Christianity is already too big. Hindooo/Muslim and Christianity should let startup religions survive and not use their power to create monopolies. If Jesus is not satisfied with 2 Billion followers, He will never be satisfied as greed has no end.He should instead work best to "save them" as proselytize dummies claim.
I think Walmart sells remote control water buckets to place over the door for the Jehovah's Witnesses. You can use your cell phone bluetooth to trigger them from inside.
It seems they have hired Korean folks to harass random people(They have pastors of every ex-religion converts and languages, including Punjabi Sikhs) with pretty pathetic pitch " Succumb to Jesus or you go to hell, Jesus is only savior".
The downside to Christianity is you do have to get out and stump for Jesus. But on the upside for humanity, they wont chop your head off, if you don't convert. Nor will do any honor killings, or throw acid in unsuspecting people's faces. Where as Catholicism, the Priest doesn't command everyone to go spread the gospel, but they do expect their VIG. Just thank them for doing their duty, and send them on their way.
Christianity is already too big. Hindooo/Muslim and Christianity should let startup religions survive and not use their power to create monopolies.
Now maybe, and I'm just thinking out loud here. But perhaps you moved to the wrong fucking country, if you're put out by other people's Religion. It's one of the tenets of our Constitution. It's quite possibly why an angry mob hasn't formed in the street and ran you out of town on pole.
The downside to Christianity is you do have to get out and stump for Jesus. But on the upside for humanity, they wont chop your head off, if you don't convert. Nor will do any honor killings, or throw acid in unsuspecting people's faces.
It was exactly this that gave me new respect for Christianity after 9/11.
Christianity is an inoculation against Islam. A believing Christian will not become a Muslim. And that's a wonderful thing for humanity.
God’s biggest problem is that He has to deal with people. And people can be a real mess. Even people who believe might be terrible at getting the truth out there. And it sounds like what the Sikh proselytizer said was actually offensive to you. Pity. If you’re actually interested in what Christians are suppose to believe, read a New Testament. If you’re still meh about it, then no big deal. At least you learned something and are better informed.
- the first five books (the Torah) - Ecclesiastes - Ezekiel (wtf?) - the Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, after that it's kind meh imho)
I can see how the Torah and Gospel would really inspire people. Ecclesiastes is more in line with my own real opinions. Ezekiel describes aliens landing and moving around. Can't explain that.
I read the Koran too and found it extremely tedious and hectoring. "Believe or burn in hell" over and over.
What will really blow your mind is where the older books appear to foretell the coming of Jesus. They even got specifics correct about his birth and his death: born in Bethlehem, died from a spear thrust but none of his bones were broken. And keep in mind that these were written more than a thousand years apart. Even Job said something prescient in the midst of his tortures: “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.” Job 19:25 NIV
Anti Trust laws improve competition and not destroy it.
Does that mean if only 10% of the population is Communist or Socialist, the Government gets to pick people at random and tells 10% of them to join the Naxalite party in the spirit of "Antitrust"?
Big difference between a Corporate Monopoly in an industry, and personal beliefs.
the older books appear to foretell the coming of Jesus
Well, yes, but cynical me suspects people may have played with the texts to make things work out to justify Christianity. Hard to tell from a 2,000 year distance.
Jesus greedy for followers? That's a new one. First I enjoy hanving spirited debates with the sort you ran into. You have to have some fun with it and take it for what it is. They genuinely think they are doing The Lord's work.
Religions are run by men (and women) they all have their merits and their faults. The teachings of Jesus, like other enlightened before or after him, are timeless. For me personally, he truly was the Son of God. Knowing that having a personal relationship with him has brought me much Joy. I want others to know who Jesus is so they can experience the same Joy. The joy of living simply. Of serving your fellow man. Of knowing your loved. Of striving to be a better person.
Even if you don't belive Jeuse was the Savior, that's OK. Seek your own truth. Agree or disagree. I respect your right to worship a you wish. So does my chosen faith. (Roman Catholicim)
"The Church's bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:
All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .
The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life."
-CCC sec 842 & 843
We have far more in common than not. Truth is truth irrespective of the faith through which it is found. I am not God so I cannot presume your fate after leaving this realm anymore than I can presume my own. God is infinite. God is merciful. And therfore there are many paths to salvation. For me I try to follow Jesus example. I like his message, irrespective of how it's been perverted and coopted over the years for political gain and personal glory. He's my savior and if you belive that too, great. If not thats fine also. Just treat your fellow human being well and the rest will work itself out in his time by his plan. To each their own.
