Are Christians hypocrites?

[KittenKoder]

Hmm. KK. The Tibetans somewhat took on that policy similar to the Amish and remained a feudal culture. They did not emphasize technological advances but concentrated on spiritual advances instead.

This led to their collapse as a nation.

The Amish are just lucky in this matter, the US is protecting them and this is why they have remained here, and also why they came here from England.

 

[no1tovote4]

The purpose of a church is to save sinners.

If a church does not have a whole bunch of sinners attending the services, that church is not doing what it should be doing, and that is inviting non believers and strong sinners to come and fellowship and learn about God.

So, if you go to a church that only has religious people who are totally obedient to God, then you have found a hypocrite laden church.

Otherwise, if you are surrounded with sinners, that church must have one hell of a ministry. My hat is off to a church like that. It is doing God's work.

Not necessarily.

First, no church can be without sinners, at least according to their beliefs.

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Second, I have yet to find any Christian that doesn't attempt to convert me. I would find it strange if they did not as I have yet to find one that doesn't care that according to their beliefs my Buddhist behind will be going to Hell.

Which church have you gone to that is empty? That would be the only one that didn't have a sinner in it. Unless the visitor was Christ Himself...



And lastly, that isn't the only reason for a church. Their bible tells them to gather together in fellowship and joy, and that together they are stronger.

 

[mattskramer]

But only when you're asked and put on the spot, as opposed to ranting spontaneously about how objectionable Christians are merely for expressing an opinion you don't like.

Similarly, to be fair, have you ever criticized Chrisitans? I doubt it.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Similarly, to be fair, have you ever criticized Chrisitans? I doubt it.

You should learn not to project your own issues, pathologies, and bigotry onto others. I criticize everyone equally, depending on what they've done that needs it.

 

[jeffrockit]

Why single out Christians? People in general are hypocrites or can be hypocritical. Christians never claim to be perfect.

 

[mattskramer]

You should learn not to project your own issues, pathologies, and bigotry onto others. I criticize everyone equally, depending on what they've done that needs it.

Evidently, the answer is no. Don’t you see? You are as biased as I am. I readily criticize Christians but am hesitant to criticize non-Christians. Likewise, you are ready to criticize non-Christians but hesitant to criticize Christians. We are just two sides of the same coin.

 

[mattskramer]

Why single out Christians? People in general are hypocrites or can be hypocritical. Christians never claim to be perfect.

I agree.

 

[sky dancer]

You should learn not to project your own issues, pathologies, and bigotry onto others. I criticize everyone equally, depending on what they've done that needs it.

Show me the religious teaching you've recieived that tells you to criticize all others. If more people of any faith spent time examining their own minds and hearts to find the flaws, and developed kindness and compassion toward themselves and others we wouldn't be asking the question "Are Christians hypocrites?"

 

[Amanda]

Show me the religious teaching you've recieived that tells you to criticize all others. If more people of any faith spent time examining their own minds and hearts to find the flaws, and developed kindness and compassion toward themselves and others we wouldn't be asking the question "Are Christians hypocrites?"

I agree with this. There is a lot of talk from a lot of people about religion but I don't see nearly as many that are even trying to walk the walk.

 

[sky dancer]

I agree with this. There is a lot of talk from a lot of people about religion but I don't see nearly as many that are even trying to walk the walk.

I'd be more interested in discussing the challenges of following ANY spiritual path with sincere practitioners than engaging in mutual putdowns.

It is not easy to take up a path and live it 24/7. All one has to know is one tiny bit of Buddhism to see through my posts how I fail to live up to these principles every day.

 

[Amanda]

I'd be more interested in discussing the challenges of following ANY spiritual path with sincere practitioners than engaging in mutual putdowns.

It is not easy to take up a path and live it 24/7. All one has to know is one tiny bit of Buddhism to see through my posts how I fail to live up to these principles every day.

I agree with this too.

I would take part in a thread like that because I'd like to know how the rest of you deal with the things that really try you and what you do when you realize you've failed. I would give some examples and try to get that ball rolling but I have some many errands to run and I'm already late!

 

[sky dancer]

This is a thread open to anyone who has chosen to abide by certain principles to guide mind and heart.

I am a Buddhist. Each morning I get up and make certina intentions through prayer and meditation, and then my goal is to be mindful of holding to those positive intentions throughout the day.

