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Author
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Topic: Christianity Is Broken, but Can Be Fixed
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Message 18 of 247 (260167)
11-16-2005 8:17 AM
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Reply to: Message 6 by truthlover
11-15-2005 2:47 PM
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Re: Two questions
quote:
Even welfare is supposed to be a form of insurance, though it's abused a lot.
Is it?
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 6 by truthlover, posted 11-15-2005 2:47 PM | | truthlover has replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Message 19 of 247 (260168)
11-16-2005 8:19 AM
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Reply to: Message 6 by truthlover
11-15-2005 2:47 PM
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Re: Two questions
quote:
The community of faith, also known as the household of God, is supposed to be that way. If I die or am disabled, I know that my family will be taken care of. My friends, together, can bear the loss of my income, whereas my family would not be able to do that on their own. My friends can replace me as father to my children, and while they are not free to replace certain roles I play as husband, they most certainly can provide for the safety, comfort, and emotional security of my wife. (As Ms. Clinton said, it takes a village to raise a child.)
But none of this neccessarily has anything to do with faith.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 6 by truthlover, posted 11-15-2005 2:47 PM | | truthlover has replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Re: Two questions
quote:
Is Welfare supposed to be a form of insurance, or is it abused a lot? I couldn't tell which one you were asking.
Sorry. Is it abused a lot?
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 25 by truthlover, posted 11-16-2005 9:17 AM | | truthlover has replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Re: Two questions
quote:
and I've met enough of them to think it's way too common.
Ouch. That's some sloppy thinking, there, truthlover.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 32 by truthlover, posted 11-16-2005 12:52 PM | | truthlover has replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Message 47 of 247 (260506)
11-17-2005 7:00 AM
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Reply to: Message 40 by Phat
11-16-2005 4:40 PM
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small aside
quote:
even though Jesus said that His kingdom was NOT of this world
Actually, Jesus repeately states that his kingdom is most certainly of this world. At least, that's what a straight reading of Matthew, Mark, and Luke depict; that the second coming would be very soon and he would be a big military hero, leading his people to victory over their current oppressors and enemies. It isn't until Mark, which was written quite a few generations after Jesus's death and is clearly a very different gospel to the others, that folks started to figure out that Jesus probably wasn't actually coming back anytime soon, so they started to tweak the story to make it more symbolic and stress the "spiritual kingdom" rather than a literal one.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 40 by Phat, posted 11-16-2005 4:40 PM | | Phat has not replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Message 48 of 247 (260508)
11-17-2005 7:02 AM
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Reply to: Message 42 by Buzsaw
11-16-2005 7:22 PM
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Re: Is It Working?
quote:
Imo, the best way to judge as to how Christianity is doing is to observe nations of the planet. Which of the nations would you want to live, work, prosper and worship freely in?
Sweden It's better than the US in many aspects.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 42 by Buzsaw, posted 11-16-2005 7:22 PM | | Buzsaw has not replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Message 49 of 247 (260509)
11-17-2005 7:03 AM
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Reply to: Message 42 by Buzsaw
11-16-2005 7:22 PM
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Re: Is It Working?
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For the past two centuries, largely Protestant USA has been the place most want to come to. Come from where? From nations which have not, for the most part had the percentage of Biblical fundamentalist Christians as the good ole US of A has.
Buz, have you ever actually done any traveling? I have. Have you ever actually ever been to Europe? I have. Do you have any European friends or aquaintences that you have spoken to about this? I have. What you are ignorant of regarding this issue, and what you refuse to be corrected on regarding this issue by people who know far better than you about the subject, is a lot. This message has been edited by schrafinator, 11-17-2005 07:05 AM
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 42 by Buzsaw, posted 11-16-2005 7:22 PM | | Buzsaw has not replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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quote:
The children of Christians should be noticeably better students, not necessarily in grades, but in attentiveness, obedience, respectfulness, and behavior in and out of class. They should be noticeably hospitable, noted as helpful. As a group, it should be obvious to locals that the church can be counted on as a place for assistance, warmth, hospitality, and excellent advice and counseling for life, even from the untrained members of the church. The church, meaning the community of believers, should be a place where loneliness is banished, where children are well-adjusted, confident, happy, and free. You should be able to trust its members in business, knowing their word is as good as any signed contract. They should also be recognizable as family, as close and as responsible for one another as the closest families you know, whether or not they were physically born into the same families, because, after all, they are the household of God. Surely the household of God should be recognizable as an awesome family with well-adjusted and admirable members.
Do you know what you have just described? Something very similar to a typical, individual, family and community in Japan. In Japan, the majority of people are not especially religious at all, and by far the major religions are Buddhism and Shinto, with a large majority of people practicing both.
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 62 by truthlover, posted 11-17-2005 12:32 PM | | truthlover has replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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Message 95 of 247 (261104)
11-18-2005 7:30 PM
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Reply to: Message 70 by jar
11-17-2005 2:30 PM
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Re: Stepping in where perhaps I should not
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The YEC movement is one of willfull ignorance. The Defense of Marriage movement is one of bigotry and oppression. The Salvation movement is one of exclusion and intolerance. The presentation of Christianity as proclaimed by televangelists and pulpit is of hate, despair and destruction.
What would you call the "Promise Keepers" movement, jar?
| This message is a reply to: | | | Message 70 by jar, posted 11-17-2005 2:30 PM | | jar has replied |
| Replies to this message: | | | Message 97 by jar, posted 11-18-2005 7:36 PM | | nator has not replied |
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nator
Member (Idle past 2200 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: 12-09-2001
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quote:
Good for them. I hope that if this is true, then someone's noticing and America is trying to make some changes to be like them.
You mean like starting to practice Buddhism and Shinto?
quote:
If Christ's message is true, then his people should be favorably comparable even to them. If they aren't, then it isn't.
My point was that it is a cultural thing, of which religion is just a single part, that promotes such behavior in Japan. Much of it wouldn't work here because while "sameness", homogeniety, and subservience to a rather strict social hierarchy is normal in Japan, individuality, personal pride, and a pioneer spirit is valued here.
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