Question: If someone leaves the Christian church & becomes an atheist, is he or she still a Chr...?

[Dhara]

How do you study a religion "scientifically"?

You approach it from the perspective of scholarship instead of a believer. I am a man of faith, but I read the Bible in two very different ways. Sometimes I read looking for spiritual guidance and learning, but usually I am conducting research meaning I am not so interested in how scripture applies to my life, but more interested in putting scripture into its proper historical, cultural, and linguistic perspective in an effort to determine what the author was really trying to say instead of simply what it means to me (or want it to mean). This is how Biblical scholars approach it, and afterwards they (or their students) may or may not find some spiritual application for their lives.

Yeah...by "studying a religion scientifically" I meant just studying it to learn what it teaches & it contents before, or not even necessarily for the purpose of determining whether or not I will be, believing in it; but even maybe, just studying it just to know it...believing or not believing in a religion, one might say obviously, comes after knowing that religion, unless one has been brainwashed and is therefore maybe not even a true believer...




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Oh, I agree that one should study a religion that one will embrace and use as a life resource. As for the Bible, it is teaching a path and it appears to teach by allegory. If more people who call themselves followers of the Bible or Christ studied, contemplated and then meditated on what they were reading maybe they'd develop a good heart and positive qualities.

Otherwise, some who do not do that seem to use the Bible as a club to clobber other people for sinning, rather than correcting their own misconduct.

The same can be said for all other religions. The intention is usually good, but the human beings don't always understand how to manifest a positive force for good in the world with their religion.

Consider all the sectarian violence throughout millenia committed in the name of God or religion.

 

[Anonymous1977]

How do you study a religion "scientifically"?

You approach it from the perspective of scholarship instead of a believer. I am a man of faith, but I read the Bible in two very different ways. Sometimes I read looking for spiritual guidance and learning, but usually I am conducting research meaning I am not so interested in how scripture applies to my life, but more interested in putting scripture into its proper historical, cultural, and linguistic perspective in an effort to determine what the author was really trying to say instead of simply what it means to me (or want it to mean). This is how Biblical scholars approach it, and afterwards they (or their students) may or may not find some spiritual application for their lives.

Yeah...by "studying a religion scientifically" I meant just studying it to learn what it teaches & it contents before, or not even necessarily for the purpose of determining whether or not I will be, believing in it; but even maybe, just studying it just to know it...believing or not believing in a religion, one might say obviously, comes after knowing that religion, unless one has been brainwashed and is therefore maybe not even a true believer...




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Oh, I agree that one should study a religion that one will embrace and use as a life resource. As for the Bible, it is teaching a path and it appears to teach by allegory. If more people who call themselves followers of the Bible or Christ studied, contemplated and then meditated on what they were reading maybe they'd develop a good heart and positive qualities.

Otherwise, some who do not do that seem to use the Bible as a club to clobber other people for sinning, rather than correcting their own misconduct.

The same can be said for all other religions. The intention is usually good, but the human beings don't always understand how to manifest a positive force for good in the world with their religion.

Consider all the sectarian violence throughout millenia committed in the name of God or religion.

Yeah...brainwashing can occur when people are born and raised in a religion without even knowing the religion to see & determine whether or not they would choose that religion.

A lot of Christians I think were born and raised in Christianity, given Christianity, and don't even really know the religion and are possibly, rightfully would be called brainwashed.




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[BluePhantom]

You can test it scientifically through observation. All beings die. Plants die. Planets die and come into existence. It's a universal phenomenon. Show me anything in nature you think is ever lasting.

Good luck.

Love

Good answer. Consider though, that love is a feeling and a state of mind and it isn't always evident, 24/7, 365 a year.

I disagree. Even when are are not feeling love as the main focus of our attention there remains something or someone that we still love. Even in our deepest darkness there is always someone who loves us even when we think there isn't.

 

[BluePhantom]

How do you study a religion "scientifically"?

