Guest charlie Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Ah...I don't think that Jimmy Carter enters into it... I disagree as far as my "experience" with the term goes. I grew up in the south and even if some people were using it before then, which I don't recall, after he starting running for President and using the term it seemed like a whole lot of people started using it. The phrase itself seemed to take on a life of it's own and has become a common, almost cultural, thing for fundamentalist/evangelical Christians in particular to say. For me, I never heard anyone refer to themselves as a "born-again Christian" before Jimmy Carter. People used to just say they were Christian. I can see where it would be a confusing term to some people. It's almost like when someone announces they're a born-again Christian they're somehow a different species than just an ordinary Christian. That's why I get irritated if someone persistently asks "Are you born again", if I tell them I'm a Christian. If I say I'm a Christian sometimes they'll say, "But are you born again". Duh??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwinkjr Posted June 10, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 62 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,430 Content Per Day: 0.20 Reputation: 6 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/04/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/18/1981 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Ah...I don't think that Jimmy Carter enters into it... I disagree as far as my "experience" with the term goes. I grew up in the south and even if some people were using it before then, which I don't recall, after he starting running for President and using the term it seemed like a whole lot of people started using it. The phrase itself seemed to take on a life of it's own and has become a common, almost cultural, thing for fundamentalist/evangelical Christians in particular to say. For me, I never heard anyone refer to themselves as a "born-again Christian" before Jimmy Carter. People used to just say they were Christian. I can see where it would be a confusing term to some people. It's almost like when someone announces they're a born-again Christian they're somehow a different species than just an ordinary Christian. That's why I get irritated if someone persistently asks "Are you born again", if I tell them I'm a Christian. If I say I'm a Christian sometimes they'll say, "But are you born again". Duh??? well there are many that claim to be Christians just to ally them selves with some cause... So this is really a legitimate question, and one i often find myself asking when witnessing... If you look at the numbers i believe it is somewhere aroud 75% of Americans "claim" to be Christians, now how many do you think really are? I mean if 75% really were washed in the blood of christ would our country really be where it is today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest charlie Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 So this is really a legitimate question, and one i often find myself asking when witnessing... If you were "witnessing" to me (I'm Christian) and asked me that question you know what thoughts would run thru my mind? 1) You must be a fundamentalist. 2) You think your interpretation of scripture is 100% correct and all others are wrong. 3) You've got the cultural "catch-phrase" down, but do you even know what it means? 4) If I've told you I'm a Christian and you continue to ask this, you are insulting me. Sorry, but I don't think it's a proper question to ask someone. Are you a Christian? should suffice, then take it from there if you want to discuss the faith. That's just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodSamaritan Posted June 11, 2004 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 146 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/10/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted June 11, 2004 Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. In Greek, the verse reads, 'Except a man be born 'ANOTHEN'...' Anothen, in Greek can mean 'again', or it can mean 'from above'. I would suggest it means 'from above' in this verse. The reason is that Nicodemus, in the next verse, asks Jesus how it is possible to be born physically a second time. Clearly, he misunderstood what Jesus was saying as Jesus replies, 'Amen Amen I say to you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and Spirit.' He's clarifying the word ANOTHEN--born of water and Spirit. This means that you must be baptized and receive God's grace. When you are baptized, you are born a second time thruogh water and Spirit. In verse 22, right after this discourse, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside where he spent time with them and baptized. It's the only reference in the NT where Jesus is baptizing and it immediately follows Jesus' discussion about being born from above. According to this definition, anyone who is baptized is 'born again'. Nowhere does the passage allude to any qualification of 'deciding' anything. We didn't decide when we were born the first time, why would we be able to or even HAVE TO decide when we are born the second time, necessarily. (May be a good lead in for a debate on infant baptism?) Oh, and if you are gonna use the Scripture as your sole authority, then you'll have trouble finding terms like 'born again christian' or 'personal Lord and Savior'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllforJesustheLord Posted June 12, 2004 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 16 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 557 Content Per Day: 0.08 Reputation: 10 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/07/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/21/1976 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Well anyone who is a true Christian is born again, as Christ said we must be born again, thus any true Christian is a born again Christian. Now some who say that about themselves do not speak the Words of God all the time, so therefore they do not follow God all the time, so they are not following Him as He commands us to follow Him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest charlie Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 We didn't decide when we were born the first time, why would we be able to or even HAVE TO decide when we are born the second time, necessarily. (May be a good lead in for a debate on infant baptism?) That's a good point, some people have always believed. Some people never have that "getting struck by lightening" type of "born again" experience that some people seem to think everyone is suppose to have in order to "verify" that they're a *true* Christian. Many people know from the time they're very small and learn "Jesus loves me" that He is just there and He loves them. For all we know even an "infant" can feel the love of God.....after all,,, John the Baptist leap in his mother's womb when the Virgin Mary came near. Infants feel the "love" of their earthly parents and love back. Anyone who has had children can see that. Getting off topic here....sorry. Anyway, I don't care for our "modern-day" abuse (imo) of the word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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