There are seven in all: the dispensation of innocence (Creation → Adam’s fall), of conscience (Adam → Noah), of government (Noah → Abraham), of patriarchal rule (Abraham → Moses), of Mosaic Law (Moses → Christ), of grace (the Church age), and of a millennial kingdom (yet to come). According to dispensational theology, we are currently in the dispensation of grace, also known as the Church age.

Essential to the worldview of dispensationalism is the “rapture” (when Christians are “caught up” into heaven), which will play a crucial role in ushering in the millennial kingdom of the seventh dispensation. Based on my dealings with folks who hold this view, it seems that the rapture will be taking place any day now. Of course, this time they’re certain, just like they were the last time, and the time before that, and the time before that, nearly ad infinitum. Well, as ad infinitum as you can get from the year 1830 onward, which is roughly when John Nelson Darby came up with all this nonsensical dispensational hocus-pocus.

What is so scary about dispensationalism is that it is largely (but not entirely) based on a highly literal reading of the book of Revelation. If you are not familiar with John’s Revelation, it is intense and quite… [Read more…] about Dispensationalism: A Doctrine More Dangerous Than Hell Itself