Leaving Christianity

[loverofhumanity]

As a Baha’i I never ever left Christianity, I just added the other religions and all humankind to my family. I love Jesus and the Bible more now as a Baha’i than when I was a devout Christian.

I extended my family to embrace every religion and human on earth so that none are excluded and all are seen as equals. Now instead of just having a Bible I also have the Dhammapadda, the Zend Avesta, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Quran and the Baha’i Writings along with anything good written by anyone promoting the best interests of humanity religious or atheist it does not matter.

I no longer have to go around rejecting people on grounds they’re not ‘saved’ or are ‘infidels’. World fellowship and universal brotherhood are for this day and age.

 

[Mock Turtle]

When one looks at the numbers of people walking away from Christianity it will only be so long till it becomes another one of those micro religions. The message of Christ is life changing for those who have embraced it, but I believe time has moved on. If one looks back in human history there has always been messengers from God and its my conviction that Bahá'u'lláh the founder of the Bahai faith has a more relevant message. Its a message of bringing people together. We are one people living on one planet. "With all the segregation that religion has caused no wonder people are walking away. Bit like 2 flees fighting over who own the dog they live on"

Nowt wrong with bringing people together, but perhaps best done by ditching all the religions - what could be fairer than that?

 

[Trailblazer]

Nowt wrong with bringing people together, but perhaps best done by ditching all the religions - what could be fairer than that?

How would that work though, in the real world? How would that bring people together if everyone went their own way and did their own thing and believed something different?

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Nowt wrong with bringing people together, but perhaps best done by ditching all the religions - what could be fairer than that?

That thought has a sound foundation, it has already been suggested by Abdul'baha;

In one of His talks in Paris, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:

"...Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it would be better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure, but if the remedy only aggravates the complaint, it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion..." Bahá'í Reference Library - Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, Pages 158-160

Regards Tony

 

[Trailblazer]

Just finished reading an amazing bool: "Leaving Christianity to Follow Jesus" By James Jones

A great read for all those who are keen to follow the teachings of Christ but are sick of all the religious bull **** in the Church. RECOMMENDED.

https://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Christianity-Follow-Jesus-Revolution/dp/099764110X

I never left Christianity because I was never a Christian... My first religion was the Bahai Faith.

One cannot be BOTH a Christian and a Baha'i because the doctrines of the Church that Jesus is the Only Way and that the same man Jesus is going to return are diametrically opposed to Baha'i beliefs. One must believe in Jesus to be a Baha'i though, that is a requirement... But there is a big difference between believing in Jesus and being a Christian.

 

[Mock Turtle]

How would that work though, in the real world? How would that bring people together if everyone went their own way and did their own thing and believed something different?

Well, taking away the differences between them would surely be a start - and then we can all work on the necessary bits to ensure that we were all on the same page - that is, humans on the one planet, and if we this up then we don't get a second chance - probably. Perhaps knocking a few heads together to realise this might motivate many? Plus the fact that very few would see many differences in the consensus view of morality. And aiming towards a fairer society for all might even improve matters considerably - so perhaps a world government beckons - not that this is remotely on the cards at the moment. Perhaps it will take a major catastrophe to initiate all this though, even if it was possible. What are the alternative futures though?

 

[Mock Turtle]

That thought has a sound foundation, it has already been suggested by Abdul'baha;

In one of His talks in Paris, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:

"...Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it would be better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure, but if the remedy only aggravates the complaint, it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion..." Bahá'í Reference Library - Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, Pages 158-160

Regards Tony

Quite. Religions might be founded in all good faith for the betterment of mankind but the results have not exactly conformed with expectations.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Quite. Religions might be founded in all good faith for the betterment of mankind but the results have not exactly conformed with expectations.

If we look at history, all Faiths had a golden age where the growth and spread of the Faith was a positive influence.

What we must come to know that just as the world has seasons, so does Religion also have seasons.

It is in ther depth of winter that the spring of a new Message appears.

