Andrew Springer
1 min readJan 23, 2025

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I understand these ideas may seem radical if you're coming from a more conservative Christian background. But let's look at what the historical evidence actually shows:

The beliefs you're defending - about Jesus's divinity and the requirement to believe specific things about him - weren't part of earliest Christianity. These doctrines developed over centuries through church councils and theological debates, often driven by political concerns as much as spiritual ones. The Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, for instance, didn't happen until nearly 300 years after Jesus's death.

You ask what "loving radically" means? It means exactly what Jesus demonstrated in the Gospels: loving the outcast, the marginalized, the oppressed. It means loving your enemies. It means challenging systems of oppression, even at great personal cost - just as Jesus did.

As for the civil rights movement - Dr. King's understanding of Jesus was deeply influenced by Howard Thurman's work on the religion OF Jesus. The idea that "knowing Jesus has nothing to do with radical movements" ignores how Jesus's message has inspired liberation movements throughout history.

The earliest followers of Jesus didn't have a doctrine of his divinity to believe in. They had his example to follow and his teachings to live out. That's what changed their world - not beliefs about him, but living like him.

You're welcome to believe what you want about Jesus's divine nature. But when we make those beliefs a "requirement," we're doing exactly what Jesus criticized the religious authorities of his time for doing - putting doctrine above love and justice.

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Andrew Springer
Andrew Springer

Written by Andrew Springer

Emmy winning journalist, producer and entrepreneur. Co-founder of NOTICE News, follower of Jesus. 🏳️‍🌈🌹 Weekly newsletter: https://bit.ly/jesusmovementemail

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