by Seeker 19 Replies latest jw friends
Methinks that all faiths are NOT the same....methinks also that all faiths are fine just as they are...as different as the land that they come from.
ashi
p.s.-to believe as christians we but need to believe in christ, and to believe in christ we but need two needs;
love of neighbor
love of God
ashi
Rex,
With you it should be a 'no-brainer', so I assume your intent is the usual desire to reinforce your own decisions in life.My intent was to post a quote, and add no further comments other than my title. My point was that this very attitude is why certain types of Christians are disliked. I'm not saying who's right, just how it is perceived.
I'm well aware that these conservative types are doing just what the Bible says. I give you credit, you stick directly to the Word. Jesus is the one who it is reported to have said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." These guys are merely taking him at his word.
That saying is also, just in my opinion mind you, why I find Jesus to have been prejudiced. By saying 'my way is the way to life,' the implication is clear that all other ways lead to death. From that one can extrapolate that everyone else deserves death. And from that comes prejudice, thinking my way is better than their way, and therefore I am more approved of by God, and therefore I am better. I find that thinking flawed (unless, of course, it is absolutely true, in which case it is true, and merely arrogant-sounding, but accurate). Since there are so many reasons to doubt the Bible as God's word (again, this is my opinion, and I know you disagree), I find such reasoning to be undeservedly arrogant and prejudice-forming.
And that is why so many people dislike conservative, fundamentalist Christians. The rest of us can tell that we are looked down upon, even if they are not doing it on a conscious level. Jesus' prejudicial teaching tells them so.
religous zealots =
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
—Edmund Burke
Ha-Ha-HA!TR you are funny!I hope Fred comes to visit you...OUTLAW
Outlaw,
I'm afraid ol Fred has stood me up. I asked he/she/it several times to dinner, but he/she/it refuses to acknowledge. Very poor manners.
TR
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
—Edmund Burke
and 9 times out of 10 it is the conservative Christians who lie cheat steal but yet have a holier than thou attitude.
"I don't want someone in my life I can live with, I want someone in my life I can't live without."
joint worship violates their belief that Christianity is the only true faith
Seeker,
Replace "Christianity" in the above quote with "Islam," "Buddhism", or any number of other religious beliefs and the quote would hold. It goes with the territory of being in a religion. Every now and then in my part of the woods you might see a TV commercial on Saturday night that says "go to the church of your choice," but it's still talking about a specific religion, and a fundamental one at that.
I had a brief discussion with the owner of a bookstore at a Christian college a couple of weeks ago. He was courteous and warm and the conversation between us went well although we didn't reach common ground. For one thing, I couldn't get him to explain to me why god was so capricious, why he loved Americans so much and people of other countries so poorly; why folks like Native Americans who never heard of his Jesus will burn forever in hell.
His answer was that it is simply enough that God would favor anyone at all. I was nonplussed.
After catching my breath, I told him that I intend to treat MY children a bit differently than god has treated his. As long as I'm alive they won't have to wonder how I feel about certain things and whether or not I love them or will act to help them when they need it; and if I can't be with them in person, I will leave words behind that are clear and unambiguous.
"Well, you're not god," he said, or something equally profound. We parted amicably, but he couldn't help telling me that he hoped that I would come to my senses before it was too late -- that it was up to me where I spent eternity. I shook my head.
Christianity is the only true faith, y' know.
Yes, Islam and Christianity are the two major world religions that believe not only that they are the one true faith (that's fairly common among religions), but that they need to convert the world and all those who don't convert are worthy of death.
Now Islam carries this out by believing there will be a constant state of war between the believers and the unbelievers, and the more conservative members among them are more than willing to begin this war right now.
Christianity merely waits for their God to do the killing for them (unless you are an abortion doctor, in which case the more conservative members among Christianity are more than willing to begin this war right now).
Not surprisingly, conservative Islam is also disliked. For similar reasons.
TJ
'joint worship violates their belief that Christianity is the only true faith' While it is true that islam also would fit in the above sentence, hinduism, buddhism and pagan religions wouldn't. Lower level hindues may be exclusivist, but these systems are all 'open'. In fact i read a hindu article that claimed ALL roads ultimately will lead to god, because he/it is at the end and the beginning of everything.
May you have cheese
SS
Hi SS,
I've no idea who or how many are saved in any denomination. I also try to interpret scripture by other scripture, some churches just don't do that. So be it. If they teach error that will be dealt with on an individual basis.
Seeker,
I inderstand what you are saying and where we disagree. In fact, you won't see the Christian view until you are called by God to do so. Maybe even now He is working on you! He worked my life around through His will for forty plus years before my eyes were opened. My epiphany came the moment that I realized the deity of Christ, that Christians had always worshipped Him, that the jews expected a divine messiah. Taking off the Watchtower blinders did it for me.
True Christianity preaches a gospel of redemption and doesn't make war to achieve dominance, regardless of who people want to pin the handle 'Christian' on, to the detriment of those who honestly try to live by the Word. The whole point to armageddon is the disposal of the oppressors and their cohorts.
Two Prominent Views:
1) The main purpose of the great tribulation is that everyone living at that time will have a choice between following the 'lamb of God' or following the antichrist. Judgement is reserved for the wicked and you can figure out the definition of that. HE has the right to judge His creation and to set the rules for YOU to follow.
2) The second view is that the world is gradually going to get better and better for it's citizens as it is converted to Christianity and that Christ's return will be to a world that has been brought under His rulership in peace. The book of Revelation was basically fulfilled during the Roman era and the imagery is primarily of a worship service. The great trib occurred in the destruction of Israel, which took seven years. This is called 'dominionism'.
NO, you are not to be looked down upon. A Christian should be viewing anyone who is not Christian as someone to be prayed for and helped by every means possible. We know that 'for the grace of God go I'.
We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. A Christian has put faith in Christ in order to have His perfection imputed on him/her. God calls those He has predestined, He justifies those whom He has called, and He glorifies those He has justified.
HE does it all, from the 'calling', right down to giving us the desire to serve Him for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.
TJ,
I don't agree with all of the conclusions here, but this might provide some answers that you are looking for:
Election, who is called and why, how universal is it?:
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/choosejews.html
Problem of Evil:
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/gr5part1.html
God calls whom He calls and for His own reasons, all are not called yet Christ's sacrifice covers the sin of all who accept the calling. You merely assume that groups such as the American indians have not had an opportunity to find God. You've no idea what conviction and redemption has occurred by natural means and God speaking directly to people who had not heard the gospel.
Don't take this wrong, but I think you are constantly looking for racism as an excuse to blame God for your own lack of faith. Let's remember, Christianity was not founded by western civilization nor by white men. Paul shows clearly in Romans that all men are equally condemned and none are excused by alleging 'not to have heard' the gospel.
Lilacs,
Yes, Christians are still imperfect, just like you. However, you haven't been where they began and have no idea the lengths they have gone to become a little closer to Christ, nor how far they have to go to get there.
You also evidece a Christian by his works as to whether ot not he is a true Christian. Using any apparent hypocrisy is nothing but a cop out.
Rex
