I only write un-fun things these days.

Aug 16, 2009 21:16

It occurs to me that although many people consider themselves some form of Christian, the idea of "Christianity" is rather broad one these days, often contradicting in nature. There are a number of denominations that argue semantics like diet and how exactly one gets into heaven, and a lot of related religions like Mormonism or Jehovah's Witnesses ( Read more... )

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ogawaburukku August 17 2009, 04:55:44 UTC
I think technically in Christianity you could murder 15 people and on your deathbed pray, saying you believe in Jesus and that you confess that you had sinned and ask for forgiveness and acceptance, etc, then you're good to go. Christianity is the easiest religion ever (thus why it is so popular ( ... )

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topleka August 17 2009, 05:48:36 UTC
I say there are no "good" people because Jesus specifically said "Only the Father in heaven is good." Basically indicating that good should only imply perfection.

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topleka August 17 2009, 05:51:22 UTC
Addendum: Christianity is easy because...well, it's from God. It's not about earning points or anything. It's just about faith. I think people try to complicate matters too much by trying to earn or pay their way into whatever afterlife they have in mind.

And I think people who fear the wrath of God don't fully understand that He's essentially a living definition of love. I do what I believe is right because I love, not because I'm afraid of what might happen to me if I'm bad.

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ogawaburukku August 17 2009, 06:01:51 UTC
Well... I disagree, because Islam and Judaism are the same God, but the religions are slightly more demanding than Christianity. There is no food we can and can't eat, we don't have to pray facing any specific direction, we are not expected to make any great pilgrimage, etc etc etc. But that's general and not getting into the different sects, yada yada.

I say "we" because although I'm probably agnostic I was raised Christian.

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topleka August 17 2009, 06:14:09 UTC
I consider the rituals of Judaism to be the foundation of Christianity. But Christian faith doesn't follow those rituals any more, as Jesus said he came to "fulfill the law." So the having to sacrifice to pay for breaking the law and such was changed because of what Jesus did. He essentially broke down the Mosaic law into two basic principles, "Love the Lord your God," and "Love your neighbor as yourself." Peter was given divine revelation that there was no such thing as banned food. And Paul preached against following the "old law" of circumcision because people doing that were trying to earn points with God by doing "works."

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ogawaburukku August 17 2009, 09:24:42 UTC
Well, yeah, afterall Jesus was a Jew, he wasn't a Christian. I think only an idiot would deny that Christianity is based off/branches off from Judaism ( ... )

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topleka August 17 2009, 15:39:46 UTC
I think the Ten Commandments can be put under the umbrella of the two that Jesus said. Like no stealing, no murder, no lying are "love your neighbor as yourself," and no idol worship and keep the Lord's day holy are "love the Lord your God."

Jesus was also very big on not judging others. He ate with those labeled sinners and got incredibly angry at the leaders of the religious sects. It's so weird, because a lot of people under the Christian banner these days are really keen to point out sins in others who aren't Christian. I think that if someone is a Christian, you should confront them about what you think they're doing wrong. But if they're not a Christian, you really should only make it known that you disagree and then move on with your life.

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ogawaburukku August 18 2009, 00:19:19 UTC
Oh, I see what you mean by summing it up in two big rules.

Yeah, I've always thought that was weird. One reason I started fading out from organized religion was because I was picked on at youth groups more than anywhere else when I was in middle school, and yet when it came time for prayers or whatever the kids would all act like they were such good Christians, etc etc. Or at school my friend told a Chinese friend that she was going to hell because she was Buddhist (that was the angriest I ever got at her, I think). Once I got told I was a bad Christian because I didn't want to join the Christian club at school, because it was full of people who tried to guilt others into becoming Christian.

Really, I think Christianity is a great religion, but it has some nutty followers. I still consider myself Christian in a lot of ways because I think the teachings are spot on and I live my life under their influence. But I'm sometimes ashamed to be associated with such hate-filled people sometimes.

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atomicteresa August 17 2009, 16:52:24 UTC
Believing isn't easy at all! It's hard to believe in affirmative action if you've already convinced yourself it's wrong. It's hard to believe in Santa Claus after the guy with the beard turns out to be your dad. It's hard to suddenly believe in foreign texts about incredible miracles, strange concepts of morality, and an omnipotent deity named Vishnu.

Easy would be something like writing your name in a registry. The human mind being the flawed thing it is, belief is a pretty steep requirement, compared to the simple demands most rituals make of a flawed human body. I'd sooner do the donations and good deeds than try to change someone's fundamental beliefs.

I'm afraid of what might happen to others if they're bad. Whether mental state or physical destination, I wouldn't condemn anyone to eternal suffering. Coming from an Earth where sinners already live great lives, I don't see why God can't grant bad guys a more comfortable Hell.

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ogawaburukku August 18 2009, 00:36:24 UTC
I think nowadays it is especially hard to believe in God because science is answering a lot of our questions that could have been answered by just saying "Oh, it's the work of God", etc ( ... )

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ogawaburukku August 17 2009, 06:03:38 UTC
Well, in THAT case Jesus isn't good, depending on your thoughts on whether he's the son of God or one in the same. Jesus was a modest Joe.

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topleka August 17 2009, 06:16:12 UTC
Modest when he washed people's feet. Less modest when he claimed to be God incarnate. Then again, it's not bragging if it's true. I do believe that he and God are the same God, but also two distinct beings.

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