Why Would Anyone Wish Christianity to Not Be True?

[deanrd]

I am not talking about the Christianity that has been hijacked by people and religion throughout the centuries to gain power and control. I am not talking about what your opinion you learned as a child in some Sunday school class. I am not talking about what you learned from some friend or website about Christianity.

I am not even talking about if you think Jesus is a myth. I am talking about wouldn't it be great if Jesus was real?

The stand up to the corrupt religious leaders of the time Jesus. The I'm going to take in all of the outcasts you so called religious people refuse to be around Jesus. The God so loved the world that he came to save us Jesus. The I am here to make you new Jesus.

What is the objection to walking with Jesus?

Even right wingers don't want the Bible to be true.

Jesus supported slavery - OK, maybe Republicans are OK with that

The Bible supports abortion - Republicans hate that

The Bible tells you do support children and the sick and the poor and we know Republicans detest that.

The Bible is hardly for women's right - again, the Republicans support that.

The Bible is NOT a friend to the very rich. And that really, really pisses off Republicans.

So clearly, more Republicans hate what's in the Bible than support what's in the Bible. Considering how much Republicans hate gays, maybe it almost evens out.

 

[deanrd]

I know right away, you are going to get Republicans SCREAMING that Jesus NEVER supported slavery:

Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)

Oops. And that is one of the reasons Confederates supported slavery. And this passage, Timothy speaking for Jesus was the reason why.

 

[Meriweather]

I just wish I could believe your beliefs describe reality.

They probably don't--at least not the unique reality of anyone else's life, desires, and experiences. I love that quote, "You have to be yourself. Everyone else is taken." The Catholic faith--any faith--has many tenets. Many of the people in my family are Catholic, yet the Catholic tenets that each of us choose to incorporate into our lives are so different we may as well be from different planets, certainly different realities. Yet, there is no doubt we are all Catholics. My advice: Put into your own words what it is that you want from God. Then pursue that desire with single-heartedness.

 

[Meriweather]

I know right away, you are going to get Republicans SCREAMING that Jesus NEVER supported slavery:

Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. (1 Timothy 6:1-2 NLT)

Oops. And that is one of the reasons Confederates supported slavery. And this passage, Timothy speaking for Jesus was the reason why.

Keep in mind slaves in Timothy's time were not kidnapped from their African homelands and shipped overseas. Some sold themselves into slavery which amounted to seven years of servitude to another. Today, that is more comparable than taking a job at McDonald's for minimum wage. Only today we don't phrase it as McDonald's being our Master, rather than our employer.

This is what Paul would be saying to Timothy today: Christians who are employees should give their employers full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. If your employer is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them.

Biblical slavery was nothing like nineteenth century American slavery. That is not to claim that 19th century Americans did not try to equate the two. Keep in mind that Abolitionists and others used the same Bible for the reason to end American slavery.

 

[Meriweather]

The Bible tells you do support children and the sick and the poor and we know Republicans detest that.

Yes, the Bible tells YOU (the individual) to support children, the sick, the poor. It doesn't say, Hey, make sure the government does this job for you....It is YOUR responsibility. Republicans seem to understand this. Democrats don't want the responsibility and eagerly shove their responsibilities onto someone else. Or so it seems too much of the time.

 

[Taz]

What father would let his only son be nailed to wood?

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

I am not talking about the Christianity that has been hijacked by people and religion throughout the centuries to gain power and control. I am not talking about what your opinion you learned as a child in some Sunday school class. I am not talking about what you learned from some friend or website about Christianity.

I am not even talking about if you think Jesus is a myth. I am talking about wouldn't it be great if Jesus was real?

The stand up to the corrupt religious leaders of the time Jesus. The I'm going to take in all of the outcasts you so called religious people refuse to be around Jesus. The God so loved the world that he came to save us Jesus. The I am here to make you new Jesus.

What is the objection to walking with Jesus?

Some people have distaste for the idea of a "forever sky daddy" and a celestial dictatorship. That's more of a distaste for theism in general, which inculdes Christianity.

 

[Anathema]

I am not even talking about if you think Jesus is a myth. I am talking about wouldn't it be great if Jesus was real?

The stand up to the corrupt religious leaders of the time Jesus. The I'm going to take in all of the outcasts you so called religious people refuse to be around Jesus. The God so loved the world that he came to save us Jesus. The I am here to make you new Jesus.

What is the objection to walking with Jesus?

I won’t soeak for anyone else, but here is MY personal objection...

Under that belief system there is no reward for being god or punishment for being bad. So long as one has Faith truly in their heart and is baptized, they are saved. That makes no sense to me. It’s illogical and disgusting in my mind.

This truly became apparent to me in August of 2001 as I watched the most truly good and faithful person I’ve ever know wither away and die from Cancer while at the same time I watched 2 worthless sacks of shit suddenly see their maladies healed or go into remission. That hit me like a freight train and moved me away from any Christian faith, permanently.

 

[ding]

If I was going to wish for something I don't think it would be this world as it is.

The world is what you make it to be. That is the definition of being pragmatic.

No it isn't. The definition of pragmatic is accepting the world as it is. I may wish to flap my arms and fly but I know I can't change gravity. I may wish for a heaven but that doesn't make it a reality.

