Theist (but not a "Christian") Q & A!

[Astronomer]

Do you believe there are prophecies for a Messiah to fulfill?

[jasonjannajerryjohn]

Since you were so kind as to post in my thread, I'll post in yours as well.

So my question is this: why do you believe in a god at all? As in, what are your specific reasons for doing so? And what do you mean by theist? Do you believe that this god is involved in your daily events since that is what theist traditionally means?

[thegr8stever]

Given this:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Do you think your assertion is tenable?

If someone came up to you on the street and said "Hey dude, you can't have a relationship with God unless you come through ME first!" you would tell him he was off his rocker.

Which isn't to say Jesus is off his rocker, but I think you get where I am going with this. Jesus did not fulfill the picture of Messiah prophesied about in the Old Testament. He didn't fulfill any prophecies (at least real Messianic prophecies, rather than ones that are misattributed to being Messianic). He was one of many many people who had followers who thought he was Messiah. There were lots of them back then. So basically I see no reason to believe he was the Messiah over anyone else throughout history.

How does having a relationship with God affects your life?

What is your view of the historical figure Jesus of Nazareth?

Do you believe that your theistic views were held by the Early Church or do you view the Early Church as a Pauline construct?

Do you identify with any historical groups of theist?

Do you currently attend any houses of worship?

I suppose it affects my life the same way it does anyone else's. I try to live a life pleasing to Him and show His love to everybody. He guides me through life, and does lots of awesome things for me. =)


Hmm. I'm not entirely sure how to answer the second question. I suppose I see him as a great moral teacher who was kind of a nobody to most people outside of his followers, who (at the time he died) were fairly few and far between.


The Early Church was a conglomeration of views. While it was primarily a Pauline construct, there was no consensus as far as theological or doctrinal views go. It wasn't until many hundreds of years after Jesus' death that Christianity as we know it today was really "nailed down". So I wouldn't say that everyone in the early church held my theistic viewpoints, but I'm sure that some followers didn't view Jesus as the end-all-be-all of a relationship with God.

I don't particularly identify with any historical group of theists, no.

And I do not attend anywhere for services, although I would probably feel most comfortable in a Universalist Unitarian church.

So if your not a Christian, why are you on a Christian web site about a Christian radio drama?

Because I wasn't aware AIO was only for Christians. Which is to say I enjoy the series just the same as you. It's pretty much awesome. I also love Veggie Tales. And the Chronicles of Narnia. Just because I'm not a Christian doesn't mean I can't appreciate shows produced by Christians.

on the contrary he fufilled all of the prophesies such as he wouldnt break a bone in his life he was on the cross and they were about to break his legs to finish him when he gave up and died for us

[Kait]

Does this mean you don't believe in much of the Bible at all? Like, what about the story of Joseph and Moses? Do you believe in those? And do you believe in any of the New Testament?

I think the Bible tends to hold some amount of water because there are prophecies that have been fulfilled. At the same time, it is a book that was written by humans about events that had been passed down for hundreds of generations through oral history. I think most of the old testament is probably true, with the exception of those parts that are not intended to be literal and are metaphorical or obviously "myths" meant to be allegorical..the creation story, for example.

Do you believe there are prophecies for a Messiah to fulfill?

Indeed. There are plenty of Messianic prophecies in the old testament.

Since you were so kind as to post in my thread, I'll post in yours as well.

So my question is this: why do you believe in a god at all? As in, what are your specific reasons for doing so? And what do you mean by theist? Do you believe that this god is involved in your daily events since that is what theist traditionally means?

Based on my own personal experiences and events that have transpired in my life, I am led to believe that there is indeed a God. I am also of the opinion that creation is just way too awesome to have not originated with a creator. Obviously this is my personal opinion for which I have no scientific evidence...something I readily admit.

By "theist" I mean that I believe that a God exists, one God in this case.

As far as your last question goes, the answer has the potential to be confusing, lol! I believe that God has created everyone for a purpose and with gifts and talents he has given us. How we use the gifts he has given us differs, obviously. I believe that if we seek him out, he will guide our path in life. But I am not really a fan of the idea that God will help us out in every single little thing in our life. When Tim Tebow wins a football game, it isn't because God answered some arbitrary prayer that a bunch of people prayed for Tebow's team to win the game. It's because Tim Tebow possesses God-given talents in this area and he used those to help his team to victory.

Which is to say basically, that I believe God gives each of us "gifts" and places us in circumstances for a reason. If we seek him out, he will show us how best to use those gifts and circumstances to guide us through life. But I often think things are attributed to "God answering prayers" (i.e. winning a sports game, someone getting through surgery, etc) or something, when really it is just us humans utilizing the gifts that God has given us.

Does that make sense? I feel like it doesn't make much sense. Haha.



I will get to the other questions in a bit.

[~JCGJ~]

I think the Bible tends to hold some amount of water because there are prophecies that have been fulfilled. At the same time, it is a book that was written by humans about events that had been passed down for hundreds of generations through oral history. I think most of the old testament is probably true, with the exception of those parts that are not intended to be literal and are metaphorical or obviously "myths" meant to be allegorical..the creation story, for example.

What do you believe the Creation story to be a metaphor of?

(Don't worry, I will try not to get all fed up with your opinions this time. )

[Astronomer]

If you believe there is a Messiah prophesied about, do you believe in a Messiah who has yet to come?

[Christian A.]

Could you give an example of a Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament? I'm interested to know to which ones you're referring.

[Sherlock]

Kait, you mentioned that you come from a Messianic background, is that what specifically leads you to believe in the Judeo-Christian God? Or is there another reason you prefer to embrace a monotheistic belief over another type (say, pantheism or similar?) Do you believe that God has any characteristics that line up more with the Judeo-Christian God rather than the gods of other religions? (for example, the idea that God is benevolent and ultimately just rather than arbitrary and vengeful).

[jasonjannajerryjohn]

Since you were so kind as to post in my thread, I'll post in yours as well.

So my question is this: why do you believe in a god at all? As in, what are your specific reasons for doing so? And what do you mean by theist? Do you believe that this god is involved in your daily events since that is what theist traditionally means?

Based on my own personal experiences and events that have transpired in my life, I am led to believe that there is indeed a God. I am also of the opinion that creation is just way too awesome to have not originated with a creator. Obviously this is my personal opinion for which I have no scientific evidence...something I readily admit.

By "theist" I mean that I believe that a God exists, one God in this case.

As far as your last question goes, the answer has the potential to be confusing, lol! I believe that God has created everyone for a purpose and with gifts and talents he has given us. How we use the gifts he has given us differs, obviously. I believe that if we seek him out, he will guide our path in life. But I am not really a fan of the idea that God will help us out in every single little thing in our life. When Tim Tebow wins a football game, it isn't because God answered some arbitrary prayer that a bunch of people prayed for Tebow's team to win the game. It's because Tim Tebow possesses God-given talents in this area and he used those to help his team to victory.

Which is to say basically, that I believe God gives each of us "gifts" and places us in circumstances for a reason. If we seek him out, he will show us how best to use those gifts and circumstances to guide us through life. But I often think things are attributed to "God answering prayers" (i.e. winning a sports game, someone getting through surgery, etc) or something, when really it is just us humans utilizing the gifts that God has given us.

Does that make sense? I feel like it doesn't make much sense. Haha.

That makes sense. I was just asking because there is of course the other way to believe in god without being a theist, the deist who doesn't believe that God is involved in personal affairs.