Changes

Schleiermacher emphasized that religion was a personal relationship with God, and downplayed historical Christian doctrines such as the [[Doctrine of Creation|doctrine of creation]], [[Incarnation|doctrine of Incarnation]],  [[eternal life|doctrine of eternal life]], etc.  

Schleiermacher emphasized that religion was a personal relationship with God, and downplayed historical Christian doctrines such as the [[Doctrine of Creation|doctrine of creation]], [[Incarnation|doctrine of Incarnation]],  [[eternal life|doctrine of eternal life]], etc.  

Schleiermacher sought to re-establish the importance of Christianity using Christian religious experience rather than scientific knowledge. Ritschl revised Schleirmacher's idea and tried to re-establish their authority using [[Kant]]'s idea of moral experience and in the fulfillment of the [[Kingdom of God]]. <ref>Langdon Gilkey, ''Naming the Whirlwind: The Renewal of God-Language'', (1969), 73, 74, and 75</ref>  

Schleiermacher sought to re-establish the importance of Christianity using Christian religious experience rather than scientific knowledge. Ritschl revised Schleirmacher's idea and tried to re-establish their authority using [[Kant]]'s idea of moral experience and in the fulfillment of the [[Kingdom of God]].<ref>Langdon Gilkey, ''Naming the Whirlwind: The Renewal of God-Language'', (1969), 73, 74, and 75</ref>  

Doctrines that did not relate well to religious experience or moral experience tended to disappear.   

Doctrines that did not relate well to religious experience or moral experience tended to disappear.   

===Economic and historical aspects===

===Economic and historical aspects===

In terms of economics, liberal Christianity emphasizes Testament [[eschatology]] towards the [[Kingdom of God]] into the liberal "law of progress."  History does indeed show a growing maturity in technology, thought, and social relations, but conservatives argue there is nothing within the forces of history to suggest that good will triumph over evil. Conservatives say liberals deemphasize [[sin]], i.e. evil triumphing over good.<ref> ''Basic idea for this paragraph is from'' April 26, 1939 ''The Christian Century'', Reinhold Niebuhr, "Ten Years That Shook My World", pages 542-546 </ref>  

In terms of economics, liberal Christianity emphasizes Testament [[eschatology]] towards the [[Kingdom of God]] into the liberal "law of progress."  History does indeed show a growing maturity in technology, thought, and social relations, but conservatives argue there is nothing within the forces of history to suggest that good will triumph over evil. Conservatives say liberals deemphasize [[sin]], i.e. evil triumphing over good.<ref>''Basic idea for this paragraph is from'' April 26, 1939 ''The Christian Century'', Reinhold Niebuhr, "Ten Years That Shook My World", pages 542-546</ref>  

The Liberal Christian scholar Edgar S. Brightman said, "I believe in God because I believe that history represents a steady, moral progress."  This was turned around by the [[neo-orthodoxy|neo-orthodox]] scholar Langdon Gilkey when he stated "I believe in God because to me history precisely does not represent such a progress."<ref> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3049-2004Nov21.html Washingtonpost Obit of Langdon Gilkey] </ref>  

The Liberal Christian scholar Edgar S. Brightman said, "I believe in God because I believe that history represents a steady, moral progress."  This was turned around by the [[neo-orthodoxy|neo-orthodox]] scholar Langdon Gilkey when he stated "I believe in God because to me history precisely does not represent such a progress."<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3049-2004Nov21.html Washingtonpost Obit of Langdon Gilkey]</ref>  

===Liberal Christianity's Anti-Zionism===

===Liberal Christianity's Anti-Zionism===

Strong elements in liberal Christianity have opposed [[Zionism]] since 1920, while at the same time combating intolerance and social hostility toward Jews inside the United States.  Support for Zionism is a core belief of [[Fundamentaliam]].

Strong elements in liberal Christianity have opposed [[Zionism]] since 1920, while at the same time combating intolerance and social hostility toward Jews inside the United States.  Support for Zionism is a core belief of [[Fundamentaliam]].

In ''American Protestantism and a Jewish State'' (1973) an Israeli government official [[Hertzel Fishman]] analyzed several years (1937-1967) worth of ''[[Christian Century]]'' and concluded that the magazine consistently and historically opposed a Jewish State in Palestine, obstructed immigration of Jewish refugees, minimized the Holocaust, tried to reduce Israel's boundaries and supported Arab 'rights'." Although Dr. Fishman found instances of the magazine denouncing individual acts of anti-semitism, he found that the magazine was consistent in its intolerance and opposition to collective acts of a Jewish "peoplehood."<ref>''[http://books.google.com/books?id=-BPjHQAACAAJ David A. Rausch, ''Zionism Within Early American Fundamentalism 1878-1918: A Convergence of Two Traditions'' (1979) pp 23-25 </ref>