In the evening, I do a mental inventory. I assess how I did. I rejoice in the times when I was virtuous. I regret when I lost it, and I confess and purify my errors and set my intention again. I notice whether there is progress or not.

What do you do?

 

[ABikerSailor]

This is a thread open to anyone who has chosen to abide by certain principles to guide mind and heart.

I am a Buddhist. Each morning I get up and make certina intentions through prayer and meditation, and then my goal is to be mindful of holding to those positive intentions throughout the day.

In the evening, I do a mental inventory. I assess how I did. I rejoice in the times when I was virtuous. I regret when I lost it, and I confess and purify my errors and set my intention again. I notice whether there is progress or not.

What do you do?

Interestingly enough, AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) has a similar thing. They wake up, think about the things they've learned yesterday, decide what they're going to do that day, as well as take inventory (moral) of what they are doing that day. Some even break it down to moments.

At the end of the day, they thank their Higher power, and ask where they can do better the following day.

See, I'm a Christian Taoist who studies Jewish theology, as well as spent a bit of time in AA, which is how I know this.

What path do I take through the day?

Well......I wake up, look at what is going on, and choose action as required.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Evidently, the answer is no. Don’t you see? You are as biased as I am. I readily criticize Christians but am hesitant to criticize non-Christians. Likewise, you are ready to criticize non-Christians but hesitant to criticize Christians. We are just two sides of the same coin.

No, we aren't. There are two biases here: yours against religious people, and your desire to believe that everyone is exactly like you. You are making a definitive assertion that I am "hesitant to criticize Christians". On what evidentiary basis are you making that accusation? What proof do you have, aside from your own belief that because I am taking you to task for your bigotry, I must have a reverse bigotry.

As I said, kindly refrain from projecting your own pathology onto me. And the next time you want to make statements about what sort of person I am and what my attitudes are, you'd best have some proof to back them up.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Show me the religious teaching you've recieived that tells you to criticize all others. If more people of any faith spent time examining their own minds and hearts to find the flaws, and developed kindness and compassion toward themselves and others we wouldn't be asking the question "Are Christians hypocrites?"

Yeah, you would. As long as Christians had the inutterable gall to consider any behavior you particularly wished to engage in unacceptable, you'd be pointing fingers and screaming, "Hypocrite! You're not perfect, so how DARE you claim to have a moral standard?!"

As for religious teachings, the Bible is full of instructions concerning the discernment of good behavior from evil, and even directions to rebuke your brothers when they stumble into sin. I realize that secularists have been trying for a long time to project their own warm, fuzzy, mealymouthed, ineffectual version of "niceness" onto Christianity, but you really shouldn't believe propaganda.

As Ann Coulter said, you don't need a religion like Christianity, which is a rather large and complex endeavor, in order to flag the message, "Be nice to each other." All you need is a moron driving around in a Volvo with a bumper sticker that says, "Be nice to each other." Being nice to people is, in fact, an incidental tenet of Christianity, not the main message of Christ. Christ's distinctive message was that people are sinful and need to be redeemed, and this is your lucky day because I'm here to redeem you even though you don't deserve it, and I have to get the crap kicked out of me to do it. That is the reason He is called "Christ the Redeemer" and not "Christ the Moron Driving Around in a Volvo With a "Be Nice to Each Other" Bumper Sticker".

 

[sky dancer]

Yeah, you would. As long as Christians had the inutterable gall to consider any behavior you particularly wished to engage in unacceptable, you'd be pointing fingers and screaming, "Hypocrite! You're not perfect, so how DARE you claim to have a moral standard?!"

As for religious teachings, the Bible is full of instructions concerning the discernment of good behavior from evil, and even directions to rebuke your brothers when they stumble into sin. I realize that secularists have been trying for a long time to project their own warm, fuzzy, mealymouthed, ineffectual version of "niceness" onto Christianity, but you really shouldn't believe propaganda.

As Ann Coulter said, you don't need a religion like Christianity, which is a rather large and complex endeavor, in order to flag the message, "Be nice to each other." All you need is a moron driving around in a Volvo with a bumper sticker that says, "Be nice to each other." Being nice to people is, in fact, an incidental tenet of Christianity, not the main message of Christ. Christ's distinctive message was that people are sinful and need to be redeemed, and this is your lucky day because I'm here to redeem you even though you don't deserve it, and I have to get the crap kicked out of me to do it. That is the reason He is called "Christ the Redeemer" and not "Christ the Moron Driving Around in a Volvo With a "Be Nice to Each Other" Bumper Sticker".