Nobody knows what happens after death. It’s the Great Mystery that humans have attempted to explain in myriad different ways for millennia. Although I am a follower of Christ, I am not slavish to Christian religion dogma. The Bible is a collection of stories about God’s interaction with people and their interactions with each other. It’s unique from other religious texts in one important aspect: the heroes of the Bible are treated as the fully human and very flawed people who we can all recognize in ourselves. The stories are full of people making mistakes, even participating in bad or evil actions. Sometimes these are the very giants of the faith who are frequently cited as heroes of the faith. Yet their flaws and mistakes aren’t covered up but rather highlighted by the text. And the text was written over the course of thousands of years, not all at once by one camel herder with an epiphany. Further, the veracity of the stories have been proven over and over with archaeological evidence that’s been uncovered over the centuries.
That said, I don’t believe that the Bible flat out says that you have to be a Christian or baptized or any of that to escape damnation. Even as Jesus was dying on the cross, a thief who was crucified next to him stated his belief in Him and Jesus assured him of a place in His kingdom. That’s the model: relinquish control and accept the infinite Grace, receive salvation. The hard part comes later when you try to use Jesus as a model for your own behavior. 99% of people can’t manage anything close.
Different belief systems may also contain elements of the truth. Like the five blind men examining the elephant, one might find the tail and compare it to a snake, or the foot and compare it to a pillar. Still another might examine the broad side and declare that the elephant is like a wall. Who is correct? Well they all are, sort of.
Same with religions. It’s man’s attempt to understand the mind of God. It’s doomed to failure, just as surely as an ant could never understand how to build a microchip. That’s why faith is so important. We can’t understand the entirety of this baffling universe in which we live. But we can have faith that there’s a guiding Presence which has a reason for it all, and cares for us, and has a place for us and something for us to do after death. Whether that’s an eternity of harp strumming (cartoonish) or reincarnation or something even beyond our wildest imaginations, we will all find out someday. In the meantime, humility is very important, as everything we know about the universe is still such a tiny amount.
Then we generally agree. I'm not a fundamental Bible thumper, but I understand why they do what they do. Sorry thoes types annoy you. As I say, the few times they've tried to pester me, I've had some fun with it.
Should they be harassing people? Of course not. Do they give Christanity as a whole a bad name... obviously that's your perspective, and I can't exactly disagree. They can be annoying for sure.
How is it better than the sword? Well at least if they try to stop me on the corner I can politely ignore them and go on my way without being (physically) assaulted and covered in my own blood.
Christianity, like many faiths, is fractured and has been for centuries. I'm not going to convince a religious zealot the follies of his / her ways. If they want to stand on a street corner yelling that the apocalypse is nigh and were are all dammed for eternity if we do not repent... let them yell.
How is it better than the sword? Well at least if they try to stop me on the corner I can politely ignore them and go on my way without being (physically) assaulted and covered in my own blood.
Yes, that.
I'll take Christian fundamentalists over Muslim fundamentalists any day.
The religious landscape of the United States continues to change at a rapid clip. In Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade.
Only part of the calculation; the non-religious are way under the replacement birthrate; the religious are well above 2.1, some even at 3 or more.
got inconveniently caught up with "proselytize Christian idiots" somewhere in bay area. It seems they have hired Korean folks to harass random people
Korean converts are fairly outgoing about expressing their faith. I worked at a Christian camp in upstate New York one summer during college, and we had a Korean church up there for a week. They were VERY big on prayer and emotion. So I think your problem is with the Korean church, although they are certainly not the only group who proselytizes.
I also did some of that during another summer, but I'm a quite guy, so my approach was to talk about God as an organic part of 1-on-1 conversations, and I found most people to be very receptive.
I understand why many take the fire insurance route when it comes to proselytizing, but it's certainly not the only way to share Christ with someone.
invite response
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election2020 says
Only wimps fear competition.
The downside to Christianity is you do have to get out and stump for Jesus.
But on the upside for humanity, they wont chop your head off, if you don't convert. Nor will do any honor killings, or throw acid in unsuspecting people's faces.
Where as Catholicism, the Priest doesn't command everyone to go spread the gospel, but they do expect their VIG.
Just thank them for doing their duty, and send them on their way.
election2020 says
Now maybe, and I'm just thinking out loud here. But perhaps you moved to the wrong fucking country, if you're put out by other people's Religion.
It's one of the tenets of our Constitution. It's quite possibly why an angry mob hasn't formed in the street and ran you out of town on pole.
It was exactly this that gave me new respect for Christianity after 9/11.
Christianity is an inoculation against Islam. A believing Christian will not become a Muslim. And that's a wonderful thing for humanity.
The most impressive parts were:
- the first five books (the Torah)
- Ecclesiastes
- Ezekiel (wtf?)
