What is the definition of a Born-Again Christian?

[bluestateguy]

Should that really be counted the same as being a fundamentalist or an evangelical? Even if there is probably a lot of overlap there?

If one is an atheist and then joins a mainline Protestant church should that individual be classified as a born-again?

[dugaresa]

1. generally they are folks who have royally f'd up their lives up to that point

and most likely have f'd up other lives in the process and so rather than do anything constructive about it, they find Jesus yet again and call themselves "born again". Some repeat the cycle over and over again, lather up some problems - rinse it off in the holy waters and then -repeat!

[trof]

2. That's about the best definition I've heard.

[sarge43]

9. Kinda a Get Out of Jail Free card in life's Monopoly Game? n/t

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

12. This sounds like a K-Mart or GM pseudo-bankruptcy

Go bankrupt, emerge from bankruptcy, business as usual.

Except all their debt is cleansed. And their old debtors and shareholders left broken by the roadside, pulling their hair, rending their robes.

:hi:

[skygazer]

14. Another example of a post I wish I could nominate for a "greatest" status

Perfect definition. :thumbsup:

[UndertheOcean]

3. Definition : Scum of the Earth , Ape brained.

[dawg]

18. Also not fair.

I'm not scum of the Earth. I may be a little ape-brained, but so what of it? :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. There is some muddling and nuance, but basically it's anyone who's accepted Jesus Christ as their

personal Lord and Savior.

Using that language specifically.

Ultimately, all Christians are technically "born again" at their baptism; that's part of the language of the baptismal formula. Most normal Christians, though, don't focus on being "born again", and so the term, though it broadly applies to all Christians, is being used mostly and almost exclusively by the "Personal Lord and Savior" folk who also tend to be the zealous Evangelical/fundamentalist/charismatic/pentecostal shitweeds who think the Bible is inerrant (even though it isn't), ascribe to a literal interpretation of scripture (even though they actually don't, because it's logically impossible), and vote as far right as they can because they think that the United States and God are the same thing, wrap the American flag around the cross, and envision a really butch and muscular and strong and powerful fighting and hunky hunky homoerotic (but being gay is a sin, of course!) Jesus.

[Mojambo]

5. A Christian who REALLY likes to talk about it. n/t

[one_voice]

6. In my opinion..

A true Christian born again or otherwise, doesn't run around telling you how to live your life, and imposing their moral views on you, like the fundie whack-a-doodles do.

edited to add a word I left out.

[Bucky]

7. You're born again when you're baptized (even Catholics) Evangelicals spread the gospel. Fundies are

the ones who have to believe in the fundamentals of Protestant faith, which means authority comes from 1) the Bible (whether you read it as literal truth or spiritual/allegorical truth) and 2) the Apostolic succession (each denomination's leaders hold the same position & responsibilities as the original 12 Apostles that Jesus picked out).

Those are the technical denotative meanings. Obviously the connotations depend on each individual, but the right answer is "knuckle dragging kill joys."

So you can be a non-fundamentalist and still be an evangelist. And you can even be an evangelist without being an evangelical (one actually proselytizes while the other only defers to the authority of a pastor because of his/her charisma.

Or you can be a fundamnetalist without being an evangelical, like if you really really really really really believe every word in the bible but do your own bible reading and don't look to a particular authority to lay it all out for you.

Or you can be born again, but be a total buffet-line protestant or Catholic who has a personal relationship w/ Jesus but don't buy into any of the metaphysical hoopla that some authority tells you buy into.