Please show me where I have criticized Christians. Please show me the specific post where I called Christians hypocrites?

What moral standard do you follow?

I can't tell from this post.

 

[mattskramer]

No, we aren't. There are two biases here: yours against religious people

Yep. That is a bias.

your desire to believe that everyone is exactly like you.

Brush up on your vocabulary and logic. I believe that people are similar. I do not necessarily have a desire that people believe that everyone is exactly like me. In either case, it does not constitute a bias but an opinion (or a desire as you claim).

You are making a definitive assertion that I am "hesitant to criticize Christians". On what evidentiary basis are you making that accusation? What proof do you have, aside from your own belief that because I am taking you to task for your bigotry, I must have a reverse bigotry.

It is on the basis of a easy examination of your posts throughout this board.

As I said, kindly refrain from projecting your own pathology onto me. And the next time you want to make statements about what sort of person I am and what my attitudes are, you'd best have some proof to back them up.

I do. It is reflected in your posts.

 

[Evangelical]

The purpose of a church is to save sinners.

If a church does not have a whole bunch of sinners attending the services, that church is not doing what it should be doing, and that is inviting non believers and strong sinners to come and fellowship and learn about God.

So, if you go to a church that only has religious people who are totally obedient to God, then you have found a hypocrite laden church.

Otherwise, if you are surrounded with sinners, that church must have one hell of a ministry. My hat is off to a church like that. It is doing God's work.

Or you found an old church, older churches simply are not good at missionary work or evangelizing as younger churches are. Church plants are 1600% more likely to convert people as compared to churches that are older than a few years or decades.

Why is a phenomenon to me, but the data is out there.

 

[Bass v 2.0]

The purpose of a church is to save sinners.

If a church does not have a whole bunch of sinners attending the services, that church is not doing what it should be doing, and that is inviting non believers and strong sinners to come and fellowship and learn about God.

So, if you go to a church that only has religious people who are totally obedient to God, then you have found a hypocrite laden church.

Otherwise, if you are surrounded with sinners, that church must have one hell of a ministry. My hat is off to a church like that. It is doing God's work.

That type of church isn't hypocrite laden, if the members are spreading the Word and people will not believe they face the wrath of God and eternal damnation in hellfire for rejecting Christ.

 

[Cecilie1200]

No, we aren't. There are two biases here: yours against religious people

Yep. That is a bias.

your desire to believe that everyone is exactly like you.

Brush up on your vocabulary and logic. I believe that people are similar. I do not necessarily have a desire that people believe that everyone is exactly like me. In either case, it does not constitute a bias but an opinion (or a desire as you claim).

Sorry, but there's nothing wrong with my vocabulary, and your attempt to portray your position as something other than what it is by changing the words doesn't indicate any problem with me at all.

You don't "believe people are similar". That isn't what you said at all. What you said was, "I have this bias, therefore I assume you have one, too." That isn't "similar", that's assuming I'm just like you in that way, simply because you assume if you do something, so does everyone else. The problem is, just because YOU are a bigot, it doesn't automatically follow that you are representative of the human race in general in that regard.

You are making a definitive assertion that I am "hesitant to criticize Christians". On what evidentiary basis are you making that accusation? What proof do you have, aside from your own belief that because I am taking you to task for your bigotry, I must have a reverse bigotry.

It is on the basis of a easy examination of your posts throughout this board.

Sorry again, Sparky, but that vague generalization in the hopes that I'm harboring a secret, hidden guilt won't work with me. I know for a fact that I have NEVER displayed any hesitancy to criticize Christians, either on this board or in my regular life, so if you want to accuse me otherwise, then you will provide SPECIFIC evidence to that effect. I criticize EVERYONE when I think they deserve it. I'm notorious for it.

As I said, kindly refrain from projecting your own pathology onto me. And the next time you want to make statements about what sort of person I am and what my attitudes are, you'd best have some proof to back them up.

I do. It is reflected in your posts.

One more time, Jack. That generalized crap doesn't fly with me. Put your evidence where your mouth is.