Regards Tony

 

[Mock Turtle]

If we look at history, all Faiths had a golden age where the growth and spread of the Faith was a positive influence.

What we must come to know that just as the world has seasons, so does Religion also have seasons.

It is in ther depth of winter that the spring of a new Message appears.

Regards Tony

They all seem to follow much the same path though - disputes over what the original message was, alternative forms of the faith then starting up, much of the original message queried and/or altered, conflicts between the various different forms, etc. I mean, this could almost be predicted for each and every different faith when there just isn't any concrete evidence upon which they are founded. The mere numbers of different faiths set me off away from religions when I was very young - I just didn't see any logic to it - and nothing has changed. No evidence has come before my scrutiny to effect change one little bit over all my life. That is why I am so against religions in general - they just tend to cause us more bother than they are worth.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

They all seem to follow much the same path though - disputes over what the original message was, alternative forms of the faith then starting up, much of the original message queried and/or altered, conflicts between the various different forms, etc. I mean, this could almost be predicted for each and every different faith when there just isn't any concrete evidence upon which they are founded. The mere numbers of different faiths set me off away from religions when I was very young - I just didn't see any logic to it - and nothing has changed. No evidence has come before my scrutiny to effect change one little bit over all my life. That is why I am so against religions in general - they just tend to cause us more bother than they are worth.

It can definitly be seen that way. In the end it is our own actions that define who we are and if we are true to what we claim to be.

Regards Tony.

 

[ecco]

There will always be people that build their house on sand;

"Matthew 7:24-27 - Building on a Solid Foundation - 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

This is the journey in Faith. Only God knows our heart.

Regards Tony

Hmmm...

 

[TransmutingSoul]

Hmmm...

You will have to research what the foundations were.

Regards Tony

 

[ecco]

That thought has a sound foundation, it has already been suggested by Abdul'baha;

In one of His talks in Paris, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said:

"...Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it would be better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure, but if the remedy only aggravates the complaint, it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion..." Bahá'í Reference Library - Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, Pages 158-160

Regards Tony

From your link: (my emphases)

.” … Therefore we must exercise the utmost love toward one another. We must not consider any people the people of Satan, but know and recognize all as servants of one God. At most it is this: some do not know, they must be guided and trained. … Some are ignorant, they must be informed. Some are as children, they must be helped to reach maturity. Some are ailing, their moral condition is bad, they must be treated until their morals are purified. But the sick man is not to be hated because he is sick; the child must not be shunned because he is a child, the ignorant one is not to be despised because he lacks knowledge. They must be treated, educated, trained and assisted in love. Everything must be done in order that all humanity may live under the shadow of God in the utmost security, in happiness of the highest type.

Those are the same beliefs and sentiments of...

Hebrews trying to spread their word to their entire world.
Early Christians trying to spread the word to their entire world.
Mohammed trying to spread Islam to his entire world.
Crusaders trying to spread Christianity into the Middle East.
That's not different than the Conquistadors trying to spread Christianity into South America.
Luther toward the Jews.
"Americans" forcing Indian children into Christian schools.
​

Same old religious BS: Just Unite under Me and My God and Live Happily Ever After.​

 

[TransmutingSoul]

From your link: (my emphases)

.” … Therefore we must exercise the utmost love toward one another. We must not consider any people the people of Satan, but know and recognize all as servants of one God. At most it is this: some do not know, they must be guided and trained. … Some are ignorant, they must be informed. Some are as children, they must be helped to reach maturity. Some are ailing, their moral condition is bad, they must be treated until their morals are purified. But the sick man is not to be hated because he is sick; the child must not be shunned because he is a child, the ignorant one is not to be despised because he lacks knowledge. They must be treated, educated, trained and assisted in love. Everything must be done in order that all humanity may live under the shadow of God in the utmost security, in happiness of the highest type.

Those are the same beliefs and sentiments of...

