In 1998, German Theologian Gerd Ludemann renounced Christianity. "I no longer describe myself as a Christian," said Ludemann, and he explained his decision: "A Christian is someone who prays to Christ and believes in what is promised by Christian doctrine. So I asked myself, 'Do I pray to Jesus; do I pray to the God of the Bible?' And I don't do that."
He went on to declare that Christian descriptions of Jesus as "Lord of the world" were "arrogant and ignore reality." He continued, "I don't think Christians know what they mean when they proclaim Christ as Lord of the world. That is a massive claim. If you took that seriously, you would probably have to be a fundamentalist. If you can't be a fundamentalist, then you should give up Christianity for the sake of honesty."
Finally, Ludemann criticized attempts by "liberal theologians" to reinterpret Christian doctrine so that they could continue to describe themselves, in good conscience, as Christian. "They don't believe what the confession of faith says," he said, adding that he found liberal theology "contemptible."
John A. Huffman, Jr. "The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness," PreachingToday.com
