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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 2/7/2005 12:29:09 PM | | I agree i don't think Jesus was god in the flesh as so many people dipict him as(of course being pagan that sounds blasphmas doesn't it ?) however! i do believe jesus existed! he was a real person with more charisma and psychic talent then anyone has seen or prehaps will see in the days to come. Some people say Jesus laid hands and cured the ill, has anyone ever heard of reiki? its a therepy not widly known but promotes healing through laying of hands and drawing on divine energy. I believe the man used this to do his healings i think the tales of instant healings were exagerated a bit and i feel they took time. Why did he question god when he was hung on the cross? well who wouldn't, the agony he had to have suffered would have been immeasurable any MORTAL would have questioned there faith. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 2/8/2005 4:42:27 PM | I was a devout christian for many years and a full time minister in a Bible-based church. For years I didn't delve far into seeking truth about my chosen beliefs because I liked the easy answers, the nice friends at church and the warm fuzzies, and I didn't want to risk hell.
When I looked into it, I found that the story of Jesus had been repeated over and over for many hundreds or thousands of years in different parts of the world with different sacrificed Sons of God who generally had raised from the dead on the third day. It is NOT a new story that started with Jesus.
www.truthbeknown.com | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 2/9/2005 9:17:41 AM | RDtoo,
Let's just say it was one that followed the Bible more closely than most (like, extra-evangelical and fundamentalist), which also means they took minor points to be essential, and so they thought that the vast majority of the world was headed for hell, even many of the professing Christians. You know the type ... "Catholics aren't christians because blah blah, Mormons aren't saved because ...more blah." Bible Quote Time! "... many will say to me on the day of judgment, "Jesus did we not ....prophesy and do many mighty works in your name?", and I will say to them "Away from me (to burn in the lake of fire, that is) .... I never knew you." Harsh stuff, that Bible.
I realized that with the Bible stance it was more a matter of what family and country you were born in than anything else that determined your odds of avoiding hell. As to earlier sacrificed Son of God dudes, do a search on Krishna, Mithra, Horus, Quetzalcoatl, Heracles, Issa, .... and the list goes on. The early christians were aware of the discrepancy, so they typically blamed the earlier stories on deceptions from Satan, since he anticipated the TRUE son of God. But my experience is that Christians often aren't interested in facts like these, so they quickly dismiss them with any convenient rationale and go on working hard to keep being convinced of what they decided to believe.
Certainly there are some valid reasons to follow the Bible and go to church, (decent upstanding lifestyle and nice friends) but they do not include "Because it is THE one truth of God and the only way to escape H E L L". I mean, what kind of God would set up a horrible, cruel system like that. The god of the Bible, that's who. The same one that ordered the genocide of the Amalekites - "kill everything that breathes", for crying out loud! Christianity would be a lot better if they'd drop that arrogant stuff and stop thinking every word of the bible is literally true, and that their choice of beliefs is superior to everyone else's. I think it's morally wrong to mislead people as to how there's "So much evidence ... etc, etc., to confirm the Bible." Look hard for it with an open mind and you'll find there's more evidence that it's mythical. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 2/9/2005 11:32:13 AM | | I have to agree with him, it seems there was more killing in the bible then any book i have ever read! people turned to salt, whole nations being annilated even the entire world because this god decided it was to be so! and hell wow... how harsh, i mean even in tarturous you paid your dues and THEN were released to the elysuian feilds. Oh but not hell BURN FOREVER BABY! sorry i think people who follow the bible to the extent they qoute it and refer to it daily need a swift kick in the ass... its people like them that caused great tragedy in the past. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 2/9/2005 6:52:19 PM | | It makes me sad to hear so many dropped out of following Christ because of a control driven Church or control driven Christians. I know many of the stories are probably true as I have met many of the same types and places on my journey. Steve Martin had a great line in his film "Leap of Faith" when he asked God why so many of His followers were idiots. The fact is that it is a club anyone can join. God said He picked the foolish things to shame the wise. I could have been on the other side as my experiences in the Church have been damaging. I came close to chucking it all but as one of the disciples said, "to who else would we go?" I did study the alternatives and the only one that seemed likely to me was existentialism, which in the end, I could not buy into so I trudged on. It is not an easy road. Some days it dosen't seem that God is there and other days it seems like He is there Big Time. If anyone wants to look seriously at one of the best arguments for God's exitence, I recommend highly a book called "the God who is there" by Dr. Francis Schaeffer. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 2/11/2005 2:02:27 PM | With me it was too many unanswered questions or questions that got the standard cop out of,"It's one of God's mysteries,you'll have to wait till you get to Heaven to find out."First of all,the purpose of religion,any religion is to offer guidance to life and direction.I discovered my own path and found that I really needed no messiah to live life.There is a flawed logic to Christianity and the so called "free will" man is supposed to have.If God is omniscient,then it stands to reason God knows already who will be saved and who will be d*mned.Predestination.OK,then why go on with the free will charade?Unless there are multiple realities all coexisting where all possible choices have been made.In that scenario then Christianity still doesn't work because the black/white final analysis of apocalypse has no meaning.
