Physical Christianity

[Jagella]

Under scrutiny? You are totally incapable of understanding even the basics if Christianity.

Quiz me any time on "the basics of Christianity." Ninety-nine percent of the Christians who denied my knowledge of their religion never took up my challenge to have them test me. The other one percent didn't recognize my knowledge when I passed that quiz.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Honestly, that's an incredibly spacious way of viewing physical Christianity. What I mean is, the brush you paint with is very broad and although the devil is in the details, I prefer day to day, situation by situation determinations when it comes to that specific biblical scripture. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Look, she would have had me screw her, then walk out of her life forever. Why? Because that's her do unto others concept as she would have others do unto her. I won't say that would be wrong of her, I will say it would be wrong for me. We're all different and there are limits to our recompence or recompence expectation. I could suggest that those who aim to harm me, would want me to harm them in return. some maybe, but not all, so as I suggested, a discerning mind is required and every situation different than every other. We are required to utilize our truth when dealing with other people's truth, which is rarely known or understood. Even in kindness it can get tricky. I won't suggest that I wouldn't extend kindness or help others in a time of need, but this is largely dependent upon my ability. For example: The couple were having a domestic dispute. It isn't uncommon for them. She appeared to need help, but after coming to her aid, she turned against the one who stepped up and rendered him. Our pearls are important and very valuable, and we've also been taught not to cast them before swine. I may step up like that for those I love if needed, but don't expect my dog (pearl) to come to someone else's aid when it would certainly jeopardize my life and theirs. This happens enough for those we love to be so careless to do this for those we barely know.

When I was an evangelist and street preacher, I often reminded other Christians of 1 Peter 3:15–16 whenever they treated non-Christians (and oftentimes other Christians) with contempt, which frequently included false accusations of hating and/or rebelling against God, as well as extreme sarcasm towards non-Christians whenever they attempted to reason with the Christian. I thought that it was most unfortunate that I had to remind Christians of this Bible passage, as well as remind them to "love your neighbor as yourself," "love your enemies, pray for your enemies, do good to your enemies," and "treat others the way you would like to be treated." I remember thinking how these Christians marred the name of Jesus by their rude and hypocritical judgmental behavior towards non-Christians and even towards other Christians who adhered to different doctrinal beliefs and biblical interpretations. However, they lacked the humility to acknowledge that their behavior was severely tainting their Christian witness and damaging their personal reputation. Honestly, I've seen this kind of self-righteousness among a few professing Christians on this forum. What I've seen so far makes me feel relieved that I'm no longer a Christian.

 

[Jagella]

Exactly. Well said, in my opinion. And this is in a thread where the OP preached about how Christians should behave and exhorted others to love their neighbor and treat others the way they want to be treated. Surely, I'm not the only person who sees the irony (and hypocrisy) in that.

That hypocrisy started with Jesus when he slammed the Pharisees for their alleged hypocrisy. In their wildest dreams the Pharisees could not have ever come close to the hypocrisy dumped on the world by Jesus.

 

[Trailblazer]

That's simply not true and I'm surprised you'd make that claim. There's a bunch of religions that teach that, like Islam and even Judaism in a way. It's common for the Abrahamic religions to believe something like that, but not only them.

You are right that Judaism is an only way religion because it recognizes only the Torah as God's truth and nothing that came after that, but Islam is not an only way religion, because it recognizes all the Messengers of God that came before Muhammad.

 

[Spice]

That hypocrisy started with Jesus when he slammed the Pharisees for their alleged hypocrisy. In their wildest dreams the Pharisees could not have ever come close to the hypocrisy dumped on the world by Jesus.

I think you've misunderstood the brotherhood of Pharisees challenging, testing, arguing with each other. It wasn't the Pharisees that turned Jesus over to the Romans. It was a Pharisee that provided his tomb and assisted his being released from the cross before sunset.

 

[Spice]

You are right that Judaism is an only way religion because it recognizes only the Torah as God's truth and nothing that came after that, but Islam is not an only way religion, because it recognizes all the Messengers of God that came before Muhammad.

Only the People of the Book. Not the eastern messengers.

 

[Trailblazer]

Only the People of the Book. Not the eastern messengers.

Yes, and I thank God for that.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

You are right that Judaism is an only way religion because it recognizes only the Torah as God's truth and nothing that came after that, but Islam is not an only way religion, because it recognizes all the Messengers of God that came before Muhammad.

Islam teaches that it is the original religion of humanity and all other religions are errors, and it's expected that everyone accept Islam or risk damnation. (There's even a traditional belief that angels will interrogate the dead in their graves by asking them a series of questions about their beliefs. If they get the answers wrong or lie, they will be punished as a foretaste of hellfire.) It's much the same as how Baha'i views other religions, which makes sense as Baha'i grew out of an Islamic culture.

 

[Spice]

Yes, and I thank God for that.

