Religion

[tgwbs]

Something Lhuna said in a recent post of hers made me feel really warm and fuzzy inside. She said she really enjoyed discussing Christianity with me as with no other non-Christian, but I couldn't remember our conversations. I've just remembered little snatches of concepts now, and feel compelled to write about it

Comments

[firefoot_1428]

I guess that I both agree and disagree. At the heart of it, Christianity is about loving relationships, first with God, and then to others. Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself." We are called not to judge but to forgive others - but the saying goes, "Love the sinner, not the sin." There is one story in which a bunch of Pharisees are preparing to stone an adulteress since that was what was called for according to the law under Moses. But Jesus tells them, "If any one of you is without sin let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Of course, this meant that none of the Pharisees was qualified to throw the stone, and eventually, they leave. Then Jesus turns to the woman and says, "Neither do I condemn you." There's the forgiveness. But then he adds, "Go now and leave your life of sin." He doesn't condone what she's done and tells her that it's wrong.

[tgwbs]

Abortion I can understand, as it's a form of murder. Gay marriage, on the other hand, doesn't hurt anybody. It doesn't harm the Christians who oppose it, because it doesn't involve them as people. It doesn't harm their faith, because gays want civil marriage, not religious marriage. It certainly doesn't harm the gays who can actually be treated as a couple vis-à-vis tax, inheritance etc. There is no basis to oppose it in the real world without allowing yourself to be labelled an authoritarian, somebody who bans things with no harmful effects other than that they, personally, find such-and-such a thing distasteful.

[hukbillgoomba]

Well, self improvement is one thing, but to me that is only the first thing that continues even when one concentrates on other aspects. I am of the opinion that the efforts to repair the world, weather they call themselves 'Christian' or not are in fact doing God's work. Likewise, things that call themselves Chirstian are often not doing God's work but contributing to the brokenness of the world.
But I often get criticised for this view, especially by evangelicals who are of the 'everyone should be Christians and therefore any other commands or task are to be put on hold'. Often they go to great lengths to pull down the works of those who want to do something good but don't use the Christian label.
When people say that the authority of Scripture or the centrality of Jesus is in question, actually it's their social, economic and political system that has been built in the name of Jesus that's being threatened. Lurking below some of the more venomous, vitriolic criticism is somebody who's created a facade that's not working.

[formendacil]

"He who will not work, should not eat".

A good rule for your utopia, methinks, Master Jay.

[tgwbs]

Sometimes people are children, elderly, or disabled. Sometimes, there simply aren't enough jobs. Sometimes, there are enough jobs, but the person is not skilled enough. I don't think starving anyone who can't work is a very nice thing to do. :P

[hukbillgoomba]

Hense 'Anyone who WILL NOT work' ie chooses not to. ie lazy bastard. ;p

[lady_wormtongue]

*applause* Well said, sir.

[avatar_sitar]

"But I don't think that's true anymore. What a perfect world really needs is people who strive to be as good as they can be, to root out all their base feelings and help others. Whether they do that due a belief in and desire to serve God, as Lhunbill, or out of humanist principles, like me, doesn't make a difference in the effects on this world