The tragedy of religious conservatism

[dmp]

Yet, look at the charlatans who prance across the TV screen every day of the week proclaiming that they know Christ. They are not ministers of the word of Christ, they are nothing but the leaders of their own cults of personality, twisting religion to suit their own personal ends.

By-and-large, I would agree with you. God knows their Hearts, and God can even 'use them' to bless people and do His will. Doesn't mean they are 'right' with Him.

 

[YoungChristian]

This country was founded as a religious one. If you do not believe that then you don't have a very keen sense of history. The United States of America is the biggest predominantly Christian country in the world. Instead of forcing the morals that have made us the greatest country in the world out of the country, we should be embracing them.

 

[wade]

This country was founded as a religious one. If you do not believe that then you don't have a very keen sense of history. The United States of America is the biggest predominantly Christian country in the world. Instead of forcing the morals that have made us the greatest country in the world out of the country, we should be embracing them.

Above religion, this country was founded upon the freedom of the people from religion. Very specifically the founding fathers protected both the government and the individual from unwanted intrusions by the faithful.

America happens to be a relatively large nation - the largest by population of any "Western" state. But, as a % of the population, we have a much lower % of christians than many other nations in the world. And we have huge religious diversity, both within and outside of the christian faiths. Other nations which are "Christian" are also much more predominantly one given denomination of Christianity.

To me, there is so much difference between the 7th Day Adventists and the Catholics that we can barely consider them members of the same basic faith of Christianity.

 

[dmp]

Above religion, this country was founded upon the freedom of the people from religion. Very specifically the founding fathers protected both the government and the individual from unwanted intrusions by the faithful.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

What part of "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" means "Freedom FROM religion" to you?

 

[wade]

Nothing could be further from the truth.

What part of "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" means "Freedom FROM religion" to you?

Isn't it clear?

 

[shadrack]

This country was founded as a religious one. If you do not believe that then you don't have a very keen sense of history. The United States of America is the biggest predominantly Christian country in the world. Instead of forcing the morals that have made us the greatest country in the world out of the country, we should be embracing them.

This is the biggest bunch of BS that the religious try to force down everyone elses throat.

Take the Constitution, for example. The authors of the constitution did draw upon the Bible (mostly the Hebrew scriptures, not much of the Christian scriptures). But they also examined the political culture of the classical world, particularly the Roman Republic; they took into account the philosophy of natural law and natural rights doctrines formulated by ancient, medievel, and early modern writer; the philosophy of the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment (my personal favorite); social contract theory; and English constitutional history, including common law, Whig libertarian tradition, the Magna Carta, Petition of Right, Habeas Corpus Act(1679), and the Bill of Right(1689). Popular philosophers and writers discussed during the debate over the U.S. Constitution included first and foremost the Baron de Montesquieu, Sir William Blackstone, John Locke, Sir Edward Coke, Jean Louis De Lolme, James Harrington, Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, Richard Price, and Algernon Sidney. Ancient writers discussed were Aesop, Horace, Polybius, Socrates, Tacitus, and Virgil. Literary writers discussed were Alexander Pope, William Shakespeare, and Jonathan Swift.

How anyone can come to the conclusion that "we" are a Christian nation, I don't know.

I would suppose because the authors of the Constitution discuss Aesop a person could conclude that our nation is based on Aesop's fables.

We can go over all of these different philosophers or writers one by one. Most were not to fond of the idea of "divine".

 

[YoungChristian]

This isn't a theocracy, but God had a defining role in this country. Read the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. Most of the great scholars and philosophers that had a part in the either of these documents were themselves Christian.

If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and you have a personal relationship with him, then you are a Christian. I don't care how you refer to yourself. Also, I am an American, not an African-American, European-American, Irish-American, or an Italian-American. We are all citizens of this great country, which makes us AMERICAN.

 

[White knight]

I wish we could do a poll on this message board.
Who throws out more insults, religious people or non religious people.
Anyone want to try take a sample from a few post.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

I wish we could do a poll on this message board.
Who throws out more insults, religious people or non religious people.
Anyone want to try take a sample from a few post.

No.

 

[Bullypulpit]

There are many answers to those questions so I will keep it limited.

There have been many such savior stories in many different cultures.

Hinduism: has largely accepted the Jesus story. Jesus in some instances is an avatar of Vishnu whose crucifixion postpones the accent of Adharma (chaos).
In Hinduism most other saviors do not rise from the dead because they believe in reincarnation and such holy figures often reincarnate as gods.

Buddhism: the Buddha is a savior because he pioneered the path to nirvana which will allow all peoples to break the cycle of reincarnation.
He does not return because his goal was seeking true and permanent death (allowing for ascension into heaven) through enlightenment so rising from the dead defeats the purpose.

I think that covers the examples I used.

Actually, the Buddha never really speculated on what happened upon the death of one who found enlightenment beyond saying they did not return to this cycle of existence. That line of speculation arose at least a century after his death.

And it just occured to me...All of the metaphysical speculation that arises from the world's great religions seems to have occured about a century after the deaths of their founders. This would allow time for their contemporaries to have died, and left their intellectual heirs to take up such speculation. Any thoughts?

 

[Bullypulpit]

This isn't a theocracy, but God had a defining role in this country. Read the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. Most of the great scholars and philosophers that had a part in the either of these documents were themselves Christian.

If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and you have a personal relationship with him, then you are a Christian. I don't care how you refer to yourself. Also, I am an American, not an African-American, European-American, Irish-American, or an Italian-American. We are all citizens of this great country, which makes us AMERICAN.

Which god are you referring to? And I find myself in agreement with your last sentence.