[Xipe Totec]

8. A Sudden Baptist nt

[JCMach1]

15. Oh, *snap*

[dawg]

16. So very witty.

:)

[RainDog]

10. born again means you accept the doctrine of evangelicals and fundies

who believe that, when you become a christian, you are spiritually born again. this is symbolized by (adult) baptism.

they don't believe that baptizing a child "counts." someone has to be of age to know what they're doing (generally considered about 12) to be baptized after accepting Jesus as their personal savior. To "accept Jesus as your personal savior" in fundie terms, you have to agree that you believe the bible is literally true and the inspired word of god - that no human error was allowed b/c the bible is from god.

fundies and evangelicals believe that there is no need for an intermediary between god and any human. this is why they can make up explanations for things according to the time in which they live yet remain "literalists."

when you become a born-again christian, you are told that you must accept "the great commission," which was the command to "go to the ends of the earth" to make sure everyone knows your version of christianity before "the end times."

there are various ideas about how the end times will come about, but this is a very big part of their belief system since the 1970s, and probably before.

[dawg]

11. What does it mean to be a liberal?

It's a rhetorical question. You would get a different answer from almost everyone who responded. There are many different people, with many differing opinions, who call themselves liberals (or progressives). All you need to do is visit GD to see that.

It's the same way with "born-again Christians". I consider myself a born-again Christian. To me, being born-again means that I should be a new and different person because of accepting Christ and his teachings. By that line of reasoning, all Christian's are "born-again", not just the judge mental, fanatical ones.

Please don't assume that all Christians, or even all of those who use the term born-again, fit the stereotypes that are often thrown about around here. I am more liberal, politically, because of my being a Christian. I know that makes me the exception rather than the rule, but I don't understand how people can read the things that Christ taught and then go out and advocate for a social darwinist society that comforts the comfortable and afflicts the afflicted.

But that's just me.

Anyway, I just think it is a good thing to remember that people can't be pigeonholed into little categories based on terms like "born again". I'll bet there are lots of people on DU who would really like me if they knew me personally, but if they just read my vital statistics (white, male, born-again Christian, Southerner, etc.) they might not even give me a chance.

[seabeyond]

13. someone who fucked up all their lives and want a doer. generally they are back every

couple years......

inbetween their fuck ups.

[dawg]

17. Not fair.

We're not all like that. At least I'm not. Well, I am fucked up, but it's not my fault. ;)

[seabeyond]

19. ok, not fair about the born again not all alike or the fuck ups not all born again? lol

actually after posting i did rethink that a bet. there are those that are sincere in their reborn and more power to them. i had one, spiritual, not religious so i get it. i think many of us experience sometime when we are older adn call it different things

but when posting i was thinking about my brother that fucks up often and always and comes to me reborn. i know he is sincere at the time, but....

[dawg]

21. There are lots of people who turn to religion as a crutch ...

Some are sincere about it, but stray back into old ways after the shock of whatever happened to them wears off. There are a whole helluva lot of them that don't really mean it in the first place. It's just something to do, especially in a red state, to get back into family and friends' good graces.

Anyone who thinks they can just run around doing whatever shitty thing they want and then just run back to Jesus and get a "get out of Hell free" card, has almost certainly never really been "born again" in the first place. The whole idea of being born again is that you're not like that (selfish bastard) anymore. Sure, you're imperfect and slip up - but you have changed the focus of your life and are really, sincerely, trying to be a good unselfish person.

Many of those who talk the loudest about being Christians don't really believe what Christ taught. If they did, they wouldn't act that way.

[Glassunion]

24. Agreed and well put.

[annabanana]

20. Someone who sins as fast as they can, Monday through Saturday.

And then crys, repents, is absolved every Sunday.

[Kali]

22. usually: an irritating fanatic

who can NOT comprehend why you don't feel the need to be "saved" too.

[Glassunion]

23. Usually a target of bigotry around these parts... (nt)

[jobycom]

25. Jimmy Carter calls himself a born again Christian.

It's just a term from the Bible that a lot of Protestants latched on to as defining the difference between their beliefs and those of other Christians. In essence, it's drawing a distinction between people who are only Christian because they were born into the faith and/or practiced the right rituals, and those who later had a more clear revelation of what being a Christian meant. That revelation could make them more conservative, more liberal, or whatever, based on their interpretation. The term isn't a political one, and does not imply any particular party or ideology, and is used by people ranging from Jimmy Carter to Pat Robertson.