A Correct Christian
The term “Cultural Christianity” and the label “Cultural Christian” is basically an epithet. Though, as an insult, one that shouldn’t really exist. It does because it was earned. A “Cultural Christian” as it goes, is one that is indistinguishable from a non Christian in action and speech, beliefs and attitude. And yes, that is all too easy to observe throughout history up until this very day. And while the No True Scotsman Theory could be attempted, it cannot fit.
When defined by Jesus and the other voices in the New Testament, sooner or later a Christian has to be distinguishable from a non-Christian. Such was the case of the Church and its adherents long before it became a pop fad and only legal religion in fourth century Rome. The Church has been suffering from a mix of politics, social power and religion to this very day.
From Pentecost, “Correct Christians” are actually followers of “The Way,” It is what distinguished a believer in the Risen Christ from a non “Christian” or an attending pretender. And it actually still does to this day.
That the phrase is turned around and used as an insult is simply a shame. But as pointed out earlier, one that was and is well earned.
(Note: The NT claims that believers in Jesus were first called “Christians” in Syria. The terms Christianity and Christendom, following later. )
There can be little doubt that there is an immutable description and definition of what and who a Christian is in the New Testament. This was lived out, documented and produced by and in the Christian community that developed well before the Roman Emperor Constantine “legalized” Christianity and made it the Official Religion of the Roman Empire. The trouble for The Church started there. And most of that trouble started IN the Church and was motivated by political power in nature and application. Not much different than in today’s world.
The Mission here:
This website was started in recognition of the pre-Constantine believers (Christians) and The Church that has never stopped proclaiming and living the Gospel of Christ Jesus. And, the city of Rome was not the place where the Church was founded. It is only the place where it was popularized. The Church was founded in Judea. Anyone denying that may as well assert that Jesus was a New Yorker born in Bronx in 1977.
CulturalChristianity.com is and will continue to be designed for Christians only.
There is nothing particularly overarching about this website in terms of being an absolute authority. It is based on observation by a very common man. Most “Christian” positions presented here are based on basic Christianity. And the desire to fight every opinion or try to convince the entrenched secularist, atheist or universalist – with all due respect – is not going to be entertained here. They are free to live their lives elsewhere, internet or elsewhere, as they see fit.
With the respectful acknowledgement that the many people who reject Christian life and the Christian worldview is their human right to do so. But Christians have the same human rights to live and believe as they so choose as well.
This site supports, affirms and encourages Christians to learn that their worldview is based on sound reason and logic. While it is recognized that ridicule, skepticism and scorn of Christian life, worldviews and beliefs, is based on typical human behavior in its detractors. Seeing that haughtiness is a common human condition in many, many people, only violence, devaluing, belittling, hatred towards Christian and the outlawing of Christian rights is not to be tolerated. But that goes for Christians towards non Christians too.
The goal here is to provide a vehicle for believers to know that they have a sensible and valued worldview. And that this is seen in the people and places referred to on this site.
The Christian people, or organizations, that are recommended on this website and encouraged to be used by fellow Christians, are good by good teachers, groups that are supportive of the faithful. This is done so with only one “mission” in mind. To provide Christians with solid foundational teachers and teachings to support their rights to be a Christian.
This is about encouraging Christians to live their faith with the bold assertion that they have the human rights to do so.
No political or social issues are at play on this website. Anyone taking offense on what is offered on this website is free to leave it and live their life as they so choose. It is just a matter of choice, and the right to make that choice.
This site is not about a platform of contention toward those that choose rejection and opposition towards Jesus, Christians and the Gospel. There are plenty of sites on the internet for arguments and hatred and opposition to Christians and Christian life.
With the stance that Christians and Christian life was not altered into something altogether different by Constantine’s Church and State proclamation, it is recognized that Christ Jesus, the Gospel and those that follow Jesus as He described have at all times been present on the earth since the advent of Jesus himself.
This site is for Christians who consider the historicity of Christian doctrine to be set and not alterable by whim, fad, or changing times. Just as Christian life and worship was pressured to bend to the dictates of the Roman secular and pagan world and worldview . . . Christians throughout the ages have managed to maintain the walk Jesus described and defined. This has nothing to do with the western concept of Church and State. Which is a condition of social politics, societal pressures and pop fads. This site will not take much time to contend with issues that have nothing to do with living the Gospel.
Love is as non-negotiable as the resurrection of our Lord.
While living in the secular world should not necessarily be avoided, whether a Christian wants to be changed by the world and its ways is a personal choice. One made of free will with all of the attached consequences, regret and accountability joy and victory. As a matter of getting along with non and anti Christian peoples, a Christian needn’t give up what it means to be a Christian. In fact, looking at the pre-Constantine Church (Christians before Constantine made Christianity the state religion), Christians lived their lives with and alongside many, many, people and people groups that did not embrace the beliefs of Christians. And yet the Christians fared well.
“Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world.”
– Paul (Romans 1:8), to the Christians throughout the Roman Empire long before Emperor Constantine.