I believe in a supreme being.I do not subscribe to any religion which anthropomorphizes the supreme deity.This serves in my opinion as a type of celestial wish fulfillment in holding onto a belief in an eternal father figure that gives two sh!ts.It's self deception and a pipe dream. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 2/11/2005 3:16:42 PM |
As to earlier sacrificed Son of God dudes, do a search on Krishna, Mithra, Horus, Quetzalcoatl, Heracles, Issa, ....
I think these stories are so interesting.
It makes me wonder....what is it about humanity that makes us respond to a god who sacrifices his god/human son? | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 9/2/2006 7:11:14 AM | | We are supposed to have a seperation of church and state in this country. But I would like to add a New Rule. One Bill Maher may have missed. Why not a seperation of church and economy as well? When your church rakes in the net income of Honduras every time Benny Hinn says "salvation" it's time to rethink your whole design. It could be a drinking game. Turn on Trinity Broadcasting Network. Whenever Benny Hinn is on and says "salvation" take a drink of Pabts and say, "lord, help me!". If he says "Lord" more than twice in a sentence take two drinks of Pabts and say "have mercy!" You'll certainly have a fun time and it's a great way to bond with family just before daily spankerin' time and you go to screw your new wife for the 100th time. The rest of your 99 kids would loooove a new playmate. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 9/2/2006 12:20:55 PM | For me it was Education.
I live in Britain, where there is very little hold over the government by he church. In the USA it can be difficult growing up in some areas if you are not christian, because the influence of christianity in the United States is so strong. But in britain we are a trully multicultural society and although we have not yet fully intregrated all parts of our society, we have enough Hindus, Muslims, Jews and other religions to stop any one of them from becoming to powerfull.
With so many religions in Britain we have to cater to everyone in the schools and courts and any other public institution. As such religioun is kept out of our school sylabus as much as posible, with only the inclusion of a Religious Education class teaching about all religious belifs. We are not taught from childhood that god created the world in 6 days, nor are we taught that it was the noodely appendages of FSM. We are however taught that we should respect other peoples belifs and be free and open about our own and willing to accept change. We are taught in school from a young age, to understand that there are many views on the same subjects and to explore all the posabilities.
So thanks to the Scotish Eductional System I was taught to think very carefully and explore all areas of a subject before delving headlong into it. That is why I do not belive the litteral truth of the bible, because I looked at with questionioning eyes and looked into its history and so too many inconsistanies within it and similarities to other older mythologies for me to accept it as the one truth.
I do not ignore christianity, I just give it the same reverance I would any other belife. | |
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CPM08
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Joined: 1/12/2008
Msg: 88 | |
| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/22/2008 12:45:07 PM | "I'm actually open minded, maybe this is your god at work, maybe I'm on the path to salvation! But I find it equally odd that u can jump, skip and hop to a porn site from this forum on religion. "
And what is wrong with skipping from a porn site to a religious site? God gave us free will. We have choices. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/22/2008 1:39:20 PM |
Reading some of the threads, I see many here have made up their minds that there is no God or have decided that Christianity is not for them. Fair enough. I would just like to hear how some of you came to these conclusions. No, it is not a set-up to debate you, I just want to know why you do not believe in God or Jesus and what brought you to this decision? Cool question!
I DO believe in God and I also believe that an enlightened man referred to as Jesus actually lived... I just don't think he is the only enlightened man to ever walk this planet and I have never liked to limit myself to only one source..
Some people think that to be spiritually eclectic and ever-evolving means that he is ultimately seeking and will eventually find and settle on a chosen religion... I actually used to think so too...
But what I found instead is that each religion/spiritual path has a grain of truth... truths that I like to collect and assimilate on my own unique path.. a path that will never end while I still breathe this atmosphere in physical form..
To be clear... I feel that religions perpetuating exclusivity of truth and dogma are a stagnation of spirit and mine has a strong desire to soar :) | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/22/2008 2:36:37 PM | Another dug up thread!
Long time since the OP posted, I wonder if he'll come back.