The definition of pragmatic is not having unrealistic expectations. You do what you can with what you have. They don’t wish for things period.

Why Would Anyone Wish Christianity to Not Be True? Or not be true? Why "wish" for anything?

Exactly. Either the material world was created by spirit or it wasn’t. Wishing changes nothing.

 

[Meriweather]

Some people have distaste for the idea of a "forever sky daddy" and a celestial dictatorship. That's more of a distaste for theism in general, which inculdes Christianity.

Notice how you change "Abba" to forever sky daddy, celestial dictatorship. In other words pretending that the belief is something else than it is for the excuse to denigrate and defame the true belief. Pretense is rather a weak strategy, isn't it. All it seems to accomplish is to set up a bout of shadow boxing.

 

[ding]

I am not even talking about if you think Jesus is a myth. I am talking about wouldn't it be great if Jesus was real?

The stand up to the corrupt religious leaders of the time Jesus. The I'm going to take in all of the outcasts you so called religious people refuse to be around Jesus. The God so loved the world that he came to save us Jesus. The I am here to make you new Jesus.

What is the objection to walking with Jesus?

I won’t soeak for anyone else, but here is MY personal objection...

Under that belief system there is no reward for being god or punishment for being bad. So long as one has Faith truly in their heart and is baptized, they are saved. That makes no sense to me. It’s illogical and disgusting in my mind.

This truly became apparent to me in August of 2001 as I watched the most truly good and faithful person I’ve ever know wither away and die from Cancer while at the same time I watched 2 worthless sacks of shit suddenly see their maladies healed or go into remission. That hit me like a freight train and moved me away from any Cheiofaith, permanently.

That isn’t the belief in Catholicism.

But let me flip that around because if you believe that everything arose from the material there is certainly no reward or punishment for anything beyond earthly pleasure or pain.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Notice how you change "Abba" to forever sky daddy, celestial dictatorship.

I did no such thing thing. I changed 'gods' to that and then evn went on to explain how my comments speak to theism, not Christianity in general, in the very next sentence. Please correct your error before proceeding, thank you.

And this is how many people honestly feel about the idea of theism. If that bothers you, that's your problem.

 

[Third Party]

I am not talking about the Christianity that has been hijacked by people and religion throughout the centuries to gain power and control. I am not talking about what your opinion you learned as a child in some Sunday school class. I am not talking about what you learned from some friend or website about Christianity.

I am not even talking about if you think Jesus is a myth. I am talking about wouldn't it be great if Jesus was real?

The stand up to the corrupt religious leaders of the time Jesus. The I'm going to take in all of the outcasts you so called religious people refuse to be around Jesus. The God so loved the world that he came to save us Jesus. The I am here to make you new Jesus.

What is the objection to walking with Jesus?

No objection, but each religion offers a nugget of Truth that could benefit any of us. So in effect, Jesus and Moses, and Buddha, and Mohammed would be walking with us.

 

[Meriweather]

I did no such thing thing. I changed 'gods' to that and then evn went on to explain how my comments speak to theism, not Christianity in general, in the very next sentence. Please correct your error before proceeding, thank you.

And this is how many people honestly feel about the idea of theism. If that bothers you, that's your problem.

No correction needed. I correctly pointed out your tactics.

Nothing prevents you from stating your own beliefs and philosophies without the apparent desire--or need--to denigrate and tear down the beliefs and philosophies of others. Your own can either stand alone without doing this or they can't stand at all.

 

[Meriweather]

Good works are nice but nobody can be good enough to EARN their way into Heaven.

Works have nothing to do with earning one's way to heaven. Works have everything to do with discipleship and following Christ. They are a way of living this life.

 

[alang1216]

Exactly. Either the material world was created by spirit or it wasn’t. Wishing changes nothing.

Agreed, but isn't faith a form of wishing?

 

[Votto]

I take it to mean that they are saved through Christ. That is, those who loved the truth and who would have embraced Christ.

Sounds like a great argument against free will.

Actually the only way to have free will is to be able to reject God.

Hell is that place.

 

[bodecea]

I am not talking about the Christianity that has been hijacked by people and religion throughout the centuries to gain power and control. I am not talking about what your opinion you learned as a child in some Sunday school class. I am not talking about what you learned from some friend or website about Christianity.

I am not even talking about if you think Jesus is a myth. I am talking about wouldn't it be great if Jesus was real?

The stand up to the corrupt religious leaders of the time Jesus. The I'm going to take in all of the outcasts you so called religious people refuse to be around Jesus. The God so loved the world that he came to save us Jesus. The I am here to make you new Jesus.

What is the objection to walking with Jesus?

What's wrong with Greek or Norse myths? Why would anyone wish they were not true?

 

[Anathema]

Works have nothing to do with earning one's way to heaven. Works have everything to do with discipleship and following Christ. They are a way of living this life.

That depends on the particular faith. There are groups out there that believe you have to be doing god works as part of what it takes to get into Heaven. Others see it as you do.

I, in the other hand don’t believe in the type of “good works” that Christianity espoused at all. I learned the uselessness of those things years ago.

I mnstead believe that living a Moral and Proper life is the way to the next place.

 

[alang1216]

Actually the only way to have free will is to be able to reject God.

Hell is that place.

So God created us with free will but punishes us if we exercise that free will? Interesting plan.