Phillip Jensen writes...Christmas is the high point of Cultural Christianity. It creates joy and confusion; joy to our culture and confusion to Christians...
Indeed, Cultural Christianity lies at the basis of Australian civil life. .
However, there is such a thing as Christian Christianity – it’s not just a matter of interpretation. Christianity is based in the reality of the Son of God: his incarnation, words and works, crucifixion and resurrection, and promise to return to judge. All this may be false or it may be true – but either way Christian Christianity is committed to the belief and propagation of these ideas.
Cultural Christians don’t have to believe in Jesus to sing carols any more than they have to believe in Santa Clause to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Christian Christianity is quite different. Christians do believe in Jesus and do know the difference between the historical reality of Jesus and the mythical nonsense of Santa and the reindeer.
Christian Christians can appeal to Cultural Christians to put Christ back into Christmas but it will not make any real difference, they will still be Cultural Christians. However, Christian Christians cannot put Christ back into Christmas because without him they have no Christmas.
Did you get that Bill... Phillip says Christianity is really about being a believer in something that could be false...yet he'll denigrate those who call themselves Christians for believing in the humanity and compassion displayed by Jesus'...you know...his tolerance and love of mankind...and his elevation of women and (what some branded as) sinners ...in the eyes of God.
Uggghhhh....I just had an ugly thought....what if Jesus Christ had been someone like Phillip Jensen...stripped of love and compassion for women and gays... only valuing women who behaved the way he wanted them to... allowing them a voice only amongst their own gender....always subservient to a male no matter how mean and nasty and stupid he is...imagine if Jesus had called same-sex attracted people shameful and had remained silent when members of his faith supported a death penalty to be imposed...someone who promoted discrimination and segregation...someone who ended, and encouraged others to end fellowship with a same-sex attracted person because he chose love and companionship and God... Calam the concept makes you recoil with repulsion....a mean spirited, rule driven, spiritual Jesus (that in itself is bizarre)... who to this day ...uses his word ....to protect the economic and cultural collateral of angry straight males...and those who gain secondary benefits... And maybe ....that's why many people... do choose to be Cultural Christians.
Indeed, Cultural Christianity lies at the basis of Australian civil life. .
However, there is such a thing as Christian Christianity – it’s not just a matter of interpretation. Christianity is based in the reality of the Son of God: his incarnation, words and works, crucifixion and resurrection, and promise to return to judge. All this may be false or it may be true – but either way Christian Christianity is committed to the belief and propagation of these ideas.
Cultural Christians don’t have to believe in Jesus to sing carols any more than they have to believe in Santa Clause to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Christian Christianity is quite different. Christians do believe in Jesus and do know the difference between the historical reality of Jesus and the mythical nonsense of Santa and the reindeer.
Christian Christians can appeal to Cultural Christians to put Christ back into Christmas but it will not make any real difference, they will still be Cultural Christians. However, Christian Christians cannot put Christ back into Christmas because without him they have no Christmas.
Did you get that Bill... Phillip says Christianity is really about being a believer in something that could be false...yet he'll denigrate those who call themselves Christians for believing in the humanity and compassion displayed by Jesus'...you know...his tolerance and love of mankind...and his elevation of women and (what some branded as) sinners ...in the eyes of God. 
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