How to define Christ - is it that simple? Those who think they know and live by Jesus may well be in for a rough ride. I think sassyaquarius tells it like it is, and as usual more eloquently than I. There have been many supremos throughout history, why focus on one? I believe Jesus and God are the same thing, just as I believe you, me and everyone else are, it's just that humankind have been hijacked into thinking otherwise.
There is no exclusivity of truth, we are ALL part of the same machine - all parts included in this product... think of it like a car you just bought, roadtax, insurance policy... hell even the petrol tank is full and ready to go! :) Okay, maybe not a great analogy, but I didn't say the car was perfect. Lol! | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/22/2008 6:55:47 PM | At one time I was a devout Roman Catholic. I used to be very involved with my church and at one time I was even presented with a Christian Living Award.
Though regardless of all this when I was around 13 I started asking my self questions about the faith so I started to read up on the history of the church. After about a 2 year period I was completely repulsed by my discoveries and stopped believing in god for a number of years becoming an atheist.
Though now I would say that I am open to the concept of the existence god(s) I have little interest in the institutions behind them. I also believe in karma and spirituality. Although I will probably never give worship to any god ever again I must admit that recently I have had an interest in the philosophy behind Buddhism as I have found that a lot of their ideologies match my own. But I would like to state that I have no plan of taking this on as a religion. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/22/2008 10:38:45 PM | | Always interesting to see one of my old threads pop back up on the radar screen. Actually 3 years later, I understand somewhat better why people reject the Church and what is passing for Christianity today. I have come to the conclusion that most, not all, Churchs present a Church Service for the mentality level of a 12 year old. As the Church has decided that Church growth instead of intellectual growth is of supreme importance, it does not surprise me that Richard Dawkins makes the best seller list. I am under the impression that if I went into a Church and said I was hurting and could find no reason not to end my life, they would recommend me to a counsler instead of dealing with the problem themselves. If you want to meet new people you better get there way before the service starts as once in ends there is a stampede to get out of there as fast as possible and you are lucky not to be run down in the parking lot. It is not so hard anymore to understand why people are rejecting all this. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/22/2008 11:28:24 PM | Reply to RDToo:
I have come to the conclusion that most, not all, Churchs present a Church Service for the mentality level of a 12 year old.
Thank God for the Latin Mass. 
My personal belief is that when the vast majority (though not all) Catholic churches abandoned the use of Latin and did away with many of its related traditions (such as having many silent prayers and the priest facing away from the people) in 1970, it actually severely decreased church attendance and interest, rather than bring people to a better understanding of its mysteries. The English translation commonly used for the Mass today is so pedestrian, I just refuse to participate in it unless I have no other option. The solemnity of the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass, on the other hand, challenges me to pay attention, to be still and listen, and even to learn a new language!
Interestingly enough, a look at the people who attend Latin Masses today are younger, not older. And they're growing significantly.
As the Church has decided that Church growth instead of intellectual growth is of supreme importance, it does not surprise me that Richard Dawkins makes the best seller list.
Well, it helps that Mr. Dawkins also has lots of friends to help circulate his book and publish it in large quantities. There are many Christian intellectual books out there (particularly by Catholic and Eastern Orthodox authors), but they don't sell quite as well. If one is interested in some Christian books that are both intellectual and engaging, I'd recommend the writings of the late Victorian author G.K. Chesterton. His book "Orthodoxy" is a masterpiece; it was his response to a letter that asked him to describe his creed. "The Ball and the Cross" is also a good one. It's a novel about a rivalry between a Catholic and an atheist in Victorian England and their many attempts to find a decent place to duel. I vividly remember one scene where the two characters are standing on top of a running train, fighting and debating religion at the same time. It was great.
I am under the impression that if I went into a Church and said I was hurting and could find no reason not to end my life, they would recommend me to a counsler instead of dealing with the problem themselves.
Ah, the wonders of the sacrament of confession. The confessional booth is not only a place to confess sin, but also to seek spiritual direction. At least, I have a hard time imagining that my particular church would ever refer someone to a counselor, or even if we believe in counselors, LOL.
If you want to meet new people you better get there way before the service starts as once in ends there is a stampede to get out of there as fast as possible and you are lucky not to be run down in the parking lot.
I've seen this at some churches, but that's certainly not the case with all of them. My church usually has an hour for coffee and donuts after the morning Masses, and few rush out the door in any case. The priest and deacons greet everyone on their way out.
At this kind of church, though, I wouldn't recommend coming early for socializing. Before the Mass, most people are in the pews or one of the shrines or side chapels, kneeling and praying silently. There's no talking in the sanctuary and the nave.
