I am hoping to start up a discussion on existential Christians --- not Christian existentialism, but existential Christians. To start off the discussions, I have prepared 3 Powerpoint presentations and posted them on youtube. See below.

Existential Christian Statement

Existentialism …next steps

Okay, a lot of the discussion around here ultimately comes down to "how do you interpret and understand The Bible"?

If one is a Christian, The Bible is something that one has to reckon with and develop some kind of understanding of.

But why The Bible?

If you are of the conservative, fundamentalist, or traditionalist wings, there's no question of why. The Bible is the basis of Christian faith because it says it is. The fact that that is a circular argument doesn't seem to matter.

The coming out of NBA player Jason Collins has prompted a lot of reaction, both positive and negative. Just finished an editorial on the "Christian" reaction (and I do have a reason for putting that in quotes).

http://sports.ca.msn.com/headlines/collins-bashers-spew-gospel-of-hate

Interesting book review from Salon. Basically an author suggests that the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire was exaggerated or non-existent save in a few brief periods (eg. Diocletion's persecution). May give it a read. In my reading of Roman history the persecution certainly was no more severe than the persecution of some other traditions and philosophies they didn't lile (eg. The Druids, Domitian's attack on the Stoics).

http://www.salon.com/2013/02/24/the_myth_of_persecution_early_christians...

Rather than derail John's thread (since he's pretty specific about what he's seeking), I'll post this thread to state my piece.

While searching for information on Evolutionary Christianity, I came across a reference to Integral Christianity. 

My guess is that Integral Christianity operates with the assumptions that people are at different levels of development cognitively and spiritually, resulting in a variety of theological perspectives.  It seems to be quite intellectual, and highly developed with a number of leading proponents.

As I was walking home from Occupy Moncton, I passed a building surrounded by a very medieval looking iron fence - and I wondered...

If this were the home of a cruel baron who tied women to the fence, and whipped one every day, leaving her overnight tied to the iron railing, would sneaking up at night and applying some appointment be considered an adequate Christian response?

we live in a world very much like that "baron's" railing, only worse with mass murder, plundering, greed, imposed starvation...

I know we send aid.

What's the purpose of this guy? More than 5 years ago, I have begun to reject the concepts behind hell, Satan, demons, fallen angels and whatnot. While I'm Christian, I just don't see why he has to exist.

In fact, I think it's scape-goating that brought him into Christianity. People didn't understand concepts like the unconscious, dreaming, psychology in general and blamed the devil and demons for their thoughts and the "voices" they heard.

Well, that's my opinion. Do you believe in Satan? 

RE Christianity really should be called Paulinity! Did Jesus of Nazareth really want to start a new religion? Not sure. Or, as one little old Irish lady used to say in our Bible study group, ... "Jesus was a good Jewish boy gone bad!"  Was Jesus even a Christian???? This the way I see it, so far! All religions are a construct by some one. There seemed to have been many "Christianities" after the Teacher/Preacher/Prophet (Son of God? God? Logos?) Jesus of Nazareth lived on earth.