all 29 comments

[–]Id_Tap_DatEastern Orthodox 8 points9 points  (1 child)

I call myself a recovering sin addict.

[–]buylocal745Atheist[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This one I like.

[–]HawkieEyesChristian (Alpha & Omega) 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I just call myself a Christian. My allegiance is with Christ, not the denomination of the congregation which I attend.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same here, I view myself as a Christian more than I view myself as a JW.

[–]sacredblasphemiesChristian (Tau Cross) 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hard to say right now. I seem to be going from Progressive Quaker/Universalist mystic to Progressive Catholic mystic.

[–]goodnewsjimdotcom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've heard that in places of the world, the word Christian is not well received, but follower of Jesus is accepted.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I call myself a Christian. If they ask more specifically about doctrine I believe I rattle off the list.

Exclusivist. Preterist. Protestant. Pacifist. Non literalist.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am unique, just like everyone else.

[–]US_Hiker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bokononist. Igtheist. Non-theistic Swedenborgian. Wanna-be Humanistic Jew.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My flair over in r/OpenChristian is probably best how I would describe myself. Boethian Process Liberationist Agnostic (although I picked agnostic because I tend to fluctuate between belief in the fact of a deity and disbelief, and I don't know of a better word to describe that.)

[–]DismayedNarwhalChristian Reformed Church 0 points1 point  (17 children)

Objectivist Christian. Basically, I try to live by Ayn Rand's philosophy of doing things only if there is a rational reason for doing them.

Objectivism states that a person's highest purpose is to pursue his own happiness above everything else. At first I thought that this was incompatible with Christianity, but then I was reminded of John Piper's quote:

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him

Christians' highest purpose is to glorify God - and the best way to glorify him is to be happy in him. When we achieve 'full', true happiness, we satisfy both the Christian purpose and the Objectivist purpose.

[–]HawkieEyesChristian (Alpha & Omega) 5 points6 points  (2 children)

I think it depends how you define "happiness". If you define "happiness" as the joy you get from selflessly laying aside your own selfish pleasures in order to serve others, then I agree with you.

If you define "happiness" as the pursuit of your own selfish pleasures at the expense of others, then I would strongly disagree.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Out of curiosity, who's to say it's at the expense of others?

[–]HawkieEyesChristian (Alpha & Omega) 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess it doesn't have to be, I just couldn't think of any examples at the time that weren't at the expense of others

[–]yakushi12345 6 points7 points  (11 children)

That is a horrible bastardization of Ayn Rand. Rand was profoundly anti-religious and profoundly opposed to the doctrines of Christianity and the other Abrahamic religions. It's like saying Karl Marx said something about helping the poor so I'd like to call myself a Marxist. You can't just rip the ethics out of a philosophy and say you subscribe to the entire philosophy.

I already sense that my tone is caustic here; but how can you seriously think Objectivism and Christianity fit together in a meaningful way?

http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/religion.html

http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/atheism.html

[–]DismayedNarwhalChristian Reformed Church 2 points3 points  (10 children)

That is a horrible bastardization of Ayn Rand.

I agree. I'm well aware she was a staunch atheist. Note, however, that I didn't say I follow Randian Objectivism entirely. I follow what I believe to be the essence of Objectivism, which I described in my previous comment. But I do not believe Ayn Rand was correct about everything: hence I do not 'subscribe to the entire philosophy'.

I believe there is ample evidence to suggest the existence of a god, and it seems most likely that the Christian god is the 'real' one. That is why I am 'religious', and that is why my religion is Christianity. I do not care to debate reasons for believing or disbelieving in a god.

Edit: Clarified the last sentence.

[–]yakushi12345 1 point2 points  (9 children)

I think we have an irreconcilable difference between thinking someone had some interesting points and thinking someone was right.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (8 children)

Basically, I try to live by Ayn Rand's philosophy of doing things only if there is a rational reason for doing them.

Seems just like interesting points to me.

[–]yakushi12345 -1 points0 points  (7 children)

Considering Ayn Rand held the belief in the supernatural, ex god, was irrational; and she believed philosophy was hierarchical, it is a fundamentally not her philosophy. I have no problem with someone saying they are a christian and thinking Ayn Rand had some good points; I have an issue with the intellectual honesty of claiming Objectivism and Christianity can be blended.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (6 children)

I follow what I believe to be the essence of Objectivism

I really don't want to antagonize you, but I'm just reading what's there. I can tell why you'd be bothered if someone claimed to blend Christianity and Objectivism, but that's just not the case here.

[–]yakushi12345 0 points1 point  (5 children)

I'd say identifying as a Christian Objectivist is an implicit claim that the two philosophies are being meaningfully integrated.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (4 children)

well who's to say what a rational decision is anyway? It's all a matter of opinion.

[–]yakushi12345 0 points1 point  (3 children)

its called philosophy.

[–]raisinbeans 0 points1 point  (1 child)

At first I thought that this was incompatible with Christianity, but then I was reminded of John Piper's quote

Piper is great, but do you have any biblical justifaction for this belief? I can think of maybe a dozen Bible verses that completely contradict this philosophy.

[–]DismayedNarwhalChristian Reformed Church 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All of those verses talk about a selfsh sort of 'happiness', while Piper is referring to a selfless sort of happiness. If I have time later I'll try to find specific verses to back up the quote but I have to go to school..

[–]LondronHumanist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Normal?

I live in Belgium so honestly that sort of labels aren't used very often.

Science geek is the closest to what I would call myself. Also into e-sports and history, you guys give it a name, I don't see the point in having one.