You approach it from the perspective of scholarship instead of a believer. I am a man of faith, but I read the Bible in two very different ways. Sometimes I read looking for spiritual guidance and learning, but usually I am conducting research meaning I am not so interested in how scripture applies to my life, but more interested in putting scripture into its proper historical, cultural, and linguistic perspective in an effort to determine what the author was really trying to say instead of simply what it means to me (or want it to mean). This is how Biblical scholars approach it, and afterwards they (or their students) may or may not find some spiritual application for their lives.

That's scholarship but not the scientific method.

I apply scientific principles in my Biblical study. I use form criticism, textual criticism, etc. I apply the criterion of multiple attestation, the criterion of historical plausibility, etc. I experiment with different interpretations in real world situations to measure the results.

Remember that a study of religion is very similar to the study of history. Historians use a form of the scientific method but it's a very different form than a theoretical physicist or a biological engineer. Biblical scholars use a very similar form to what historians use. You are free to disagree, of course, but I would argue that it qualifies as scientific study of religion.

 

[BluePhantom]

How do you study a religion "scientifically"?

You approach it from the perspective of scholarship instead of a believer. I am a man of faith, but I read the Bible in two very different ways. Sometimes I read looking for spiritual guidance and learning, but usually I am conducting research meaning I am not so interested in how scripture applies to my life, but more interested in putting scripture into its proper historical, cultural, and linguistic perspective in an effort to determine what the author was really trying to say instead of simply what it means to me (or want it to mean). This is how Biblical scholars approach it, and afterwards they (or their students) may or may not find some spiritual application for their lives.

Yeah...by "studying a religion scientifically" I meant just studying it to learn what it teaches & it contents before, or not even necessarily for the purpose of determining whether or not I will be, believing in it; but even maybe, just studying it just to know it...believing or not believing in a religion, one might say obviously, comes after knowing that religion, unless one has been brainwashed and is therefore maybe not even a true believer...




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If you are saying that when people were raised within a certain religion in childhood and then reject that religion as adults they are not necessarily apostates (or "anti-christs" according to 1 John) because they may have never truly believed in the first place. They may have merely been behaving in a manner that was taught to them by their parents, then I would agree with you.

I would continue by saying that many self-described Christians (or people of any faith, political affiliation, or self-definition) define themselves that way because it is how they were raised and they have clung to that definition without really knowing what it means or following it. As an example, I have a dear friend who is a passionate Democrat (to the point of nearly hating Republicans). Yet, when you ask her to explain her positions on the issues she nearly always endorses, not just a Republican position, but a strong conservative position...when you try to point that out to her she gets furious and insists you don't know what you are talking about. She has voted Democrat all her life and she simply can't understand why she is so dissatisfied with her winning candidates. What can you do?

 

[BluePhantom]

How do you study a religion "scientifically"?

You approach it from the perspective of scholarship instead of a believer. I am a man of faith, but I read the Bible in two very different ways. Sometimes I read looking for spiritual guidance and learning, but usually I am conducting research meaning I am not so interested in how scripture applies to my life, but more interested in putting scripture into its proper historical, cultural, and linguistic perspective in an effort to determine what the author was really trying to say instead of simply what it means to me (or want it to mean). This is how Biblical scholars approach it, and afterwards they (or their students) may or may not find some spiritual application for their lives.

Yeah...by "studying a religion scientifically" I meant just studying it to learn what it teaches & it contents before, or not even necessarily for the purpose of determining whether or not I will be, believing in it; but even maybe, just studying it just to know it...believing or not believing in a religion, one might say obviously, comes after knowing that religion, unless one has been brainwashed and is therefore maybe not even a true believer...




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Oh, I agree that one should study a religion that one will embrace and use as a life resource. As for the Bible, it is teaching a path and it appears to teach by allegory. If more people who call themselves followers of the Bible or Christ studied, contemplated and then meditated on what they were reading maybe they'd develop a good heart and positive qualities.

Otherwise, some who do not do that seem to use the Bible as a club to clobber other people for sinning, rather than correcting their own misconduct.

The same can be said for all other religions. The intention is usually good, but the human beings don't always understand how to manifest a positive force for good in the world with their religion.