- the Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, after that it's kind meh imho)
I can see how the Torah and Gospel would really inspire people. Ecclesiastes is more in line with my own real opinions. Ezekiel describes aliens landing and moving around. Can't explain that.
I read the Koran too and found it extremely tedious and hectoring. "Believe or burn in hell" over and over.
“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth.”
Job 19:25 NIV
Does that mean if only 10% of the population is Communist or Socialist, the Government gets to pick people at random and tells 10% of them to join the Naxalite party in the spirit of "Antitrust"?
Big difference between a Corporate Monopoly in an industry, and personal beliefs.
I had not heard of them, thanks. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Naxalite
Shaman says
Well, yes, but cynical me suspects people may have played with the texts to make things work out to justify Christianity. Hard to tell from a 2,000 year distance.
Tell them to go kick rocks.
After 9/11, that nonsense stopped.
Religions are run by men (and women) they all have their merits and their faults. The teachings of Jesus, like other enlightened before or after him, are timeless. For me personally, he truly was the Son of God. Knowing that having a personal relationship with him has brought me much Joy. I want others to know who Jesus is so they can experience the same Joy. The joy of living simply. Of serving your fellow man. Of knowing your loved. Of striving to be a better person.
Even if you don't belive Jeuse was the Savior, that's OK. Seek your own truth. Agree or disagree. I respect your right to worship a you wish. So does my chosen faith. (Roman Catholicim)
"The Church's bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:
All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .
The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life."
-CCC sec 842 & 843
We have far more in common than not. Truth is truth irrespective of the faith through which it is found. I am not God so I cannot presume your fate after leaving this realm anymore than I can presume my own. God is infinite. God is merciful. And therfore there are many paths to salvation. For me I try to follow Jesus example. I like his message, irrespective of how it's been perverted and coopted over the years for political gain and personal glory. He's my savior and if you belive that too, great. If not thats fine also. Just treat your fellow human being well and the rest will work itself out in his time by his plan. To each their own.
That said, I don’t believe that the Bible flat out says that you have to be a Christian or baptized or any of that to escape damnation. Even as Jesus was dying on the cross, a thief who was crucified next to him stated his belief in Him and Jesus assured him of a place in His kingdom. That’s the model: relinquish control and accept the infinite Grace, receive salvation. The hard part comes later when you try to use Jesus as a model for your own behavior. 99% of people can’t manage anything close.
Different belief systems may also contain elements of the truth. Like the five blind men examining the elephant, one might find the tail and compare it to a snake, or the foot and compare it to a pillar. Still another might examine the broad side and declare that the elephant is like a wall. Who is correct? Well they all are, sort of.
Same with religions. It’s man’s attempt to understand the mind of God. It’s doomed to failure, just as surely as an ant could never understand how to build a microchip. That’s why faith is so important. We can’t understand the entirety of this baffling universe in which we live. But we can have faith that there’s a guiding Presence which has a reason for it all, and cares for us, and has a place for us and something for us to do after death. Whether that’s an eternity of harp strumming (cartoonish) or reincarnation or something even beyond our wildest imaginations, we will all find out someday. In the meantime, humility is very important, as everything we know about the universe is still such a tiny amount.
Then we generally agree. I'm not a fundamental Bible thumper, but I understand why they do what they do. Sorry thoes types annoy you. As I say, the few times they've tried to pester me, I've had some fun with it.
Should they be harassing people? Of course not. Do they give Christanity as a whole a bad name... obviously that's your perspective, and I can't exactly disagree. They can be annoying for sure.
How is it better than the sword? Well at least if they try to stop me on the corner I can politely ignore them and go on my way without being (physically) assaulted and covered in my own blood.
Christianity, like many faiths, is fractured and has been for centuries. I'm not going to convince a religious zealot the follies of his / her ways. If they want to stand on a street corner yelling that the apocalypse is nigh and were are all dammed for eternity if we do not repent... let them yell.
Yes, that.
I'll take Christian fundamentalists over Muslim fundamentalists any day.
Look at Africa, they kidnap girls from schools and rape them.
Only part of the calculation; the non-religious are way under the replacement birthrate; the religious are well above 2.1, some even at 3 or more.
Korean converts are fairly outgoing about expressing their faith. I worked at a Christian camp in upstate New York one summer during college, and we had a Korean church up there for a week. They were VERY big on prayer and emotion. So I think your problem is with the Korean church, although they are certainly not the only group who proselytizes.
I also did some of that during another summer, but I'm a quite guy, so my approach was to talk about God as an organic part of 1-on-1 conversations, and I found most people to be very receptive.
I understand why many take the fire insurance route when it comes to proselytizing, but it's certainly not the only way to share Christ with someone.