RE: Wanted: Christians who reject the supernatural and a literal afterlife.
October 19, 2017 at 2:35 pm
(October 19, 2017 at 2:18 pm)Crossless2.0 Wrote: He might have. He's characterized as having done so. *shrug*
Jews had a number of ideas about death, including many who didn't believe in an afterlife at all. You're stuck on some idea of a Christian as being orthodox in her beliefs (dying/resurrected savior, Heaven, etc.). It's not inconceivable that a theist could self-identify as Christian simply on the basis of Jesus' alleged moral teachings but not buy into his eschatological nonsense or his talk of The Kingdom, if understood to refer to Heaven and an afterlife.
I don't really see much point in that, but again . . . it's not inconceivable.
I fastened on Paul because you brought him up. If she doesn't recognize Paul as an authority, then his so-called argument in 1 Cor. 15 would likely not be persuasive. And it's possible that she might have viewed Jesus as an exemplary figure without believing him to be God (or God's son) or believing every word attributed to him to be (pardon the pun) Gospel truth.
I noted the 1 Cor passage because I read it recently and it was the first to come to mind. Jesus also addressed the issue. You're right in that some Jews, such as the Sadducees, didn't believe in an afterlife. You're forgetting that Jesus specifically refuted them in Matthew 22.
It's conceivable that someone can reject the foundations of Christianity and call themselves a Christian. As noted, I've met one. But just because such people exist doesn't make their interpretation reasonable.