Consider all the sectarian violence throughout millenia committed in the name of God or religion.

Yeah...brainwashing can occur when people are born and raised in a religion without even knowing the religion to see & determine whether or not they would choose that religion.

A lot of Christians I think were born and raised in Christianity, given Christianity, and don't even really know the religion and are possibly, rightfully would be called brainwashed.




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Ooops you beat me to it. I would agree that happens a lot, but as I said that happens with everything, not just religion and not just with religion specific to Christianity. It happens to Muslims, Buddhists, Hindi, Democrats, Republicans, racists, bigots, men, women, black people, white people.....it happens with almost everything and affects almost everyone

 

[BluePhantom]

Otherwise, some who do not do that seem to use the Bible as a club to clobber other people for sinning, rather than correcting their own misconduct.

Christians who do that need to spend more time understanding what the Bible says. Throughout the gospels Jesus is quoted over and over saying 'do not judge others, worry about your own relationship with God and let God be the judge'. He says this so many times, in fact, it's not even necessary to post the quotes because everyone knows that's what it written. In the undisputed Pauline epistles,Paul writes over and over, 'do not judge others, worry about yourself'. The Epistle of James is very strong about not judging others.

This is what I refer to, in part, when I say that many people claim to follow the faith, but either don't or have no idea what the faith is about.

Consider all the sectarian violence throughout millenia committed in the name of God or religion.

There has been a lot, for sure and there continues to be, but I would argue that if you take human history as a whole there has been far more violence and war in the name of money and greed than religion.

 

[Anonymous1977]

How do you study a religion "scientifically"?

You approach it from the perspective of scholarship instead of a believer. I am a man of faith, but I read the Bible in two very different ways. Sometimes I read looking for spiritual guidance and learning, but usually I am conducting research meaning I am not so interested in how scripture applies to my life, but more interested in putting scripture into its proper historical, cultural, and linguistic perspective in an effort to determine what the author was really trying to say instead of simply what it means to me (or want it to mean). This is how Biblical scholars approach it, and afterwards they (or their students) may or may not find some spiritual application for their lives.

Yeah...by "studying a religion scientifically" I meant just studying it to learn what it teaches & it contents before, or not even necessarily for the purpose of determining whether or not I will be, believing in it; but even maybe, just studying it just to know it...believing or not believing in a religion, one might say obviously, comes after knowing that religion, unless one has been brainwashed and is therefore maybe not even a true believer...




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If you are saying that when people were raised within a certain religion in childhood and then reject that religion as adults they are not necessarily apostates (or "anti-christs" according to 1 John) because they may have never truly believed in the first place. They may have merely been behaving in a manner that was taught to them by their parents, then I would agree with you.

I would continue by saying that many self-described Christians (or people of any faith, political affiliation, or self-definition) define themselves that way because it is how they were raised and they have clung to that definition without really knowing what it means or following it. As an example, I have a dear friend who is a passionate Democrat (to the point of nearly hating Republicans). Yet, when you ask her to explain her positions on the issues she nearly always endorses, not just a Republican position, but a strong conservative position...when you try to point that out to her she gets furious and insists you don't know what you are talking about. She has voted Democrat all her life and she simply can't understand why she is so dissatisfied with her winning candidates. What can you do?

No the comment that you replied to here was not about apostasy...Dhara and I had begun talking about other things...

But again, Martin Luther proves that people apostatize. And again, studying a religion isn't always about faith (or no faith) in that religion can just be a question of knowledge of that religion.




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[Dhara]

Please say a bit more about Martin Luther proving that people apostatize. I'm not so familiar with the term.

 

[Anonymous1977]

Please say a bit more about Martin Luther proving that people apostatize. I'm not so familiar with the term.

Oh all of that is online my sister ...google the word "apostate" and google "Martin Luther" and you should be good to go.

Bro. A1977









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[Dhara]

Well, this is sure interesting:

Great Apostasy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Anonymous1977]

...wouldn't be such a word as "apostate" if they didn't/don't exist, naturally haha.











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