Hebrews trying to spread their word to their entire world.
Early Christians trying to spread the word to their entire world.
Mohammed trying to spread Islam to his entire world.
Crusaders trying to spread Christianity into the Middle East.
That's not different than the Conquistadors trying to spread Christianity into South America.
Luther toward the Jews.
"Americans" forcing Indian children into Christian schools.
​

Same old religious BS: Just Unite under Me and My God and Live Happily Ever After.​

Great thing is you always get to choose as God has never taken away your choice.

Regards Tony

 

[ecco]

You will have to research what the foundations were.

Regards Tony

Matthew 7:24-27 does not discuss what the foundations were, he talks about on what the foundations were built: Rock vs Sand

because it had its foundation on the rock ... vs ... built his house on sand.​

But you knew that, didn't you.

 

[ecco]

Great thing is you always get to choose as God has never taken away your choice.

Regards Tony

Religions and religious leaders are the voices of gods. Religions and religious leaders have always tried to take away choice. Sometimes by physical force. Most usually by early childhood and ongoing indoctrination.

 

[Fool]

Just finished reading an amazing bool: "Leaving Christianity to Follow Jesus" By James Jones

A great read for all those who are keen to follow the teachings of Christ but are sick of all the religious bull **** in the Church. RECOMMENDED.

https://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Christianity-Follow-Jesus-Revolution/dp/099764110X

some of those people are called christian atheists

 

[David T]

Looking North off my back porch a few winters ago. There are similar infestations East, West and South. It's insidious, really.

Omg this is horrible its a disaster for you I am sosorry.. no condos for neighbours how do you cope?

 

[loverofhumanity]

From your link: (my emphases)

.” … Therefore we must exercise the utmost love toward one another. We must not consider any people the people of Satan, but know and recognize all as servants of one God. At most it is this: some do not know, they must be guided and trained. … Some are ignorant, they must be informed. Some are as children, they must be helped to reach maturity. Some are ailing, their moral condition is bad, they must be treated until their morals are purified. But the sick man is not to be hated because he is sick; the child must not be shunned because he is a child, the ignorant one is not to be despised because he lacks knowledge. They must be treated, educated, trained and assisted in love. Everything must be done in order that all humanity may live under the shadow of God in the utmost security, in happiness of the highest type.

Those are the same beliefs and sentiments of...

Hebrews trying to spread their word to their entire world.
Early Christians trying to spread the word to their entire world.
Mohammed trying to spread Islam to his entire world.
Crusaders trying to spread Christianity into the Middle East.
That's not different than the Conquistadors trying to spread Christianity into South America.
Luther toward the Jews.
"Americans" forcing Indian children into Christian schools.
​

Same old religious BS: Just Unite under Me and My God and Live Happily Ever After.​

I think you’re referring to disobedience to religion rather than religion which is to foster harmony and fellowship between people and create virtuous, noble and upright people who are an asset to the world.

It is not the fault of a religious code if people do not obey it.

The real problem is not practising one’s religion with noble and good deeds.

For example. Christ said to love one another. If every Christian did that there would never have been any wars between Christians or any other religions and Christianity would never have split into over 40,000 sects.

It’s not religion which is the problem but disobedience to it.

Whether it be Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Muhammad if people practised what they believed then this would be a different world.

Religions like Zoroastrianism teach ‘good thoughts, good words, good deeds’. Following and practising such teachings can but benefit humanity. But it’s not Zoroastrianism’s fault if people don’t practise it or do the opposite.

 

[Trailblazer]

Religions and religious leaders are the voices of gods. Religions and religious leaders have always tried to take away choice. Sometimes by physical force. Most usually by early childhood and ongoing indoctrination.

What happened in the past will never happen again. History will never repeat itself. This is a New Day of God, a New Age of mankind. All the rules have changed.

It helps to look and then you would see. When people employ the Fallacy of Hasty Generalization and confirmation bias they never bother to look and then they never see that a New Era has dawned upon humanity. Life upon this planet will never be the same again. Just look around and see all the changes taking place in the world... Do you think that is by mere accident? No, it was God’s doing.