In ''American Protestantism and a Jewish State'' (1973) an Israeli government official [[Hertzel Fishman]] analyzed several years (1937-1967) worth of ''[[Christian Century]]'' and concluded that the magazine consistently and historically opposed a Jewish State in Palestine, obstructed immigration of Jewish refugees, minimized the Holocaust, tried to reduce Israel's boundaries and supported Arab 'rights'." Although Dr. Fishman found instances of the magazine denouncing individual acts of anti-semitism, he found that the magazine was consistent in its intolerance and opposition to collective acts of a Jewish "peoplehood."<ref>''[http://books.google.com/books?id=-BPjHQAACAAJ David A. Rausch, ''Zionism Within Early American Fundamentalism 1878-1918: A Convergence of Two Traditions'' (1979) pp 23-25 ]</ref>

===Liberal Christianity and Christian witness===

===Liberal Christianity and Christian witness===

''See also:'' [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]]

''See also:'' [[Liberal Christianity and marital infidelity]]

According to a 2007 study reported in the ''Journal of Family Issues'', adherents of [[liberal Christianity]] are more likely to engage in marital infidelity than theologically conservative Christians.<ref>[http://www.sagepub.com/hillhsstudy/articles/Chapter10_Article%2001.pdf Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity?]</ref>  

According to a 2007 study reported in the ''Journal of Family Issues'', adherents of liberal Christianity are more likely to engage in marital infidelity than theologically conservative Christians.<ref>[http://www.sagepub.com/hillhsstudy/articles/Chapter10_Article%2001.pdf Are There Religious Variations in Marital Infidelity?]</ref>  

=== Liberal Christianity, Darwinism, sexual immorality and abortion  ===

=== Liberal Christianity, Darwinism, sexual immorality and abortion  ===

Liberal Christianity also embraces the [[evolution]]ary [[paradigm]] (see also: [[Evolution and liberalism]]).  

Liberal Christianity also embraces the [[evolution]]ary [[paradigm]] (see also: [[Evolution and liberalism]]).  

In July of 2000, [[Creation Ministries International]] reported:

In July 2000, [[Creation Ministries International]] reported:

{{cquote|For years, many people have scoffed at any suggestion that the evils in society could be linked with the teaching of the theory of evolution. But new research has confirmed what Bible-believers have known all along—that the rising acceptance of Darwin’s theory is related to declining morality in the community.

{{cquote|For years, many people have scoffed at any suggestion that the evils in society could be linked with the teaching of the theory of evolution. But new research has confirmed what Bible-believers have known all along—that the rising acceptance of Darwin’s theory is related to declining morality in the community.

[[Image:2384975035_230a0eac30.jpg‎‎|thumb|right|170px|The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported that adherents of liberal Protestant denominations are more likely to be superstitious than evangelical Christians.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>]]

[[Image:2384975035_230a0eac30.jpg‎‎|thumb|right|170px|The [[Wall Street Journal]] reported that adherents of liberal Protestant denominations are more likely to be superstitious than evangelical Christians.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178219865054585.html</ref>]]

In September of 2008, the [[Wall Street Journal]] reported:

In September 2008, the [[Wall Street Journal]] reported:

{{cquote|The reality is that the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] campaign, by discouraging [[religion]], won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass [[superstition]]. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith -- it's what the empirical data tell us.

{{cquote|The reality is that the [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] campaign, by discouraging [[religion]], won't create a new group of intelligent, skeptical, enlightened beings. Far from it: It might actually encourage new levels of mass [[superstition]]. And that's not a conclusion to take on faith -- it's what the empirical data tell us.

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

* Ahlstrom, Sydney E. ''A Religious History of the American People''. (1972), the standard scholarly history. [http://www.amazon.com/Religious-History-American-People/dp/0300100124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195465258&sr=1-1 Excerpt and text search]

* Ahlstrom, Sydney E. ''A Religious History of the American People''. (1972), the standard scholarly history. [http://www.amazon.com/Religious-History-American-People/dp/0300100124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195465258&sr=1-1 Excerpt and text search]

*Luker, Ralph E.  "Liberal Theology and Social Conservatism: a Southern Tradition, 1840-1920." ''Church History'' v 10#2 1981. pp 193-207 p [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=90772519 online edition]

*Luker, Ralph E.  "Liberal Theology and Social Conservatism: a Southern Tradition, 1840-1920." ''Church History'' v 10#2 1981. pp 193–207 p [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=90772519 online edition]

* Marty, Martin E. ''Modern American Religion, Vol. 1: The Irony of It All, 1893-1919'' (1986); ''Modern American Religion. Vol. 2: The Noise of Conflict, 1919-1941'' (1991)  

* Marty, Martin E. ''Modern American Religion, Vol. 1: The Irony of It All, 1893-1919'' (1986); ''Modern American Religion. Vol. 2: The Noise of Conflict, 1919-1941'' (1991)  

* Noll, Mark. ''A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada'' (1992), by a conservative historian. [http://www.amazon.com/History-Christianity-United-States-Canada/dp/0802806511/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242457929&sr=1-4 Excerpt and text search]

* Noll, Mark. ''A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada'' (1992), by a conservative historian. [http://www.amazon.com/History-Christianity-United-States-Canada/dp/0802806511/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242457929&sr=1-4 Excerpt and text search]