So you don't believe in connecting to the eastern faiths? So all Messengers of God in the Baha'i belief are Abrahamic?

 

[Spice]

Islam teaches that it is the original religion of humanity and all other religions are errors, and it's expected that everyone accept Islam or risk damnation. (There's even a traditional belief that angels will interrogate the dead in their graves by asking them a series of questions about their beliefs. If they get the answers wrong or lie, they will be punished as a foretaste of hellfire.) It's much the same as how Baha'i views other religions, which makes sense as Baha'i grew out of an Islamic culture.

Yes. And to my understanding they only "tolerate" People of the Book, but do not believe they are on the correct path -- just God's business if they don't interfere with Islam. If they interfere, they become infidels, too. Of course this is the thought of the more strict.

 

[Trailblazer]

Islam teaches that it is the original religion of humanity and all other religions are errors, and it's expected that everyone accept Islam or risk damnation. (There's even a traditional belief that angels will interrogate the dead in their graves by asking them a series of questions about their beliefs. If they get the answers wrong or lie, they will be punished as a foretaste of hellfire.)

Thanks for that bit of information on Islam.

It's much the same as how Baha'i views other religions, which makes sense as Baha'i grew out of an Islamic culture.

That is absolutely not the same as how Baha'i views other religions.
We believe that all the religions that were revealed by a Messenger of God are true religions of God.

Baha'u'llah broke away from Islam, which is why He was persecuted by the Muslims in power.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Thanks for that bit of information on Islam.

You're welcome.

That is absolutely not the same as how Baha'i views other religions.
We believe that all the religions that were revealed by a Messenger of God are true religions of God.

Baha'u'llah broke away from Islam, which is why He was persecuted by the Muslims in power.

Well, I don't want to derail this thread anymore. This is interesting, though. Maybe this conversation can be moved elsewhere or you or another Baha'i could start a thread about how Baha'i views non-Bahai's, our fate in the afterlife, how we would be treated in a majority Baha'i society, etc.

 

[Jagella]

I think you've misunderstood the brotherhood of Pharisees challenging, testing, arguing with each other. It wasn't the Pharisees that turned Jesus over to the Romans. It was a Pharisee that provided his tomb and assisted his being released from the cross before sunset.

I think you've misunderstood what I said about the Pharisees. I didn't mean to say anything bad about them.

 

[Spice]

I think you've misunderstood what I said about the Pharisees. I didn't mean to say anything bad about them.

No, it sounded more like you were talking bad about Jesus.

 

[jimb]

Quiz me any time on "the basics of Christianity." Ninety-nine percent of the Christians who denied my knowledge of their religion never took up my challenge to have them test me. The other one percent didn't recognize my knowledge when I passed that quiz.

Do you really think that I will waste my time discussing anything with you? I only discuss things with people whom I respect. Clearly. That leaves you out.

 

[jimb]

Quiz me any time on "the basics of Christianity." Ninety-nine percent of the Christians who denied my knowledge of their religion never took up my challenge to have them test me. The other one percent didn't recognize my knowledge when I passed that quiz.

Add me to the 99% who want nothing to do with you.

 

[jimb]

When I was an evangelist and street preacher, I often reminded other Christians of 1 Peter 3:15–16 whenever they treated non-Christians (and oftentimes other Christians) with contempt, which frequently included false accusations of hating and/or rebelling against God, as well as extreme sarcasm towards non-Christians whenever they attempted to reason with the Christian. I thought that it was most unfortunate that I had to remind Christians of this Bible passage, as well as remind them to "love your neighbor as yourself," "love your enemies, pray for your enemies, do good to your enemies," and "treat others the way you would like to be treated." I remember thinking how these Christians marred the name of Jesus by their rude and hypocritical judgmental behavior towards non-Christians and even towards other Christians who adhered to different doctrinal beliefs and biblical interpretations. However, they lacked the humility to acknowledge that their behavior was severely tainting their Christian witness and damaging their personal reputation. Honestly, I've seen this kind of self-righteousness among a few professing Christians on this forum. What I've seen so far makes me feel relieved that I'm no longer a Christian.

So when Jesus took on the Pharisees and Sadducees, His behavior doesn't meet your standard of how a Christian should behave?

 

[jimb]

That hypocrisy started with Jesus when he slammed the Pharisees for their alleged hypocrisy. In their wildest dreams the Pharisees could not have ever come close to the hypocrisy dumped on the world by Jesus.

Okay, I am done discussing anything with you or even reading your posts.

 

[Jagella]

No, it sounded more like you were talking bad about Jesus.

Then why did you defend the Pharisees?

 

[Jagella]

Do you really think that I will waste my time discussing anything with you? I only discuss things with people whom I respect. Clearly. That leaves you out.

Is this supposed to be a joke? Are you an atheist posing as a Christian to make Christians look bad? You might as well be.