OpenChristian
(Formerly Lemm.ee)
This is a community for progressive Christians and friends to discuss our faith, support each other, and share inspiration for our spiritual journeys.
We seek God's message of Peace, Love, and Grace through following the Spirit of Christ.
OpenChristian Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/s/K3NwAgNj2a
OpenChristian Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/KwyUcXv
LGBT Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/e8HXnzV
Wiki: https://reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/w/index
FAQ: [https://reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/w/faq]
[Lemmy mirror of FAQ] https://lemmy.world/post/32102984
Online Resources: https://reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/w/onlineresources
Community Rules
- No bigotry or oppressive rhetoric.
All misogyny, racism, antisemitism, LGBTQ+phobia, etc. will result in removal and a permanent ban. This includes commenting that LGBTQ¢+ love or relationships are sinful. Be aware that using “Pharisee” as a negative slur is considered anti-Semitic.
1b. Side B folks are welcome, but follow Rule 1. If you are a Side B Christian, please respect Rule 1 above, but know that you belong here and we want you to participate.
- Do not promote oppressive/harmful ideology.
This includes all attempts to promote or normalise hate, shame, or fear within Christianity (e.g. purity culture, scaremongering against gender-transitioning, “complementarianism’”, or “demonic” attacks).
- No sectarianism.
Legitimate criticism of other Christians/Faiths is allowed but refrain from prejudice against entire denominations/groups, and against other religions (e.g. Islamophobia).
- No disparaging Christianity
This is primarily a supportive space for anyone who identifies as Christian. While everyone is welcome to participate we ask that no one disparages Christianity.
- Be respectful and polite.
No personal attacks or accusations, harassment, misrepresentation of others, or insults. This also includes forcing debate, gatekeeping, and denying the validity of another's faith.
- Don't be a Troll, or a Jerk.
Don't concern Troll, play Devil's Advocate, or pretend to be confused when you really just want to start a debate. This Rule will be interpreted at the moderators’ discretion.
- No spamming or proselytizing
Don't post here if you're mass posting to other Communities. Don't post here for self-promotion unless it's particularly relevant to this subreddit. This is not your soapbox, and we are not here for you to preach at us. If you want to promote your media please ask permission from the mods.
- Be sensitive about linking to triggering content.
Because we want this space to be as safe as possible, we discourage posting images or links to oppressive rhetoric from others. However, we do understand that venting is important sometimes. If you must post something potentially triggering, mark it nsfw or use spoiler tags, and censor any identifying information.
- Discussion of the ongoing israeli-Palestinian conflict is temporarily prohibited.
This topic has proven to be too divisive to discuss without consistently violating this Community’s rules. In order to maintain peace and to continue supporting one another, content regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict is not permitted at this time.
Notice:
OpenChristian is inclusive, open and welcoming of all. We are LGBTQ+ affirming, but we welcome any who have chosen celibacy, as long as you respect Rule 1.
Do not post or comment about how you believe homosexuality is a sin.
We have heard this a thousand times, and you have nothing new to contribute to the conversation.
If you do this, you will be banned.
Please note that as a progressive Christian community, we are explicitly followers of Christ, as well as LGBTQ+ affirming and egalitarian.
Friends are very welcome to participate, no matter what you believe.
But this is not the place for questioning or debating these positions.
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And if we want to go back and look at the actual context of the whole "male and female" references, your perspective ends up on shakier ground.
The quoted passage is Genesis 1:26-27 where the word for God is the plural form Elohim and in 1:27 when humans are made in the image of this plural Elohim, they are then made "male and female."
But the dual creation of man in Genesis was actually a very big topic in the 1st century CE, and the dual engendering here in the first creation led to all sorts of complex views of the original man's gender, from the Jewish philosopher Philo describing a hermaphroditic primordial man, to the Kabbalistic Adam Kadmon, to various other sects.
(The idea of ambiguity to the "original man's gender" may be confusing to you, but Hebrew/Aramaic has no neutral gender so 'Adam'/man was used as the term for all humanity throughout the Bible — context better appreciated by the cultures back then working with the original context and language and not merely translations that lost nuance.)
These were also culturally normative interpretations given the fairly widespread Mediterranean views in neighboring polytheistic traditions that had dual gendered original figures that later split into different genders.
The Talmud even covers situations and protocols for when there's intersex births, so across multiple influences the understanding of gender in Jesus's time was likely much more nuanced than the retcon modern conservatism tries to apply to it.
Be wary of blindly following blind faith lest you stumble into a pothole. "I'm not sure" is almost always a wiser position to take than "I'm certain the Holy Spirit says this thing is wrong even though I never really looked into it." Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and all that.
"I don't know" blasphemes nothing.
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