Progressive Christianity

[Pyrrho]

... But as far as anyone has the right to call themselves Christian, I see no problem here ...

A right to call oneself something does not make one right in calling oneself that thing.  If she says she is the queen of England, are you going to bow down to her?

Suppose I were to tell you I am a Christian.  Of course, I don't believe in hell, or heaven, or that Jesus is the son of God, or that Jesus even existed as a man, or that there is a God at all.  But I am a Christian all right.

Now, what do you say to that?  Am I a Christian if I say I am?  Am I the queen of England if I say I am?  Is there a problem with saying that one is something that one is not?

I am reminded of something Lewis Carroll wrote:

Humpty Dumpty took the book, and looked at it carefully. 'That seems to be done right—' he began.

'You're holding it upside down!' Alice interrupted.

'To be sure I was!' Humpty Dumpty said gaily, as she turned it round for him. 'I thought it looked a little queer. As I was saying, that SEEMS to be done right—though I haven't time to look it over thoroughly just now—and that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents—'

'Certainly,' said Alice.

'And only ONE for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!'

'I don't know what you mean by "glory,"' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't—till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument,"' Alice objected.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you CAN make words mean so many different things.'

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master—that's all.'

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12/12-h/12-h.htm

(It's a great book, by the way.)

There's glory for you.