Re: MD What is mainstream Christianity?

From: Sam Norton (elizaphanian@kohath.wanadoo.co.uk)
Date: Tue Aug 16 2005 - 12:50:01 BST

  • Next message: Sam Norton: "MD What it means to believe in the orthodox Christian God"

    Hi CL,

    >>On a forum like this I guess I think it would be nice if there were some
    simple definitions for words like "mainstream"--ie (are we talking W and
    Billy Graham or the Pope and Methodists but not Unitarians?). Some line
    drawn between the two based on lineage or popularity? Or literal vs
    figurative interpretations. Is mainstream the masses or the churches?

    If we got an agreement, I'd run with it, but I wouldn't expect it very soon.
    All I can do is (try and) be consistent in my own usage. Whereby
    'mainstream' = the orthodox tradition, from the beginning, still numerically
    largest; and something else ('Modern Protestant' perhaps?) to refer to the
    more recent forms. My perpetual gripe is that people reject the Modern
    Protestant variety of Christianity and think they've rejected Christianity
    as a whole. Which they haven't - and they often end up with positions
    remarkably close to the mainstream Christian tradition. Bill Hicks is one
    example; have a look at the long quote which Ant provided recently.

    By the way, I'm not sure I'd include 'unitarian' as Christian (I think
    they're excluded from all the ecumenical bodies as they deny the Trinity).

    Sam

    MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
    Mail Archives:
    Aug '98 - Oct '02 - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
    Nov '02 Onward - http://www.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/summary.html
    MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net

    To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
    http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html

    This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Tue Aug 16 2005 - 13:03:37 BST