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What the hell happened to Christianity?

OD

On a personal level, I can understand some emotion regarding abortion. If you truly believe the fetus is a living being who experiences pain, it is understandable that it needs to be protected.
It's about protecting a life, and that issue can get pretty emotional regardless of religious beliefs.


But regarding gay issues, I fail to see justification for the hype. To be blunt, there are just too many lies and groups focused SOLELY on gays to be really justified when you take a big picture look at the issue.

Being Buddhist is also a sin. Worshipping a false god is a sin that all Christian sects I have heard of believe will send a person to hell without repentance and change.
A Buddhist will typically raise his/her child in his/her religion.
If the Bible truly has no sin that is greater than another, I don't see how any Christian can espouse religious tolerance and equality, yet fight against homosexuality tolerance and equality like it's the plague.

On an ironic level, polls have shown that a gay person has a higher likelihood of getting elected than a non-Christian.


In addition, opinion polls have shown that non-Christians views of Christians (specifically evangelicals) have a lot to be desired.

A recent Barna poll asked individuals who would not consider themselves Christians to rank various social groups from most favorable to least favorable. The different groups included categories like military officers, ministers, evangelicals, Democrats, Republicans, real-estate agents, TV performers, lawyers, lesbians, and prostitutes. Out of the 11 groups specified in the poll, evangelicals ranked 10th, behind lawyers, lesbians, and Republicans, but finishing ahead of prostitutes. Only 22% of the respondents gave evangelicals a favorable rating. People have a negative view of evangelical Christians.

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Quite frankly, there is a lot that is beautiful about the Christian dogma. It's a tough religion to follow and live by.
But when all that SOME christians try to do is attempt to make others live by it, or at least some rules of it, it sours and distorts the image of the religion.
Quite frankly, I am amused at looking at some Christians and noting how often they quote the Bible, and how often their quotations are clearly outside of the Gospels. (As in, they almost never quote Jesus's teachings.)
Typically with the quotations centering on the Old Testament. And a reaction by some to being chided by the words of Christ can be very telling.

With that said, I believe most Christians are not like that. About 75% of this country is Christian, and I believe most just live out their lives as best they can.

Foundit, I believe 75% ARE like that. I had always had a faith in God and in that, and my upbringing, a faith in Jesus. But would say that my time to make it truly mine and with my heart was not til I was 28.

Well I have lived through a chunk of experiences since then and must tell you, well meaning as it may be, my experience with "brothers and sisters" in faith is that there is a great deal of not only living out their lives as best they can as you say, but living out everyone else's lives the best they can too!


OD

Could you say that maybe some try to rise above such as God in the hearts of men by force. Isaiah 14:14-17 Heaven is God's throne. Jesus told us that Heaven was within us so we would search out our own hearts. If one is trying to force anothers heart by forcing the thoughts of their's and another to their will, are these as such wishing to rule on God's throne?

Provacative thought, Rod...

OD

Rod, though I like your words, LOL, my Bible says that Isaiah 14:14-17 says:
I don't understand your interpretation.

The enemy of God, (enmity) is the flesh. God is a Spirit. The living soul was made from the breath of God (the Spirit). Jesus crucified the flesh as an example so we that have the breath of God (living souls) (the portion that was created as an eternal being) would know the flesh is but nothing in the scope of eternity.It is a person who walks and talks in the flesh that will attempt to rise above what God created. Keeping forefront of our minds that flesh has already been crucified and we are to follow the Master as believers, we can understand or discern what is of flesh and what is of spirit. In as much as possible we walk accordingly knowing we still live in the flesh, yet one day we will be as He is, for this we have the promise of Jesus. It is not the heart born of flesh that can percieve these matters as the flesh is already crucified. Flesh is already dead but does not know it.
Eph 2:15having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, Ge 3:15And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."Flesh= the original enmity.

Tristanrobin. This is from the New King James version. If you read the Bible read it from your heart. As words of the Bible touch your soul, these are the ones you will understand and take to heart. In time if to know God is what you seek, God is what you will find. Not one walking this earth will ever know all the ways of God. How could we as we are but mere mortals of flesh that long for eternal peace with the creator of all. We have faith and hope that we can walk as God created us to walk with Him. I cannot force you to be something anymore than you could force me to be something I am not. That does not mean I have to like or accept what I do not like or do not believe in. Yet I know that God created and rules all things and anything only happens if He allows it. I can understand from a parent's point of veiw the Love God has for each of His children.

Babylon= confusion
Isaiah 14:4-23 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: "How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased! 5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers; 6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders. 7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; They break forth into singing. 8 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, And the cedars of Lebanon, Saying, 'Since you were cut down, No woodsman has come up against us.' 9 "Hell from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations. 10 They all shall speak and say to you: 'Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us? 11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.' 12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. 16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, And consider you, saying: 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, Who did not open the house of his prisoners?' 18 "All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house; 19 But you are cast out of your grave Like an abominable branch, Like the garment of those who are slain, Thrust through with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a corpse trodden underfoot. 20 You will not be joined with them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land And slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named. 21 Prepare slaughter for his children Because of the iniquity of their fathers, Lest they rise up and possess the land, And fill the face of the world with cities." 22 "For I will rise up against them," says the Lord of hosts, "And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, And offspring and posterity," says the Lord. 23 "I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says the Lord of hosts.

What has happened to Christianity indeed?


Revelation 2


1Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Excellent thought Rod.

Unfortunately ALL major religions have this sort of thinking. "we're gonna save these ungodly souls.. WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT!"

I mean i'm sick to death of the clerics in Pakistan that insist on shoving Islam down our throats. However i have a suspicion.

My suspicion is simply that people who cannot find god in their HEARTS, try to find god in the "righteousness" of others. It is the absence of God ( which would automatically mean forgiveness ) that drives people to extremism.

How can god be absent from people's hearts.

Well personally i think it is because all too often the ONLY image we have of God is the vengeful, angry, punitive god that most fire and brimstone preachrs seem to believe in. And THAT concept of god is alien to mankind since man is inherently logical and "good".

So the imposition on mankind of God by these damn salvation peddlers fails simply because the thought of a vengeful, angry and punitive god is abhorrent to human nature.

That is why extremists ( who can only justify their extremism if their god says its ok to be angry and vengeful) do everything they can to make others believe int he same god. It also happens to be the same reason that they consistently fail to convince well-functioning people.

Its seems to me that article is taking shots at the Christian church, that are unfounded. "Christians should be counted on to lend a helping hand to the poor and others in need." Should be counted on? Christians give more than any other in the world. Do more for children then any other group. Maybe he should point the finger at someone else, cause we hold up our end of the deal.