It is not so hard anymore to understand why people are rejecting all this.
Again, it all depends on the individual church. My particular church experiences a lot of growth every year, not only because of large families, but because converts are initiated literally every week, it seems. So many, in fact, that the church spent the last year tearing the facade down so that it could extend the nave by twice its original length, because the Masses were always standing room only (and they still are).
No commercials, no jumbotron screens, no modern music or worship, no gimmicks of any kind. Just the traditional Mass (both Latin and the King's English) and pre-Vatican II style worship and vestments, with an excellent Gregorian, Renaissance and classical musical repertoire, sermons with a deep philosophical and theological foundation, and a variety of ministries to the outside world. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/23/2008 11:33:15 AM | Why do YOU believe is more to the point, seems to me your just trying to wind people up.
So WHY DO you BELIEVE,in GOD or anything else supernatural.
Science deals in facts...theologians deal in opinions.
You say "because most people really do not have a clue to why they believe the way they do"
What gives you the right or where do you get the knowledge which makes your statement fact
Using the names of a couple of philosophers does not add any weight to what you say.
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/23/2008 10:39:06 PM | Jacobus, I like Chesterton and would recommend his unique one of a kind novel "The Man who was Thursday" to everyone. Have not read "Orthodoxy" as of yet, but may get around to it.
Feynman, there are several threads on this forum that deal with the topic why people believe in a God. I have participated in those if you want my answer. As to trying to wind people up, I think that was your intent, not mine. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/24/2008 2:56:16 AM | What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
1. The hypocrisy of the vast majority of them.
2. The inability, or unwillingness, of various sects to give me a satisfactory explanation of why their particular dogma contradicts the Bible.
3. My coming into possession of, and rigorously studying, a Greek New Testament made #1 even more evident, and #2 even harder for them to do. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/24/2008 4:52:29 AM | I love the fact you don't get the answers you where fishing for so everyone is a smartass.
If I put why in enough detail so your closed mind would wrap around it and simple enough so you could understand I would get sick of typing as you would get sick of reading.
This is a question you would need to sit and talk with a person to get a real answer from not just some forum posting.
This is/was a life altering decision for most if not all people that feel this way.
Do you think anyone needs to justify in detail to you or anyone else why they feel this way.
When I as some of faith why they feel this way I get no answer I like so I smartened up, much like you do not seem to be doing, and stop answering.
If you want people to pen up so you can preach to them then give it up.
That is all these threads seem to do any way, many of you don't care why we feel this way you just want to tell us we are wrong and that we need to see things your way. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/24/2008 6:28:56 AM | Most people ignore the Christian faith because it is simply too hard to believe, however.... Many updates or corrections to the Christian faith have been made over the years by certain enlightened people such as Immanuel Swedenborg and Allen Kardec but their writings are mostly ignored by the fundamentalist Christian establishment. To them it was revealed that we are not damned forever for leading an evil life. We might spend an undetermined amount of time (perhaps centuries) in a dark unpleasant place, but eventually, after the weight of our atonement balances with the weight of our wrongdoing, we re-enter earthly life to give it another try. (Jesus recommends that we forgive our transgressors not seven but seventy times seven times, as so often does our Father forgive us) The memory of our previous life or lives is erased while on earth but our intuition serves as our guide in the new attempt.
In witchcraft, shamanism or sorcery, morsels or potions are sometimes used with dramatic effect on those who are to be made victims by them. In one of the gospels we read that Jesus offered a morsel or "sop" to Judas and that a demon thereby entered him whereafter he immediately went to disclose the location of Jesus to the Jewish authorities and the crucifixion followed.
In the Roman Catholic faith we are offered a morsel representing the body and blood of Christ. It is by our faith that this can indeed effect us if we so desire. If we ask that the very nature of Christ should become us it will happen and salvation and a permanent exit from the misery of earthly life are possible. | |
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| What made you decide that Christianity should be ignored?
Posted: 1/24/2008 10:32:06 AM | 1. there was no proof that Jeebus actually existed except for the bible.
2. people dont choose their religion, it's forced upon them as children and told to believe in it
3. too many contradictions
4. when a science theory is discovered to be false...we toss it out. When there is a problem with religion we keep the religion and toss out the thing that makes us question our faith
5. destruction of innocent lives by the church all in the name of god and jeebus, who loves us
6. being told that we have to follow rules and if we dont we will burn in hell for eternity, but god loves us!
7. when they have problems, they make up new rules to fix problems (ie turning Marry into a Virgin because the church wanted to say she wasnt of original sin)
8. saying everything you enjoy is wong | |
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