“In truth, there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross.” (Nietzsche) Friedrich was critical of the Christianity of his day. “What is a Christian?” is a question worth pondering. Is it an ideal? Is it a follower? Thomas a Kempis wrote a book called The Imitation of Christ. Is it possible to imitate Christ? Lots of questions. Life is full of questions (of one sort or another), isn’t it? ;-) Jack
FROM G.G. IN INDIANA: Yes it is and you ask some good ones. I'm still pondering the imitating thing.
FROM S.A. IN VEGAS: I envy those who naturally question everything....not so much in a doubting way, but in an adventurous style...like recognizing a situation as a puzzle and then approaching it as a challenge; a series of questions; knowing when to ask questions and recognize the power of words in meaningful answers.
FROM PR J.S. IN MICHIGAN: Nietzsche again displays his hatred for and ignorance of the Christian faith. A Christian is a follower of Christ. That, by definition, means that he/she is a repentant sinner....not a perfect person. There are billions of them. Jesus was a Jew, not a Christian. So Nietzsche was wrong on that part of the equation, too.
FROM MOLINER, L.P.: I beg to differ with Mr. Nietzsche, if I dare. There was only one Christ, and he was a Jew. His followers are Christians. From an Episcopalian
FROM S.H. IN MICHIGAN: I used to sort of think like Nietzsche but not quite. Used to be also critical of Christians in their churches. Why didn't they solve the problems of hunger, of nakedness, why hadn't they been able to make this world a better place? But I also had problems with Christ. Figured he was a man who loved all the people I wanted to love, who sacrificed like I wished all of us people could sacrifice, you know for the good of others, but really didn't believe in His Divinity, that he performed miracles, that He had this dove come down on His Head at His Baptism, that God talked to Him from the Heavens, that the curtain tore in two at His Death. All of this stuff seemed impossibly unreal. Now I'm wondering about Nietzsche. There was only one Christian and he died on the cross. I think a person, touched by God and, helped with all of the resources of the Church, has to plow into this theology of being a saint and a sinner at the same time. Maybe, before a person can start to see all the other Christians about him/her, he/she has to become a Christian himself/herself. One has to see the invisible reality of sainthood always sticking itself through the muck to even be possible to be observed, semi-hidden behind the reality of sinful life always being redeemed and transformed according to God's Will. I think, and this is just speculation, that a great many of the people of Nietzsche's persuasion are wondering about from church to church and like this guy Ram you quoted before, though quite possibly he has found his True Peace now, always wandering or possibly just giving up to despair.
FROM MOLINER, A.E.: Tis sooo True and HE LIVES in every soul of all who Believe he arose and dwells within and it shows. Amen!
FROM CJL IN OHIO: Let's hope we never stop asking questiions...
MORE FROM CJL: The whole matter of curiosity, desire to know, wonderment at what's around us, what's behind the question, where do we go from here, what's next, what's more to be discovered, how do I fit in to things.....questions such as these. It's pretty much like you and your WW. Our need to think.
FROM MOLINER, G.S.: Didn't Luther say Christians are "little Christs"?
FROM PR J.S. IN MICHIGAN: I think we need to put him in the context of 19th century liberalism which was rampant in is day. It was the time of the beginning of the life of Christ books which were eventually blown out of the water and not restarted again until just recently. They humanized Christ and denuded him of his divinity and then they deified what was left and used that to compare to all other creatures. Of course, in that light we pale. However, the Christian message is not about an ideal Jesus but, as Anselm stressed, "The God-Man." This one came to atone for our sins and to let that atonement work in us to transform us from what we had been. We cannot be compared to the Christ but to our own selves as we were before Christ came to us. That is the problem with the present ELCA. It is run by a group of folks who have repristinated the 19th century and brought about that bankrupt liberalism and wreaked havoc on our church. We need to find with Barth a Christ who is both the majestic God who created the world and the compassionate Lord who redeems it. We need a redeemer and the ELCA is giving us a good guy who is ashamed of the way we go about things.
FROM A.M. IN MICHIGAN (SHE'S R.C.): Are ashes used in the Lutheran Church? All synods.
FROM B.S. NEAR ORLANDO: Reply: every time we here of tonados I ask Irene: "Is the Good Lord really in charge?", Irene states, "The Christian right are nether Christian, or right". Regardless I think his rules for living with one and another are good, valid, and should be followed. Also, were you aware a Packer coach had a rule? "Strive for perfection. You may not reach perfection, but you will get excellence". I am not saying this coach was God, but I always thought coaches were mighty close to being the almighty. maybe this quote isn't exact, but close.
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